We are all at different stages of life, and we are all at different stages of faith. It’s helpful to know where you are at, so you can figure out what can help you progress to the next stage. The adventure of faith isn’t a linear progression, we don’t follow a straight line as we grow, but there a few stages along the way.

Stage 1 is Unaware. So that’s folks who are not aware of faith. They may have some understanding about who Jesus is but the concept of having a relationship with him has never come across their radar.

Stage 2 is Curious. When you move from being unaware to aware one of two things will happen. You will want to find out more or you will think to yourself, this isn’t for me and check out of the adventure. We want to help people who are unaware of faith to become curios about faith. And then we want them to take a step towards stage 3.

Stage 3 is Exploring. This is where the adventure really begins. If you’ve ever been skiing or mountain biking you will be aware of the different colour runs that you can go on depending on your experience. So exploring is like the green runs. You are checking it out, seeing if this faith thing is for you. Sunday mornings, exploring faith groups and some of our volunteer teams are a great place to start – they will quickly help you get onto the next run in this adventure.

Stage 4 is Building. This is the blue runs of faith. It’s the people who have decided to follow Jesus, to be a Christian. They are still starting out but getting to grips with what faith is all about. They are learning to engage with the bible and our figuring out how they can talk to God – I know it sounds a bit crazy when you think about it, that’s why we call faith and adventure! If this is you, leaning into community is really important, turning up on Sunday, joining a small group or a volunteer team is a great step for you.

Stage 5 is Owning. We’re on the red runs of faith. This is intermediate level, but don’t get lost in the analogy. These folks have been on this journey for a while. Faith isn’t something they do, it’s becoming a central part of their lives. If this is you, you are reading the bible for yourself, you are spending time with God and you’re seeking to apply what you are discovering to your life. The stuff we do on a Sunday will motivate and inspire you, but it probably wont be new to you. This is where helping others on this adventure helps you continue to grow.

Stage 6 is Thriving. It’s the black runs of faith and from where you are at you might think these people are the spiritual ninjas. The view from the black runs is very different. Its for people who get it wrong, who make mistakes, who are not perfect but are striving to live their life as Jesus would if he was in their shoes. Faith is the central part of life at this stage, what we think, say and do is done through the lens of our faith.

Whatever stage you are at, we want to help you find your way to the next. We want to help you on your adventure, we’ve identified 5 key ways in which you can engage with us at FBC and 3 key areas in which you can invest in your faith. We believe that doing these things will help you keep growing.