DISCIPLESHIP
RESOURCES
THE JOURNEY
The Discipleship Journey starts with the creation of a safe environment for all to come to and receive support and community. We want to connect with everyone coming into our locations. At Rising Brook we also want to see people grow and develop in their own gifting and character contributing to others in need.
The five stages of The Journey are:
Welcome Home
Know God
Find Freedom
Discover Purpose
Make a Difference
Resources for our current theme
Every teaching theme we cover at Rising Brook will undoubtedly have a huge amount of literature and resources available for further reading and study. Here are some of our recommendations for where you might want to start.
Stephen Elmes visited Rising Brook recently to bring the conversation of same-sex attraction to the Family Table series. His book ‘A Beautiful Endeavour’ acts as a conversation starter and was used in our recent workshop with Steve.
Coming up…
Our next series will look at 1 Peter and being ‘Strongly rooted for the difficult times’. The LICC have a great six-part resource for working through 1 Peter and growing in confidence as a disciple.
Baptist Union course on Equality and Diversity
An introductory training resource aimed at Baptist ministers getting to grips with the increasing diversity of people we meet. Although this has some ministry specifics, it has some great principles in challenging and growing our understanding of diversity and equality.
Know God
Alpha (Course)
The Alpha course is usually facilitated by one of our different locations. If you would like to run an Alpha course as part of a smaller group setting, please speak to or email Dave Stephenson.
The Alpha Course is a dynamic and interactive series of sessions that provides a safe and welcoming environment for open discussions and honest inquiries about the basics of the Christian faith. Whether you're a seeker, a skeptic, or simply looking to deepen your understanding of Christianity, this course offers a supportive space for you to explore your beliefs and engage in meaningful conversations.
Over the course of several weeks, you will embark on a thought-provoking journey where you can freely express your doubts, share your thoughts, and hear diverse perspectives. Each session delves into fundamental questions such as: Who is Jesus? Why did He die? How can I have faith? Through engaging talks, engaging videos, and small group conversations, you will discover the transformative power of the Christian message and its relevance to your life.
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Heart 7
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The Bible Course (Course)
The Bible Course is run centrally from Rising Brook Community Church but the Bible Society is a great resource to get deeper into the Bible for individuals, small groups and equip families to study the Bible together.
The Bible Course itself offers engaging video teachings, thought-provoking discussions, and insightful study guides to help you navigate the narrative, themes, and message of the Bible. Each session covers key sections and provides practical applications for your daily life. Whether you're a seasoned believer or new to the faith, this course will equip you with the tools to confidently engage with God's Word and apply its truths in your life. Embark on this enlightening journey and discover the transformative power of the Scriptures within your church community or as an individual seeking spiritual growth.
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Heart - 5
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The Bible Project (Video Bible explainer series/course)
For years we have utilised the incredible skill and teaching of the Bible Project team at Rising Brook; A beautiful merging of great biblical teaching and creative artistry brings the bible to life in new and awe inspiring ways.
BibleProject is a nonprofit, crowdfunded organization that produces 100% free Bible videos, podcasts, articles, classes, and educational Bible resources to help make the biblical story accessible to everyone everywhere.
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Heart - 6
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Lectio 365: Daily Devotions for Spiritual Renewal (App)
Download from your app store
A popular way of accessing the bible which can be both read or listened to from your phone. Also available to use for family devotionals.
Experience daily spiritual renewal with the Lectio 365 app. This powerful and accessible tool brings ancient Christian wisdom into your modern life, helping you connect with God and find inspiration in your daily routine. Each day, the app offers a carefully crafted devotional reading, accompanied by thought-provoking reflections and guided prayers. With its user-friendly interface and customizable features, Lectio 365 allows you to create a personalised spiritual practice that fits your schedule and preferences. Immerse yourself in the richness of scripture, nurture your faith, and cultivate a deeper relationship with God through this transformative app.
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Heart 7
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After I Believe - James Emery White (Book)
James White is a friend of Rising Brook and has visited the church previously to lend his wisdom and insight. He has authored a number of books that have been great resources for thinking about church and culture. Helpfully, Jim does a podcast and writes regularly on his website churchandculture.org
A book that is equally brilliant for new believers, as well as a refresher for those more mature in their faith is Jim’s book ‘After I Believe’. Here is the blurb from the back of the book.
I believe. Now what?
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Heart - 5
Hands - 5
Find Freedom
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (Book and course)
This updated edition serves as the core text for the Emotionally Healthy (EH) Spirituality Course, a Discipleship Course utilized by churches around the world to deeply change their people in Christ for the sake of the world.
Pete outlines his journey and offers a road map for a discipleship with Jesus that is powerfully trans formative. Topics include how to identify emotionally unhealthy spirituality, how to grow your soul through grief and loss, and how to develop into an emotionally mature adult.
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Heart - 7
Hands - 5
Disciple (Course and App)
Disciple is a centrally run course from Rising Brook Community Church and is an aid to developing discipleship. As you progress from being brand new to the Christian faith and entering into the race towards finding freedom in the fulness that Jesus made available to us.
‘Disciple’ is a 10 session discipleship course for 20s and 30s, perfect for small groups. Each session is designed to last around 90 mins, and kicks off with a 'Starter Film' to get you talking. There are then three key teaching sessions run from video content, with chat times in between. Each session finishes with an opportunity to reflect and apply the teaching to your own life-story.
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Heart - 6
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Celebration of Discipline (Book)
The book explores the 'classic disciplines' of Christian faith: the inward disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study; the outward disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission and service and the corporate disciplines of confession, worship, guidance and celebration.
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Heart - 5
Hands - 6
CAP Money Course (Course and small group resource)
The CAP (Christians Against Poverty) money course is run centrally at Rising Brook Community Church, however, there are fantastic resources available that can be facilitated in small groups, or shared individually with anyone who would like to learn more about handling finances or dealing with debt issues and the stresses and anxiety that can come along with that.
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Discover Purpose
The Gifting Course (Course)
More coming soon…
The Purpose Driven Life - Rick Warren (Book)
A really practical devotional that was first published in 2002, it has been consistently working in people's lives to affirm God’s hand on them and will help to focus your attention towards God as you try and navigate all of life’s challenges. It is also available in a graduates and kids format.
A #1 New York Times bestseller, The Purpose Driven Life will help you understand why you are alive and reveal God's amazing plan for you both here and now, and for eternity. Rick Warren will guide you through a personal forty-day spiritual journey that will transform your answer to life's most important question: What on earth am I here for? Knowing God's purpose for creating you will reduce your stress, focus your energy, simplify your decisions, give meaning to your life, and most important, prepare you for eternity.
Movie stars and political leaders aren't the only ones turning to Rick Warren for spiritual guidance. Millions of people from NBA and LPGA players to corporate executives to high school students to prison inmates meet regularly to discuss The Purpose Driven Life.
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Make A Difference
Ministry and Volunteer opportunities
The best way we know how to make a difference is to get stuck into one of our many volunteer roles. Click on the link below to find out how you can get involved, meet some new people, and put into practice some of the things you’ve learned so far about Jesus’ love for you and others.
To find out more, check out this video:
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Heart - 5
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Evangelism Course (course)
More details coming soon…
Do What Jesus Did (book)
Not for the faint hearted, this book is filled with Vineyard Pastor Robby Dawkins’ experience of seeing God move in some fantastic and remarkable ways. Here’s some of the blurb about the book:
In this dangerous book, you’ll learn simple, practical ways to take hold of your God-given “power tools”–prophetic ministry, healing, ministering the presence of God and deliverance from demonic power. Through amazing, but true stories from the front lines of ministry, you’ll see what happens when ordinary Christians harness God’s superpower to bring His Kingdom to earth.
It’s time to beat the sickness, suffering and despair of the impossible. Time to embrace a powerful faith. It’s time to do what Jesus did.
“My heart began to burn while reading Robby Dawkins’ Do What Jesus Did. I know of no other way to explain it. My heart burns with passion, hope and the wonder of what could become of my life with this book in hand.” – Excerpt from Foreword by Bill Johnson, Bethel Church Redding, CA
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The Journey is an ongoing process, not a destination.
Once you’ve completed something from Make A Difference, we’d recommend you start back with a new resource from the Know God step.