Five Things We Will Learn
- Why many new believers struggle to stay connected after coming to Christ.
- How the Church can move from reaching the lost to weaving them into God’s family.
- What it means to “knit” new believers into the body of Christ through relationship and discipleship.
- Practical ways mature believers can help others grow strong and stay rooted in faith.
- Why true evangelism doesn’t end at salvation—it continues through belonging, community, and growth.
Opening Reflection
God is moving powerfully in His Church today. Lives are being changed, disciples are being made, and the presence of the Lord is drawing people to Himself. It’s an exciting time to be part of what He’s doing together as His family.
Yet even in seasons of great fruitfulness, there are moments that reveal areas where we must grow. This is one of those teachable moments for the Church—a reminder of how easily we can miss what God is doing right in front of us.
Recognizing the Missed Moment
When people come to the Lord and begin joining the fellowship of believers, it’s a sacred moment. But sometimes, even in the joy of what God is doing, we overlook those who are brand new to the faith.
Maybe it’s a conversation that keeps us distracted, or we simply don’t notice who’s standing on the edge of the room, quietly watching. These moments matter deeply to the Lord. They are the beginning of a believer’s life in His family—the time when they need connection, affirmation, and love.
Imagine with me
Imagine a newborn baby—an infant—being ignored while everyone around focuses only on themselves: helping themselves, talking with each other, and engaging with the adults in the room. Now imagine you are that infant—helpless, out of place, and intimidated by the towering adults who seem to know everything. You feel so out of place that all you want to do is run and never come back, because it feels isolating—as if everyone knows each other but you know no one, and you don’t even feel like you belong.
Now imagine God watching this unfold. Picture Him seeing this infant in Christ—one His Son died for—a new disciple just won to Jesus. How must He feel, watching His newborn child be overlooked here on earth, while all of heaven rejoices over their new birth? Heaven celebrates, but the Church sometimes forgets to care for the newborn—to nurture, to embrace, and to bring them fully into the family of God.
“Bring yourself back into the room—you have guests.”
It’s in those moments we must stay spiritually aware and present. Among the mature, it’s loving and wise to help one another read the room—to recognize when someone new is present and make sure they feel welcomed, seen, and drawn into fellowship.
The Importance of Recognizing Fruit
Sometimes the Church doesn’t recognize the fruit of its own labor—the very thing God is using us for. The gifts move, the harvest comes, and there they are, sitting right in front of us. Yet our attention shifts to something less urgent, and we miss the moment to celebrate and receive the newborns of the Kingdom.
That’s when we need to pause and say,
“Let’s talk about this later—I want to make sure they feel welcome. They just got saved!”
This is a challenge to all of us. Jesus cares most about fruit—disciples, lives transformed, the work of His Spirit. We’re fulfilling His command to make disciples, but at times, we unintentionally ignore the very ones He’s drawing to Himself.
The Common Disconnect
It’s very common for brand-new believers to feel disconnected. And even those who have walked with the Lord for years sometimes aren’t sure how to engage with new believers—it can feel unfamiliar, even awkward.
That’s where the mature must take initiative. Our role is to notice, connect, invest, and help knit them into the body of Christ.
Flipping Evangelism: From Reaching to Weaving
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held [knit] together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
(Ephesians 4:14–16)
Once someone is reached, the next step is to weave them into the family of God. The same energy we use to reach the lost must now be used to disciple the Church to receive them—it’s almost like flipping evangelism.
It’s simple but intentional:
- Introduce people to one another.
- Share small pieces of your life story.
- Encourage others to invest in the newborns of the faith and help them find their place in the family.
Think of it like jumpstarting a heart or getting an engine running—cross-connections bring life. As each part connects, the body becomes whole. That’s how we move from reaching to weaving.
The Struggle to Keep the Fruit
It’s not that people don’t care; it’s just that this is a common struggle in the Church. Those who help lead others to Christ often find that new believers can unintentionally be left alone or overlooked, which can make them feel rejection instead of belonging.
We must be intentional to embrace and protect what God is doing. It takes time—sometimes months—for new believers to become fully knit in and growing strong.
Let’s come together with a mindset that says,
“I’m here to receive, yes—but I’m also here to minister to the one-week, one-month, or six-month believer.”
Related Teaching
- What If Parents Gave Birth to a 25-Year-Old? Survival Guide for Those Newly Born Again and Those Discipling Them. HELP!!! People Talk Big, but What We Need Are the Simple Truths to Deal with What We’re Struggling with Right Now—That’s What This Is About.
- The Commands of Jesus
- Charles Simpson: How to Rediscover Family in the Church
A Teachable Moment for the Mature
This is wisdom for the mature—something we’ll need to revisit often. Conversations like these should take place among seasoned believers so they can model what it means to welcome, connect, and disciple the newly born.
Part of loving me is knowing about me. Matthew 7:23
A simple practice:
- Learn three things about a new believer each time you meet, and share two or three things about yourself.
- That kind of cross-pollination builds connection and trust.
- Write down what you learn and pray for them during the week.
As you help disciples make disciples, use everyday moments—sitting in a restaurant, having coffee, or walking together—to teach them how to help new believers find their place in the family.
Encourage this regularly—each week or even multiple times a week—by introducing new believers to others and helping them learn about one another.
“God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.” Hebrews 6:10
Preparing Disciples for Success
When teaching disciples, help them prepare for the moment of success—when someone gives their life to Christ. Encourage them to envision what comes next and begin praying for how to walk with that person afterward.
For example: As you walk with them on a Luke 10 Prayer Walk, there will be moments to pause, rest, or perhaps share a meal, a cup of coffee, or tea together. Use these times to teach them to see themselves not only as those who win others to Christ and make disciples, but also as those who help knit new believers into Christ and into a church family during their first six months of discipleship.
Let them know that God sees they are preparing themselves in faith—not only to lead someone to Him, but to help keep them alive in Him. Encourage them that God will reward their faithfulness with a harvest, because they are becoming safe disciples through whom He can trust to lead and nurture others.
Remind them that we are not called to allow people to be born again only to die on the vine.
When someone is saved, the next step is helping them become tightly knit into God’s family and guiding them along the path of discipleship through The Commands of Jesus and beyond.
Being born again is just the beginning.
Making disciples means walking with them until they grow mature in the Lord.
Prayer: The Real Key
And speaking of prayer—we need to pray. Pray in the Spirit continually, even for extended times, and let the Holy Spirit do what only He can do.
Related:
This has been a long-standing issue in the Church, and it’s one of the reasons many have stepped away from traditional models—because so often, new believers were left spiritually abandoned, born to die.
But in our time, and in our generation, we have the opportunity to do it differently—and to do it right.
Encouragement
You’re doing a great job. Stay faithful to The Commands of Jesus. The future is bright—and the present is, too.
Keep going. What God is doing through you is powerful, and He’s only just beginning.