Becoming A Disciple At Valley

Jesus gave His Church one primary task and that was to "make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20) At Valley we have adopted that task into our purpose statement that says, The purpose of Valley Bible Church is to develop fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ who love God, one another, and those in the world.

On this page you can learn about the initial steps of becoming a disciple that we offer to you here at Valley. We believe they will help you grow spiritually as a disciple of Jesus, and assist you in becoming an active member of this congregation. We suggest that you prayerfully consider where you are currently at in your spiritual journey, and then take the next step.

Salvation - Becoming A Christian

The greatest experience life offers you is new spiritual life through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Knowing that your sins have been forgiven, and having the confidence that when this life is over heaven awaits you, brings you the peace and joy you have been searching for all your life. And, it is the very beginning of becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. Without salvation, it is impossible to become Christ's disciple.

Here is one way to learn more about becoming a Christian - You can return to this web site's home page, click "I have a need" and then click "to know God." There you will find a step-by-step explanation of what it means to receive the wonderful gift of eternal life.

Another way is to contact the director of our Evangelism Explosion Ministry, Mark Barker at (858) 484-7997. Either Mark, or one of the other EE team members, would be happy to spend time with you explaining what it means to receive the gift of eternal life that God offers.

"Knowing God Personally"

After your salvation, this is the next step in VBC's discipleship process. "Knowing God Personally" is comprised of five one-hour lessons that teach the basic principles of your new life with Christ. A trained disciple-maker meets with you to guide you through this step that includes:

#1 - Beginning With God

#2 - Fellowship With God

#3 - Power To Live For God

#4 - Growing As A Child Of God

#5 - The Meaning Of Baptism

For more information about getting started, contact the church office at (760) 744-0274.

Baptism

Having completed "Knowing God Personally," you now understand what Christian baptism is all about and why it's such an important experience in your new life with Jesus. By contacting the church office at (760) 744-0274, you can find out when the next baptism event is scheduled.

Church Discovery Class

In this four-week class, you are given the opportunity to learn more about Valley Bible Church. Led by Pastor Hugh McMenamin, you will be introduced to our ministries through the following lessons based on the acronym ACTS:

Lesson #1 - Authority of the Bible

Lesson #2 - Church: Who are we?

Lesson #3 - Two Ceremonies to Observe

Lesson #4 - Serving in God's Church

The Church Discovery Class also allows you the opportunity to consider becoming a member of Valley. You can "discover" when the next series of classes begins by contacting Secretary Dona Hardesty in the church office at (760) 744-0274, or by emailing her at donah@valleybibleonline.org.

"One-To-One Discipling"

To continue your process in becoming a "fully devoted disciple of Jesus Christ," Valley offers this nine-lesson study in which one of our trained disciple-makers takes you personally through key elements in your growing life with Christ. Here is what you have the opportunity to learn:

1. How to be Sure You are a Christian

2. Attributes of God

3. How to Know the Bible

4. Prayer

5. The Spirit-filled Life

6. Fellowship

7. Witnessing

8. Temptation

9. Obedience in the Christian Walk

Contact the church office today at (760) 744-0274 to find out how to get started.

Spiritual Gifts Class

Have you ever wondered why God saved you? One of the reasons is so that He can empower you with unique spiritual gifts that you are to use in serving God and His Church. This class is designed to help you understand what the Bible teaches about spiritual gifts, how they are to be used, and how to help you discover which ones God has given you.

You can contact the church office at (760) 744-0274 for more information about signing up for the next class.

Serving & Growing

At this point in your discipleship process, you're probably ready to start prayerfully considering where God wants you to serve at Valley Bible Church, thereby continuing your spiritual growth. The best way to accomplish this is to have an informal conversation with one of our Pastors or Elders. They are in the best position to help guide you and to provide information for the key areas in the church where service is currently most important.

 You can contact the church's Secretary, Dona Hardesty at (760) 744-0274 to arrange a time to meet with one of our Pastors or Elders. Or, simply speak with one of them in person on your next visit to Valley Bible Church.