This month Dwell will be offering its Getting Grounded class, designed to help new believers gain firm footing on their walks with God. Doug O'Malley will teach the class, and says the class looks at the ways the Bible says we grow with God, focusing on the 5 means of growth: prayer, Bible study, ministry, fellowship, and suffering. It’ll give practical ideas for developing in each area.
The 5 week class starts Saturday, February 12th, and you can register at this link.
Doug says the class emphasizes the means of growth because Scripture emphasizes them as God-given avenues to transform us. “Also, we know from Scripture that we have an enemy, who immediately tries to derail young believers. So, the means of growth act as a protection for us against his schemes.”
And while they may seem like work, Doug says the means of growth are also a godly means to fulfillment. “The joy of experiencing friendship with other believers is deeply satisfying. Hearing from God through the Bible and prayer is exhilarating. Jesus himself said that serving other people nourished his soul. This class will hopefully set up new believers to persevere in their walk with God, but also to enjoy it.”
Doug says understanding the means of growth is not only a great starting point for new believers, but he says it may well be the key to helping other believers who are struggling. He says he often sees mentors put together complex plans for helping their struggling friend when often the answer is much simpler: they aren’t partaking in the means of growth. “It could be they never developed a habit of reading the Bible or they haven't found consistent ways to serve. So this class may be very useful for helping members who are ‘stuck’”