Discovering Growth Track

Our church services and events serve as catalysts for a relationship with Jesus, but those things are not enough to develop depth in that relationship. At some point, we have to move beyond a 75-90 minute corporate experience once a week into a daily rhythm of personal connection with God.

Our systems for developing committed followers of Jesus in our community are Growth Groups and teams. We believe that doing life with a small group of people and sacrificially serving others on a team are the greatest catalysts for growth in the life of a believer. Our system for connecting people to ‘Growth Groups’ and ‘teams’ is the Growth Track.

Growth Track is a three-week discipleship class that we offer on the first, second and third Sundays at IMMANUEL. It is built in three steps and designed to work in any order, so people can start and end on any step. (You can jump in on Step 03 and graduate on Step 02 the following month.) Step 01 happens on the first Sunday of every month. We offer Growth Track in-person, and all of our classes are led by live facilitators. This series of classes is how we shift people from being spiritual spectators to passionate participators, loving, leading, and serving others.

Here is a breakdown of each of the three steps.

STEP 01 - Encounter

At Step 01, we dive deeper into what it means to have an encounter with Jesus. We give participants a snapshot of what the next three weeks will look like and share core tenets of our faith. We answer questions like how do I become a Christian? and how to have a genuine relationship with God? We encourage people to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did. We challenge them to continue their journey of faith by getting baptized,  completing Growth Track and getting connected to a growth group.

STEP 02 - EQUIP

At Step 02, we lean into the process of sanctification. What does it mean to become more like Jesus and how do we do it? We share details of our doctrine, story, and core values. We talk about how to share Christ with others and how to participate in the mission and vision of our church.  We also get personal. This step is all about helping people discover distinct features of their personality and spiritual gifts. Participants complete the DISC profile—a personal assessment tool designed to help improve teamwork, communication, and productivity—and a spiritual gifts test. They leave with a deeper understanding of themselves, both their unique personality traits and the spiritual gifts God has placed within them.

Take the assesement

https://growthtrack.churchofthehighlands.com/events/step-two

STEP 03- Make a difference

At Step 03, we connect what we learned in Step 02 with specific opportunities to exercise those gifts within our community. Our facilitators give participants a breakdown of the teams within each of our church departments, providing an overview of what it looks like to serve on each team. We also highlight particular teams that may need extra support at the time, encouraging people to serve where they are most needed. The bulk of this step consists of new servant leaders meeting with our team leaders and deciding where they want to get plugged in. Each month, our team leaders attend Step 03 to meet new people and grow their teams.

Growth Track is not original to Immanuel. We picked up the idea from our friends at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama. We have adapted their original concept to fit our own unique language and culture and will most likely continue to adap over the years. We are constantly evaluating and adjusting our system. We share a common mission: to bring those who are far from God close to him and help them reach their full potential.

-Pastor David Wilkinson