Portrait of a Disciple
Mature Member Attributes:
Our desire is that all members of our local church become mature in Jesus Christ. Below is a
summary of our beliefs of key attributes that best delineate a mature believer. (Philippians 3:14)
1. Christ-Centered & Gospel-Driven
Mature members demonstrate a love of and for God. (Ephesians 4:14)
They are individuals who are Christ-centered and Gospel-driven who:
• Believe that God’s unconditional love for them as sinners is the basis for loving others.
• Love God and Jesus and give God all the glory.
• Regularly worship and fellowship with other believers in the church.
• Consistently employ a Biblical perspective in real-life situations.
2. Bible-Loving
Mature members know and obey God’s Word. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
They are individuals who understand the centrality of the Word of God who:
• Understand that the Scriptures are God’s truth to mankind.
• Regularly read, study, reflect, and obey God’s word.
• Demonstrates a love and respect for the Bible in their daily life.
• Internalize Scripture through repetition and memorization.
• Welcome guidance from the Holy Spirit.
3. Grace-Filled Community
Mature members have a love for others and willingly serve others. (John 13:34)
They are individuals who:
• Create a welcoming and inviting atmosphere within their home and church.
• Warmly greet and engage with people they meet.
• Treat others with respect regardless of their background or beliefs.
• Look to meet both the practical and spiritual needs of others.
• Understand every believer has specific gifts and resources, and as a member of the body
of Christ are to be used to advance His kingdom.
4. Spirit-Filled Christ-Likeness
Mature members strive to be Christ-like. (Galatians 5:22-23)
They are Spirit-filled, exhibit the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and are individuals who:
• Have a heart full of love, joy, and peace. They exhibit love to those around them;
demonstrate a joy that is not based on circumstances; and have a peace, a tranquility of
the heart, even in the midst of trouble.
• Have relational experiences in which they exhibit patience, kindness, and goodness with
people. They treat others with respect, even when they see things from a different
perspective, and are kind-hearted, sociable, friendly, and empathetic.
• Have character traits of trustworthiness, gentleness, and self-control. They demonstrate
integrity, responsibility, and perseverance; are submissive to God’s will, teachable, and
considerate; and have mastery over a man’s desire for and love of pleasure along with
take responsibility for their own actions.
5. Local Outreach & World Missions
Mature members share the love of Christ with others. (Matthew 28:19-20)
They support both (near to us) local outreach and global missions and are individuals who:
• Understand the difference between local outreach and global missions.
• Are able to effectively present the gospel to the unsaved.
• Prayerfully and actively approach their responsibility of reaching their community with
the love of Christ through evangelism and service.
• See world missions as the responsibility of the local church through encouraging
evangelism and service globally.
• Support world missions through prayer, resources, time, and talent (if so called).
6. Family-Focused
Mature members understand that God established the family as foundational to a healthy
church. (Genesis 2:24; 1 Corinthians 6:9) They are individuals who:
• Believes that marriage is made up of a man and a woman who become one upon
marriage.
• Treat their spouses with love and respect.
• Believes that God has made this clear through His Scriptures that sexual relationships
outside of marriage are ungodly.
• Teaches their children to love and respect the Word of God through times of family Bible
study and discussion, prayer, and activities.
• Treats each child as unique, created by God with his/her own talents and abilities that
parents are responsible to cultivate