Growing Together in Grace
We invite you to join with us as we celebrate and experience the gift of God’s grace. We believe that grace is God’s way of living in relationship with us – accepting us unconditionally, forgiving us freely, gladly embracing us as beloved children, nurturing our growth. Experiencing this gift of grace is life-changing. Grace moves us beyond fear-based, guilt-oriented, try-harder-to-do-better efforts to gain God’s approval. Grace sets us free to live with peace and joy – learning and growing, being healed and transformed.
Join us as we seek to learn and live the ways of grace that Jesus taught and lived. Click here to hear more about God’s grace or come to our physical location in south Arlington.
Steve Langford, Senior Pastor
Welcome
Mission Statement
A Community of Grace Committed to Making
Disciples
Wednesday Night Bible Study
Join us at St. John the Apostle Wednesday nights at 7:30
for "From the Pastor's Study." The topic is Matthew's Portrait of
Jesus, the Messiah. The study is lead by Dr. Steve Langford, Senior Pastor.
For more information, call 817-468-8484.
Kids
Connection
All children are invited to join us at St. John the Apostle each Sunday morning
at 9:40 for Kids Connection, a high-energy, child-friendly, interactive, engaging
time that teaches God's Kids to worship.
WARNING: Jesus Will
Change Your Life
Click
here to view the Disciplosec video prepared for the 13 January 2008 sermon.
Click
here to listen to Pastor Steve's sermon.
More Sermons from
St. John the Apostle
Click
here to hear more messages from Dr. Steve Langford and St. John the Apostle
United Methodist Church.
Pumpkin Patch and
Mission Trips
Thank you for your support in 2007 of the Pumpkin Patch. Because of this support,
many St. John the Apostle youth will be going on mission trips in the Summer
of 2008 and helping people in other parts of the United States. The Pumpkin
Patch will return in October, 2008. In the meantime, click
here to visit the Pumpkin Patch website and see once again why many people
call SJA "The Pumpkin Patch Church." Congratulations to everyone for
winning honorable mention in the 2007 Pumpkin Patch appeal contest.
Disciple Transformation Process
At St. John the Apostle, we identify six stages in the disciple transformation process. They are:
Non-believer – the non-believer is one who has little or no awareness of God and/or little or no knowledge of who God has revealed the Divine Self to be. As such, this one has no conscious relationship with God. (In spite of this lack of knowledge and awareness and relationship, God is at work in this one’s life, seeking to create knowledge and awareness and relationship. John Wesley referred to this work as the prevenient grace of God.)
Seeker – the seeker is one who is exploring the spiritual dimension, questioning about God and spiritual things. This stage is often characterized by questions and doubts, by arguments and disbelief about things the Bible teaches or that Christians believe. The seeker is seeking understanding. (This seeking is a mark of openness and evidence of God’s work in the person’s life – again, prevenient grace.)
Believer – the believer is one who believes in God, in Jesus as God’s Son, in God’s love, and in going to heaven. The believer speaks of belief in God rather than relationship with God. The belief in God is expressed in attending worship, living “a good, moral life,” and in church participation. The God-relationship is generally characterized by distance rather than intimacy and closeness. Beliefs are based more on popular beliefs taught in the culture rather than on the study of scripture.
Eager learner – the eager learner is one eager to learn about God, about the Bible, about living in relationship with God, about spiritual things. The eager learner has a teachable spirit coupled with a hunger to know more. The spirit of the eager learner is one of excitement and joy as knowledge is gained and insights discovered. The eager learner’s relationship with God is often warm and personal.
Disciple –this stage of the disciple-making process is the transformation stage. The disciple’s life begins to be shaped and fashioned by the spiritual truth that is being learned. The disciple is intentional about the relationship with God, about growing in that relationship, about living in relationship with the people of God (the church), and about living as God’s person in the everyday relationships of life.
Apostle – in the apostle stage, spiritual maturity begins to be evidenced in a Christ-like character, in healthy relationships, in a gifts-based ministry to others within an area of passion, and in witness to God’s grace in the world.