As we place our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we embark on a journey of discipleship, following Jesus until our life’s end. And even before we come to the point of professing our faith in the fellowship of the church, we believe that little ones as part of the covenant community are also on that journey of discipleship, learning of Christ, and learning to believe upon Him and His promise of a life in God’s Kingdom, a life within God’s gracious reign and rule.
Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40). Jesus anticipated that as disciples followed him, they would become more and more like him. The original word for disciple in the greek language is mathetes, and it simply means to learn by following, becoming like the one you follow. At First Reformed Church we invite all to embark on a Disciples’ Journey.
If you have never trusted in Christ, come to him, as he calls all, “The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news !” (Mark 1:15). If you have trusted him and want to grow closer to him, recognize that happens in a process with other believers as we encounter God’s Word together. The goal is that Christ would be formed in us (Galatians 4:19) as we are sanctified in a life-long process of faith and obedience. If you are a parent, we want to partner with you in raising up a generation of children and teens who love the Lord with all their heart, and all their understanding, and all their their strength, and who love their neighbors as themselves (Mark 12:33).