Introducing The Stages  -  Investigation

Everyone will at some time attempt to go through the Investigation Stage. It is here that young believers question the legitimacy and credibility of this belief that has been poured into them. Does it stand up to scrutiny? Is the Faith universally true? How can Christianity be true if other conflicting belief systems are true? Is Christianity in agreement with what we know in science?

While this stage is necessary for people to make their faith their own, they are often discouraged from asking these types of questions. This is often because church leadership is either ill-equipped to handle such questions or they are afraid the young believer might decide not to continue in the Faith. However, if they are not given this opportunity to legitimize the Faith for themselves, they will either bail out or fall back into the Basics of the Faith Stage where their affiliations dictate their beliefs, living out their spiritual life dependent on others.

Stage Objective:

In order to help the young believer make their faith their own, this very critical stage needs to:

1.

Explore an apologetic line of questioning as the disciple investigates and scrutinizes the validity of Christianity.

2.

Encourage the young believer to “get off the fence” and be able to say either:

a.

They understand Christianity.

They’ve investigated Christianity.

They’ve decided to make a life commitment to the Lord.

- or -

b.

They understand Christianity.

They’ve investigated Christianity.

They’re not willing to make the level of commitment necessary to be a true Christian.

Mentor Focus:

Young believers often have never really determined what they truly think and believe about spiritual things.  Do they believe man is naturally good or naturally evil? Do they really believe that God exists and loves them like a Father? The disciple’s beliefs will determine how difficult it will be to make a deep commitment to the Lord.  Therefore, mentors need to:

1.

Help their disciples to mature their thinking by investigating, through questions and discussion, what they truly do believe.

2.

Regularly challenge the young believer to act on their new knowledge and make a choice for or against a life commitment to the Lord .