Growing

Exploring biblical truths and discovering what it means to walk with Jesus. 

"I'm mostly reading and learning the word of God and seeking to experience His love." ​

People in the Growing stage have typically had at least one time when they became noticeably more involved in their faith. They like discussing spiritual topics with other Christians and see their faith as very personal. 

NOTE: Further research on this stage is currently in progress. 

What people in Growing say

“Everything I have read in the whole Bible [so far] is true.” 

“I’m relatively new [to Christianity]…mostly reading and learning the word of God. Constantly, seeking to have God open my heart and come into my life for me to experience God’s grace and love.” 

“[‘Born-again Christian’ means that] people change their entire lifestyle and are no longer of the world…I would not consider myself that way [yet]. I am still fighting.”  

At-a-glance

  • Attend church regularly
  • Have a desire to become a better person
  • Faith is very personal to them
  • Enjoy talking about spiritual topics with other Christians
  • Not doing evangelism or discipleship yet
Compare to:
Professing
Grounded
Engaged
Multiplying
Likelihood of being involved in Christian community
Motivation to grow spiritually through various practices/disciplines
Willingness to do evangelism
Willingness to help others grow through discipleship
Likelihood of being engaged in evangelism and discipleship

Insights & attributes

Church Involvement

Regular church attendance is seen as a pathway to becoming a better person.

Clear Point in Time

People in this stage typically had a clear moment in time when they became noticeably more involved in their faith.

View on Evangelism

Evangelism is inviting people to church or having open conversations about God or religion. They are not doing either of these things though.

Spiritual Growth

Enjoy reading the Bible and discussing spiritual topics with other Christians.

Further Research Needed

We are currently running a deep dive study on this stage and will post more updates and insights when our data analysis is complete. Stay tuned!

Personal Conviction

See their faith as personal and want to be used by God in their family.

Dechurched

If Dechurched, they still display signs of growing closer to God, but may more closely resemble "Professing" outwardly. Are following Christianity on their own terms, outside of Christian community.

Where and why people move

Negative Influence

People in the Growing stage can be negatively impacted by the wrong friends, failures of their church leaders, and a loss of interest in their faith. This can cause them to move back toward Professing or even Uninterested.

Trials and Hardships

Trials can affect people in the Growing stage more deeply than those in the Grounded stage, which can cause a backward movement.

Move toward Grounded

Growing is typically not an end stage. Most people tend to move toward Grounded by being involved in Christian community or by having their faith become stronger through trials.

Move toward Engaged

Some people in the Growing stage move directly to the Engaged stage by trying evangelism, or less commonly, discipleship.

Engage this stage with care and reassurance

Pause and Pray
Plan Your Next Steps
Cautions and Encouragement
  • People in this stage have a growing relationship with God - thank God for them!
  • This stage is also one of potentially hard spiritual warfare and a time of many new milestones -  like a fork in the road or the parable of the soils. Pray that they would continue to grow to maturity and have a resilient faith — trusting in the character and goodness of God even when they may not understand their circumstances. 
  • People in this stage need to be grounded in the Spirit-filled life. Pray that they grow in their understanding of the Holy Spirit’s role in all areas of their life, with an increasing sensitivity to follow His leading and rely on His power.
  • Pray that the Holy Spirit would move them to continued growth and steps of faith. 
  • Pray that people in this stage will grow in their ability to experience God’s grace when they mess up and extend forgiveness and grace with others.
  • A time of growth can be a time for relationship changes.  The pain of losing some old friends and challenge of making new connections can be very real. Pray that God would bring people in their lives who help them move closer to God and reflect His love.
  • Consider ways you can give them a solid foundation in the character of God and the basics of the faith so that they have deep roots to weather the storms of life. 
  • Make sure that they understand the Spirit-filled life and the importance of relying on God in all that they do. 
  • Think about how you could spend time talking about their secure identity in Christ that is not dependent on their works. Help them grow in their understanding of God’s great love for them which will compel them to follow Him.
  • Give them the right challenge at the right time - over and over. As we typically have a lot of strategies for this group, the question is not what to do next, but rather what is effective in truly helping them.
  • Grace and truth given in love over time are both essential for spiritual growth. How can you help this person grow by accepting loving grace and truth and extending loving grace and truth to others? 
  • Finding solid community at this stage is key and can also be a challenge. Consider how you could help a person in this stage get connected to a healthy community of believers so that they can continue to grow.
  • At the same time, consider how you might help a person in Growing to remain in their current relational networks and experience small steps toward sharing their faith with their friends in natural ways.
  • People in Growing have great potential - no one knows the limits of their growth.
  • Sometimes accelerated growth in the beginning can come from  wrong motives (e.g., people-pleasing or legalism) - it may be better for them to “slow down.” Consider ways to show how the Christian life is a marathon and not a sprint.
  • They can have a misunderstanding of what it means to follow Jesus  — as if some activities are reserved for “super Christians.” This can result in them putting you or others on a pedestal. Consider how you could use this as an opportunity to help them understand that following Jesus is for everyone who loves Him. 
  • Do not respond defensively when someone in this stage shares their doubts, questions, or painful church experiences. Rather, listen empathetically. 
  • Even when you have answers that address their questions and doubts, do not rush them to move past the dissonance. Offer answers if they want them, reassure them of truth and the trustworthiness of Jesus, but be patient as they process their thoughts and feelings. 

Experiments, Tactics & Studies

Solutions and resources that have been created or used to understand better or reach this audience.
Add your own item below by submitting a proposal

Explore the other stages

Hostile
Unaware
Uninterested
Open
Unclear
Dual
Seeking
Professing
Growing
Grounded
Engaged
Multiplying
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