A Disciple's Path Companion Reader 519256: Deepening Your Relationship with Christ and the Church

A Disciple's Path is an engaging approach to discipleship from a distinctly Wesleyan perspective that is perfect for a new member class or other small group. The six-week program guides individuals to take the next step in discipleship and become dynamic followers of Jesus Christ and engaged, vital members of the local church.


The study combines a Wesleyan understanding of our growth in God's love and grace with the time-tested practices of spiritual discipline expressed in the membership vows to uphold the church with our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Participants will develop spiritual practices, discover their unique gifts, and become engaged in ministry that brings transformation in their own lives, the lives of others, and the world.


This Companion Reader provides invaluable insights that enable both participants and leaders to dig deeper into the spiritual practices essential to the life of discipleship. Each chapter corresponds to a week in the Daily Workbook, providing biblical and theological background on the week’s theme from a distinctively United Methodist perspective. Perfect for enhancing personal or group study and reflection, answering questions, and providing material for worship planning during a congregation-wide emphasis.



Endorsements
“A Disciple’s Path has transformed countless new members into deeply committed disciples – people who are using their gifts, praying in new ways, worshipping regularly and not only when it’s convenient, giving sacrificially of their financial resources, and seeking to be a witness to Christ’s love and light in the world. I am deeply grateful for this resource and recommend it wholeheartedly." Donna Claycomb Sokol, Pastor of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church and author of A New Day in the City



“A Disciple’s Path has the potential to revolutionize the way we view our participation in the church. Following this ‘path’ can transform us from wanderers into pilgrims.” —Dr. Steve Harper, Retired Professor of Spiritual Formation; author of Five Marks of a Methodist and Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition

“For churches transforming their invitation to membership into an opportunity for a discipleship journey.” — Lovett H. Weems, Jr., author and Distinguished Professor of Church Leadership and Director, Lewis Center for Church Leadership, Wesley Theological Seminary


“A very useful explanation of the traditional Wesleyan view of Christian discipleship, strengthened in particular by its stress on the balanced approach of the Methodist way.” —Dr. Richard P. Heitzenrater, Duke University Divinity School

Justin LaRosa, LCSW is an ordained deacon in The United Methodist Church, a licensed clinical social worker, a certified enneagram practitioner, an author, and a spiritual entrepreneur who initiates and leads change. He is the Director and Pastor of The Portico, a cutting-edge initiative in the oldest church in downtown Tampa, Florida. Justin is the author of The Jesus Challenge: 21 Days of Loving God and Neighbor, and has co-authored three books, A Disciple’s Path, A Disciple’s Heart, and SENT: Delivering the Gift of Hope at Christmas. He and his wife Caroline have a daughter, Isabella, and a son, Russell.

James A. Harnish retired after 43 years of pastoral ministry in the Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He was the founding pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Orlando and served for 22 years as the Senior Pastor of Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa. He is the author of A Disciple’s Heart: Growing in Love and Grace, Earn. Save. Give. Wesley’s Simple Rules for Money, and Make a Difference: Following Your Passion and Finding Your Place to Serve. He was a consulting editor for The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible and a contributor to The Wesley Study Bible. He and his wife, Martha, have two married daughters and five grandchildren in Florida and South Carolina.