You've come a long way. You caught the vision, built a foundation, developed a process, and worked to make it part of your church's culture. Now it's time to apply everything you've built to real people walking through your doors.
And the first question is a big one: Where does each person start?
When someone becomes a Christian through your church, the answer is easy. They start at the beginning of your pathway, and you walk with them from there. But most people who come into your church aren't brand-new believers. Some have followed Jesus for decades at another church. Some grew up in church, drifted away, and are coming back. Some are curious but not sure what they believe. Some have been hurt by a church in the past. And some have been sitting in your own pews for years without anyone ever asking where they are spiritually.
If you start everyone at the very beginning, mature believers will feel talked down to and may leave. If you assume everyone who's been in church a while is mature, you'll miss people who need help taking their first real steps.
Philip shows us a better way. When he met the Ethiopian official reading Isaiah on the road, he didn't launch into a canned speech. First he asked a question: "Understandest thou what thou readest?" (Acts 8:30, KJV). He listened. Then he "began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus" (Acts 8:35, KJV). Philip started exactly where the man was. That's what this lesson is about.
Every Starting Point Has Two Parts
Here's a simple idea that will make starting points much clearer: every person has two starting points, not one.
1. Their spiritual starting point. Where are they in their walk with God? Are they exploring faith, a new believer, growing steadily, or a mature believer already investing in others? This tells you which stage of your pathway fits them spiritually.
2. Their relational starting point. How connected are they to your church? Do they know anyone? Do they understand how things work here? Have they found a group or a place to serve? This tells you what they need to feel at home.
These two don't always match. In fact, for most people who come into your church, they won't. A mature believer who just moved to town might be in the Go stage spiritually but at the very beginning relationally. A long-time member might be deeply connected relationally but have never really grown past the basics spiritually.
The key is to honor both. Meet people where they are spiritually, and help them connect relationally. A mature believer doesn't need a beginner's class on prayer, but they do need someone to introduce them around, explain how your church works, and help them find where they fit. A long-time member doesn't need to be welcomed, but they may need a gentle invitation to take a fresh next step in their faith.
Who Walks Through the Door
Every person is unique, but most people who come into your church fit into a few common groups. Here's a guide to help you think through likely starting points and first steps for each. Use it as a starting place for a conversation, not a label.
Notice the last row. In a family, each person has their own starting point. A mom might be ready to serve while her husband is still exploring and their teenager is a brand-new believer.
The Starting-Point Conversation
The best way to find someone's starting point is simply to ask. A short, friendly conversation in the first few weeks someone attends can tell you far more than any form. This can happen at a newcomers' lunch, over coffee, or after a service. Keep it relaxed. It should feel like getting to know someone, not an interview.
Here are some questions to guide the conversation:
To understand their story:
What brought you to our church?
Tell me a little about your church background, if you have one.
What has your experience with church been like?
To understand their spiritual starting point:
Where would you say you are with God right now?
Have you made a decision to follow Jesus? Have you been baptized?
What has helped you grow the most in your faith?
How have you served or led in the past?
To understand their relational starting point:
Do you know anyone here yet?
Have you ever been part of a small group?
What are you hoping to find in a church?
To point toward a first step:
Based on what you've shared, here's what might be a great next step. What do you think?
After the conversation, record their spiritual stage, relational starting point, and first step in your tracking system from Lesson 19. Then make sure someone follows up within a week.
Honoring Their Journey
When someone comes from another church, they bring a spiritual history with them. Wise churches honor that history instead of erasing it.
Apollos is a great example. When he arrived in Ephesus, he was already "an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures" and "fervent in the spirit" (Acts 18:24–25, KJV). But there were a few things he didn't yet understand. Priscilla and Aquila didn't make him start over. They "took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly" (Acts 18:26, KJV). They built on what he already had and filled in what was missing. Soon he was a powerful leader in the church.
Here are some ways to honor people's journeys:
Give credit for steps already taken. If someone was baptized at another church, completed a discipleship course, or led a ministry, count it. Mark the checkpoints they've already reached.
Create a fast track. Offer mature believers a shorter path: a conversation with a pastor, a short "How We Do Things Here" class covering your church's beliefs and process, and then a quick connection to serving or leading.
Fill gaps without starting over. If someone is strong in one area but missing another, focus on the gap, just like Priscilla and Aquila did.
Still connect them relationally. Even the most mature believer needs friends and a sense of belonging. Don't skip that part.
Give it a little time before leadership. Let new members settle in and build relationships before placing them in key leadership roles. This protects both them and your church.
Finding Starting Points for Your Current Congregation
Don't forget the people who are already in your church. When you launch your process, everyone needs a starting point, including people who have been there for 40 years. This needs to be handled with special care so no one feels judged or graded.
Here are some ways to do it well:
Start with your leaders. Have your staff and leaders find their own starting points first. It shows that everyone is on the journey together.
Use your groups. Ask small group and class leaders to walk their groups through the stages and invite each person to reflect on where they are. People often feel safer doing this among friends.
Make it about the next step, not the label. Instead of asking, "What stage are you in?" ask, "What's your next step?" The stage will become clear naturally.
Hold a "Next Step Sunday." Preach on spiritual growth, explain the stages, and invite everyone to fill out a simple card naming where they think they are and one next step they'd like to take. Follow up with every card.
Let people place themselves. Self-placement, followed by a conversation, respects people and usually turns out to be fairly accurate.
Be patient. You won't place everyone in a month. Work through it over a season, group by group and person by person.
Remember, a starting point isn't a grade. It's simply a "you are here" marker on the map, so everyone can see their next step clearly.
Action Steps
Before you move on to the next lesson, work through these on your own or with your team:
Read Acts 8:26–40 and Acts 18:24–28. Notice how Philip and Priscilla and Aquila started where each person was.
Find your own starting point. Identify your own spiritual and relational starting point, and name your next step.
Customize the "Who Walks Through the Door" table. Adapt it for the kinds of people who most often come to your church.
Write your starting-point conversation guide. Choose 8 to 10 questions and print them on a simple card for leaders to use.
Decide who has the conversations. Name the pastors, staff, or trained guides who will meet with new people in their first few weeks.
Design a fast track. Outline a shorter path for mature believers coming from other churches, including what checkpoints you'll give credit for.
Plan how you'll place your current congregation. Choose an approach, like starting with leaders, working through groups, or holding a "Next Step Sunday," and set dates.
Add starting points to your tracking system. Make sure your system records both a spiritual stage and a relational starting point for each person.
When you know where each person is starting, you can help every one of them take a meaningful next step. See you in the next lesson!
