Maybe you have visited Philadelphia Baptist a few times, or perhaps you have been attending for years…but now you feel that God wants you to take that next step in following Him. Whatever that step is, we are here to help.

We are excited and humbled that you would choose to attend and see what this Christian life is all about at our church. We do not take lightly this, and we hope that you would feel comfortable asking questions and exploring the amazing possibilities of what your next steps or a new life in Jesus could be.

Choosing the right steps are important to follow Jesus, and below is a guide that will help you get started on the right foot and continue on your incredible spiritual journey. Our steps are rooted in the mission statement of our church and student ministry,

“Loving God, Loving Others, and Showing others, God’s Love.” 

The steps are:

1. Begin – (Loving Others)
2. Believe – (Loving God)
3. Belong – (Loving Others)
4. Become – (Loving God)
5. Bring – (Showing Others God’s Love)

Is it time to get started on your new life journey, or is it finally time to take that next step? You will find help with these steps in greater detail below.

We believe one of your first steps is to “Begin” to see your great need for Jesus. We hope that you will explore and experience the truth of God’s Word for yourself, hear other people’s testimonies about what God has done for them, and decide to move forward in becoming God’s son or daughter.

Where would be an excellent place to start? Here are a few suggestions:

• Read God’s Word for yourself. (Matthew is an excellent place to start!)
• Check out our Media page and experience what we do and what we believe.
• Join us on Wednesday Nights or Sunday Mornings.
• Come to one of our many events. Check out the Zoe Calendar.

In step two, three essential aspects must be accomplished before taking your next step:

A. SALVATION          B. BAPTISM          C. WORSHIP

A. SALVATION

Have you indeed decided to follow Jesus?

The Bible contains both good news and bad news. First, let’s look at the bad news.

We are all sinners.

Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We have all come short of God’s standard of perfection.

The penalty for sin is death.

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death…” What we earn from our sin is death. We deserve to die and be separated from God forever.

But here is the good news:

Christ died for you.

Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The Bible says Jesus took the penalty that we deserved for sin, placed it upon Himself, and died in our place.

You can have a life.

Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth, ’Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

If you would like to talk to someone about giving your life to Jesus today, please call us and speak with any minister at (318)442-0754 or email the church office at  .

B. BAPTISM

Why is baptism necessary?

• Jesus was baptized. –Matthew 3:13
• We will please the Father by our obedience as Jesus did. –Matthew 3:16-17
• We let everyone know that we are Christian. –Galatians 3:27
• It is a picture of what has happened in your heart. –Colossians 2:12

If you desire to be Baptized, please call us and speak with any minister at (318)442-0754 or email the church office at  .

C. WORSHIP

Now that you are a son or daughter of God, you should want to give Him praise with other believers! Worshiping with other believers is essential and should be a weekly priority in every follower of Jesus. Hebrews 10:25

Click HERE for our Zoe Worship Schedule.

Being connected to your local body of believers is very important. There are two essential aspects to step three:

A. Church Membership          B. Small-Group/Sunday School Membership

A. CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Becoming a faithful, active member of a local body of Christ is essential for many reasons. Here are a few:

• Worshiping together is exciting and enjoyable.
• God has gifted us to be an essential contributor to a local church.
• We get to join with others in serving.
• We can worship God by our joined giving that is used to impact the world.

If you would like to talk to someone about becoming a member of Philadelphia Baptist Church, please call us and speak with any minister at (318)442-0754 or email the church office at 

B. SMALL GROUP OR SUNDAY SCHOOL MEMBERSHIP

One of the most important things we do at Philadelphia is our small groups. Before moving on to step three, you must be a faithful member of a small group at Philadelphia. Your growth depends on it! Here are a few convincing reasons why small groups must be an essential part of your Christian life:

• Your small group will know your needs. If you never join a small group, we may miss opportunities to minister to you or your family. Not only would we miss opportunities to minister to you, but you would also miss opportunities to be a blessing to others in need.
• Small groups help with accountability.
• Small groups get to pray for one another.
• Small groups have a great discussion in Bible study and get opportunities to get their questions answered.
• Small groups build secure connections between each other through fellowships and shared experiences.

Click HERE for a list of our Zoe Youth Small Groups.

The fourth step of a follower of Jesus is one of growth. A growing Christian will want to become more like Christ every day, and these next aspects of step four will help you create some new daily holy habits:

A. Discover Your Spiritual Gifts          B. Spiritual Disciplines

A. DISCOVER YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Why should we know our spiritual gifts? They are important for many reasons! Here are some reasons for wanting to discover our spiritual gifts:

• Spiritual Gifts are gifts from God Himself! – 1 Corinthians 12:11
• The Lord commands us to use our gifts. – 1 Peter 4:10 & 1 Timothy 4:14-15
• Using our gifts show that we love God. – Mark 12:29-31 & James 2:14-17
• Using our gifts help us fulfill the Great Commission. – Ephesians 4:11 & Matthew 28:18-20
• We build up the body of Christ and bring glory to God when we use our gifts. – Ephesians 4:11-16 & 1 Peter 4:10-11

Here is a brief online spiritual gift test that will help you discover your spiritual gifts. This test will help you identify your gifts, and also help give you an explanation about your gifts as well. After filling out the important information and taking the test, the website will email you the results. 

Click the picture link below to start the Spiritual Gifts Discovery process:

B. SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

If you are serious about your growth as a Christian and following Jesus, then you will want to discipline yourself with new holy habits that will allow God to transform you into becoming more like Him. Here is a list of disciplines that will grow you:

• Reading and Studying the Word of God – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
• Having a Quiet Time with God or a Daily Devotion – Philippians 4:8
• Prayer – Philippians 4:6
• Learn how to share the Gospel – Mark 16:15
• Memorizing Scripture – Psalm 119:11
• Tithing – 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, Malachi 3:8-10
• Fasting – Matthew 6:17-18

Here are a few resources to help you with your Spiritual Disciplines:

• A.B.C. Scripture memorization page
• Read the Bible in a Year Plans
• Treks
• 14 Day Challenge Video | 14 Day Challenge document  
• Three 5’s
• 31 Proverbs in a month | Proverbs Reading Plan
• S.O.A.P.
• Right Now Media
• Video Study with a worksheet - Coming Soon

Here is our last significant step in what we believe will help you to become an entirely faithful follower of Jesus. This step is where we learn how to bring the Gospel to the people around us and the rest of the world. God wants to use you and the gifts that He has given you to impact other’s lives for all eternity. Here are the essential characteristics of this step:

A. Evangelism          B. Missions          C. Serving

A. EVANGELISM

Knowing how to share the Gospel is one of the essential characteristics of a follower of Jesus. But not only should we know, but we need to be intentional in sharing. Here are some opportunities that we offer at Philadelphia:

• Zoe Reach One Faith Schedule (Fall & Spring)
• 14 Day Challenge

B. MISSIONS

Our church has many opportunities to be obedient to the Lord’s command in Matthew 28:16-20 and Acts 1:8. We have mission trips and events planned every year that will help you to follow through with our Lord’s command. Here are some ways that you can get prepared:

• Pray now about when and where God wants to send you.
• Get your passport now. Take that excuse away and be ready by having your passport ready.
• Every November, our church has a Mission’s & Ministry Fair that will display Mission trips and Ministry opportunities. You will have a chance to win an international Mission Trip just by attending this fair!
• Look at the upcoming Missions opportunities and plan. If we plan a trip, we will help you with the preparations. Here is the link to our Mission’s page.
• Take a look at our (Calendar link) to see what is coming soon

C. SERVING

It is our heart at Philadelphia that we become active servants of God. Colossians 3:23 and Ephesians 2:10 are just a couple of passages that remind us how it should be our heart’s desire to serve. Here are some ways that you can find your place and ministry at Philadelphia:

• Make sure you finish the Spiritual Gift Test. This will help give you an idea of how and where to serve.
• Talk to your Student Pastor or Pastor about where you can serve. 
• Look at the many opportunities listed on the Serving page.