THE 5 STAGES OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH
SPIRITUALLY DEAD: People in this stage have not yet accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. They may completely reject God, they may be seeking God, they may be “spiritual”, they may even claim to know God or be a Christian, when in reality, they are their own god.
INFANT: People in this stage have accepted Christ, but haven’t moved much past that point. They can be new believers or they might be stagnant, long-time Christians. Life is generally all about them and their needs.
CHILD: People in this stage are growing in their relationship with God and are also beginning to grow in their relationship with other Christians. They are applying God’s Word in their life and allowing others to walk beside them in their journey following Christ. However, it’s still mostly about them – their needs, comfort, etc.
YOUNG ADULT: People in this stage are making a big shift from being self-centered to more others-centered. They’re beginning to understand their role as a giver, rather than a taker – ministering to others, putting others first – being doers of the Word.
PARENT: People in this stage have a solid understanding of God’s Word and a deep, abiding relationship with the Father. They are living out God’s Word in their daily life. They are others-centered and God-dependent. They are able to reproduce mature disciples of Jesus by inviting others to follow them as they follow Christ.
IMPORTANT KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER:
• IMPORTANT: This is a tool – a language for leaders. These stages are not designed to label people or to put them in a box.
• This is a way to assess others and ourselves. It is designed to help us know where people are spiritually so we can know where they need to be and how to help take them there.
• There is a process of spiritual maturity that people go through. This will vary from person to person. Understand that people are complicated and can be in various stages at different times.