The Way of Discipleship

The Way of Discipleship was the way of the early church. The early church devoted themselves to growing in the knowledge, wisdom, and practice of Christ through what they discovered in Scripture. For those early disciples, the Way of Discipleship wasn’t a program; it was a relational lifestyle that drew people in through love, compassion, and hope. By focusing on developing the character through practiced spiritual disciplines and relational service, the Way of Discipleship seeks to build a deep discipleship community that will serve the greater Kingdom of God by serving Northcliffe Church, while preparing participants to serve the church anywhere the Lord leads them.

The Way of Discipleship

Launch Date: Monday, August 3rd 2026
Application Due Date: Tuesday, July 14th, 2026

The Way of Discipleship is a two-year intensive discipleship process where we will dive into the Scriptures, systematic theology, spiritual disciplines, church history, mentoring, intentional service and outreach, and build a community of disciples ready to live in the way of Christ.

Frequently Asked Questions 🙋‍♂️

The Two-Year Dual-Focus Roadmap

Students simultaneously study the System of Truth (Theology/Disciplines) and the Story of God (Survey) every week for two years.

Class Period 1: The Constant (Years 1 & 2)

  • Spiritual Disciplines
    Practical training in prayer, fasting, stewardship, silence, etc
  • Systematic Theology
    Core doctrines (God, Christ, Holy Spirit, Salvation, the Church, etc.).

Class Period 2: The Chronological Survey

  • Year 1: Old Testament Survey
    Genesis through Malachi, focusing on the Covenants and the promise of the Messiah.
  • Year 2 (Q1–Q3): New Testament Survey
    The Gospels, Acts, and the Epistles.
  • Year 2 (Q4): Church History
    Watching the Way of Christ unfold in the history of God’s people.

Student Accountability (The Covenant)

To ensure we are producing healthy disciples, every student commits to:

Registration

The Way of Discipleship: Informational Meeting

Sunday, May 17th
Following the 2nd service in room A-7

Join us for this informational meeting for The Way of Discipleship. This is a two-year intensive discipleship process where we will dive into the Scriptures, systematic theology, spiritual disciplines, church history, mentoring, intentional service and outreach, and build a community of disciples ready to live in the way of Christ.

Click Here to Register

Launch Date: Monday, August 3rd 2026

The Way of Discipleship Application

Frequently Asked Questions

The Way of Discipleship is a high-commitment, high- accountability, deep-dive into some rewarding yet challenging areas of the Christian faith. The idea for the Way of Discipleship arose from Jesus’ command in Mark 12:30-31. We are supposed to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is the foundational idea around which the Way of Discipleship is built.

Great question! The Way of Discipleship is different than a small group, because we are aiming at a different goal. We are going to explore in depth the Bible’s background, Systematic Theology, Spiritual Disciplines, service, evangelism, mentorship, and more.  We encourage you to join or maintain participating in the small group you are already in.

Normally, we love when people drop into our classes to check out what is going on. However, this isn’t a class you can just jump into at any time.  Because of the commitment requirements, the class structure, and mentoring assignments, it doesn’t make sense for folks to join whenever they wish. The Way of Discipleship is a two-year commitment with an application process, mandatory attendance, and expectations for service within the church and in outreach. 

We want to move discipleship from the mind to strength. By requiring cohort members to participate in 2 hours of outreach and 2 ministry sessions per month, we ensure that the knowledge they gain in the classroom is immediately applied in the mission field.  It prevents us from producing educated but idle believers.  The recorded attestation for these service areas is one of the accountability features for everyone involved.

If a student misses more than two sessions in a quarter or fails to submit logs, the leader will meet with them. If the pattern continues, they may be asked to step away from the program. This protects the culture of commitment and ensures The Way of Discipleship remains a serious endeavor for all of those involved. We fully recognize that life is busy for everyone, and sometimes there are seasons of life when we are available for a journey like The Way of Discipleship, and other seasons when this kind of commitment doesn’t make sense for us.  There will never be any judgment for someone who starts, but isn’t able to complete the two-year program.

Great question! The Discipleship Pathway is our connection to membership at Northcliffe, where we deal with understanding the mission, vision, and beliefs of Northcliffe Church. The Way of Discipleship is a high-commitment, high-accountability course of study and practical application for the Christian life. Where the Discipleship Pathway is an entry point into membership, The Way of Discipleship is learning to follow Christ with all of who we are (Mark 12:30-31).

Recently, we have seen an increase in the desire for deep discipleship across churches, denominations, and the broader practice of Christian faith. This desire has led people to pursue deeper discipleship in a couple of ways. Our desire is to bring the pursuits of intellectual rigor, spiritual discipline, and faithful missions and outreach into a single process through which Disciples of Jesus can deepen their understanding and experience of their faith, equipping them to minister and lead others in spiritual growth.

As The Way of Discipleship gets started, we will have two dedicated church leaders who are going to be leading The Way of Discipleship: Pastor Ben Ellis and Jason Gordon. In addition to the regular classes led by Pastor Ben and Jason, each participant will be assigned a mentor who will regularly check in to see how the process is going and help however possible.

We are excited that you are interested! There is an application and interview process that each candidate will go through.  Don’t worry, this isn’t a job interview; the process is to make sure you are ready to jump in and to get to know you as a participant.  We aren’t necessarily looking for the most knowledgeable people, but the most faithful people, those who have already shown a heart for the gospel and for being active in the life of Northcliffe, and with a desire to grow.

The first cohort of The Way of Discipleship will meet on Monday nights from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM beginning Monday, August 3. There will be breaks for Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year’s.

There is definitely a lot going on in The Way of Discipleship. We believe this can be the most transformational period of our lives as we invest in getting to know God more and following him more closely.  Because we think this is so important, we have done everything we can to make The Way of Discipleship as inexpensive and accessible as possible.  The only cost for the class will be the books you read and engage with. 

Resource

Cost

Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem

$40

Church History in Plain Language

$25

Conviction to Lead by Al Mohler

$10

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life

$15

Encountering the New Testament

$40

Encountering the Old Testament

$45

  

Approximate Total

$175.00

As a way to defer the cost, remember that you don’t have to purchase all the books at once. For the first year, the only books you need are Systematic Theology, Encountering the Old Testament and Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life.

For any additional questions about The Way of Discipleship, contact Pastor Ben at ben@northcliffe.church.