How do I start the Journey of Following Jesus?

Pray a prayer of salvation

As Christians, we believe we can talk to God & that He hears us. This is called prayer.

Often, the very first prayer we will pray to God (of what we hope is many!) is the decision to follow Him. You may have repeated a prayer in a Sunday experience, which is great! We don't do that every Sunday, (or maybe you felt a little shy at the time!), so if you would like to pray a prayer of salvation, right now you can repeat this:

“Heavenly Father

I have sinned

I don’t just need to do better

I need forgiveness

I need a Saviour

And today, I accept Jesus as my Saviour
I’m no longer trusting in my goodness.

I’m trusting in your undeserved goodness to me.

I accept Jesus’ death as the once and for all payment for my sin.

Amen.”

Hey - congratulations, you just became a follower of Jesus!

Now that you’ve made the best decision of your life, here are some next steps we would encourage you to take as a Jesus follower, in no particular order:

  • Throughout the year we regularly run a short course called Alpha.

    Alpha is a series of interactive sessions that explore Life, Faith and Meaning.

    If you have recently decided to become a follower of Jesus, Alpha is perfect for you! Alpha runs over 7 weeks and each session has 3 main parts.

    The first is Connection, this is where we have a FREE dinner together and build friendships with people who are on a similar journey. The second is Content, during each session of Alpha we watch a 20-30 min video about the topic we are discussing that session. This is designed to engage people from all walks of life and inspire conversation. The third is Conversation, this is where we hear different thoughts and ideas from people in your group, there is also no obligation to talk either. You'll have a group leader who will help facilitate the discussion.

    Register your interest in Alpha here.

  • Baptism is the moment of going public with your faith in Jesus. Part of being a follower of Jesus is following His example, one of those being the outward demonstration of your decision to become a Christian by being baptised in water.

    Baptism takes place after a person has made a decision to follow Jesus. There is no time limit on this decision, but it’s up to each believer to decide when they feel ready to make this step.

    Are you ready to be baptised? Consider these questions:

    - Do you feel like you have a relationship with Jesus?

    - Have you progressed to a point in your faith journey where you are ready to go public with it and have others celebrate with you?

    - Do you feel like you are at a point where you are all in for Jesus and you are ready to take this next step?

    If you were baptised as a baby or child (in a ceremonial capacity), it's something you may want to consider doing as an adult. One of the important aspects of baptism is the capacity to make the decision to say 'yes' to Jesus. It's you making this decision, one that our parents can't choose for us. When we go through the waters of baptism we are making a statement about our personal faith. If you have chosen to follow Jesus, baptism is an important next step!

    Register your interest in baptism here

  • Faith is done best with others. We highly encourage Christian’s to do life and faith together.

    Once you decide to follow Jesus, it’s great to talk to someone about the decision that you made. This could either be with:

    - One of our Pastor’s on team.

    - A friend or family member you have at church.

    - If someone brought you along to Suncoast, let them know about your decision. They'll be excited for you and be able to tell you about their own experience of becoming a Christian and will be able to introduce you to one of our team, who’ll be able to help you find the next step that’s right for you.

    One of the first steps you may like to take is going along to a Connect Group. Groups are a place where people have the opportunity to pursue authentic community and spiritual growth. When you join a group, you will spend time socialising, learning, and praying together. No matter what stage of life you’re in, there’s a group for you!

    Join A Connect Group

  • You can get the Bible right on your phone! This handy app is easy to read anywhere. Not sure what to read? Why not try one of the many devotionals offered? There is a devotional for every season of life. This is a great resource to help you start your faith journey.

    Check it out!

What it means to Follow Jesus
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