10 Ways To Minister To A New Believer

My salvation was an unforgettable experience. Everything changed when I became a new believer. The life I once knew was no longer attractive to me, my desires were for godly things, and no one in my life seemed to understand why I was different.

Being a new believer can be perilous if one is left to figure it out alone. There are so many mistakes to make and false teachings to follow, but the Church can (and should) step into new believers’ lives and help them find their way. Jesus did not simply task the Church with preaching the gospel. No, He instructed us to make disciples (Matthew 28:19).

Ministering To A New Believer

Some Christians are guilty of focusing on sharing the gospel and that alone. They see people come to faith in Jesus, but then they move on looking for the next potential new believer. By all means, witness to those around you, but don’t abandon those impressionable babes in Christ. Minister to them as they begin their walk with the Lord.

Below I have listed ten ways to minister to a new believer. These are not the only ten ways, but these methods helped me as a new Christian. I think they would help others, too.

1. Be enthusiastic for the new believer.

We should have joy for others when they are saved. Salvation is an amazing free gift from God (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 5:15; Romans 6:23), and there is rejoicing in Heaven when a sinner repents of her sin (Luke 15:7, 10). I certainly think we can feel free to celebrate when Heaven does.

I understand that some of you are skeptics like me. If we’re honest, we know many people make professions of faith that prove to be false over time. They bear no spiritual fruit, reject the fundamentals of the Christian faith, or deny Christ completely. But remember we can’t truly know anyone’s spiritual condition for certain. That is between God and that individual.

So, at first, be enthusiastic and encouraging. Anything more you might need to know about their conversion will reveal itself over time. Don’t be a wet blanket on their new faith.

2. Listen to the new believer’s testimony.

I know I just said to give new believers the benefit of the doubt by being enthusiastic and encouraging, but you should allow a bit of that skepticism to peak out.

Mathew 7 gives us a strong warning about false conversion.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Matthew 7:21-23

It is fully possible to think you are saved and discover you never knew Jesus as Savior when it is too late. Are you terrified? You should be because that means there is an unknown number of “Christians” walking around with a false sense of assurance. We can help a new believer in this area, though.

Ask for her testimony. I promise you, it’s a totally normal thing to do. Really, if you’re a Christian, then you’ll probably want to hear her testimony and tell her your story, too. God’s redemption stories are always a blessing for us hear and share. Don’t miss out on it.

However, make sure you listen for key elements. Does she focus on baptism for salvation? Is she connecting salvation with belonging to a particular church? Does she think she had to get rid of certain sins before God could save her? A “yes” to any of these questions is a red flag.

If we clarify the gospel for a new believer and ensure she understands, then we have helped her know the Jesus of the Bible. We also might have saved her a lot of confusion, doubt, and/or false assurance down the road.

3. Connect the new believer to a mentor or a discipleship group.

Parents guide, love, and encourage their children as they navigate the world and grow in maturity. No one questions this relationship because it’s natural and expected. Meanwhile, when someone is newly saved, she is often expected to figure it out on her own without anyone’s caring guidance.

This is obviously foolishness. New believers are like children. They require leadership and extra care as they mature in their faith and learn more from God’s Word. First Corinthians refers to them as “babes in Christ” (3:1). First Peter says these new Christians “desire the sincere milk of the word” (2:2) like a newborn.

Mentorship seems like a big commitment. That’s because it is. We need to get involved in others’ lives and create meaningful relationships with them. Too often this job is pushed off on the pastor and his wife. If you want to see your pastor experience burnout, then use this approach. If, on the other hand, you’d like to serve the body as we have been called to do, then invest in someone who needs you.

Mentoring or leading/participating in a discipleship group does not mean you need a Bible degree. We’re talking about new believers, so this is Christianity 101 stuff. Right after I got saved my husband challenged me to reach out to someone in church. I had been saved less than a year, and I felt completely ill-equipped. He said, “You know at least one thing she doesn’t know, and that would help her.” (That might not be the exact quote, but it’s close.)

If you don’t know where to start, then here are three areas to encourage a new believer.

The Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 119:105; Matthew 4:4; Hebrews 4:12)

Discuss the importance of being in God’s Word regularly. Explain what the Bible teaches and how God speaks to us through His Word.

Prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Matthew 6:9-13)

Don’t sugarcoat prayer as some easy task to accomplish. Nearly every Christian I know would admit that at one time or another prayer felt like a spiritual battle. Life’s distractions, our own shame, and excuses keep us away too long. Yet, it is an essential element to an abundant Christian life.

Baptism (Luke 3:1-22; Acts 2:41)

Reiterate that baptism doesn’t save, but it is an act of obedience to the Lord. Make sure she understands that even Jesus was baptized, and that we can see baptism in the New Testament church in Acts.

4. Help new believers make Christian friends.

Every friend a Christian has doesn’t need to be a Christian, as well, but we should desire to have true Christian fellowship. I tried to remain friends with my “old” friends after becoming a believer, but I felt like we no longer had much in common. Most of what we connected with was our past, and I had been saved out of the things I had once loved in my past. We naturally grew apart.

The Bible has something to say about who we spend time with, too.

“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”

Proverbs 13:20

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”

2 Corinthians 6:14

“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’” (ESV)

1 Corinthians 15:33

New believers benefit from surrounding themselves with people who will encourage their spiritual walk rather than offer temptations from the world. Some new Christians have never been friends with a Christian and have no idea what that looks like, therefore, help them connect and develop healthy edifying friendships.

5. Teach new believers how to witness.

I love Jesus, and I want others to be saved. I started this blog with the express purpose of starting conversations about the Lord and to get people thinking about their walk with Him. But would you believe that when my godly husband starts talking about Jesus to an unbeliever, I feel like I could just crawl under a table or something to hide? It can feel embarrassing to share the gospel, and I sometimes put pressure on myself that it must be done perfectly. Forget that I have never done anything else perfectly. Ever. This, though, must be perfect.

Here’s the thing… God called all of us to share the gospel. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) from Jesus’ own mouth instructs us to make disciples, but you can’t make disciples until they’ve heard the gospel. Try as we might, we may never present it perfectly, but thankfully, our gospel presentation will not save anyone. Only Jesus saves (Ephesians 2:8-9). Don’t let imperfection stop you.

I’ve found the best way to approach the gospel with someone is to share my testimony of salvation. It’s about my experience which makes it more difficult to argue against. Plus, they’re more apt to listen because it doesn’t come across as a sales pitch to them.

Even a new believer can give her testimony. Help her develop a testimony that tells her story and keeps it simple enough for others to understand. Witnessing is easier the earlier you start and the more you practice. So, encourage new believers to be open about their salvation stories.

6. Find ways for the new believer to serve.

We can become more unsure about serving in our church and through various ministries the longer we put it off. New believers ought to learn from the start that they have something to offer. Serving others and doing God’s work is not reserved for those of us who have been saved the longest. God called every Christian to serve, and they are all capable.

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (emphasis mine)

1 Peter 4:10

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (emphasis mine)

Romans 12:1

“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”

Romans 12:11 (ESV)

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”

Galatians 5:13

Help new believers discover their spiritual gifts and encourage them to use those gifts to serve others. Give them opportunities to bless others and discover the blessings they receive as a result.

7. Give new believers time to mature before they serve in leadership or in other major capacities.

Did I just say encourage them to serve while now suggesting you pump the brakes on service? Yes. This caveat is so important to remember. New believers are not spiritually mature, usually don’t know the Word well, and lack spiritual discernment. They need time to learn, grow in their faith, and mature.

Some churches are so desperate for volunteers that they’ll take any warm body that walks through the door and plug her into needy ministries. Make sure the ministry matches her interests, gifts, and maturity. Don’t talk a twenty-year-old new believer into heading up the nursery and children’s church. She is likely not the correct person to teach the children in church or oversee others who do.

We see an instruction in First Timothy about pastors that applies to this idea.

“He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.”

1 Timothy 3:6 (ESV)

People in leadership positions require maturity and spiritual knowledge to avoid the trappings of those positions. Overall, new believers put in charge of ministry work before spending significant time under another’s leadership and teaching is a recipe for disaster.

8. Welcome new believers into your church.

Not everyone gets saved at seven-years-old at Christian summer camp. Those are great stories, and I rejoice with those Christians. However, plenty of us were not born again until later in life, and thus, have a lot more history living in the world. We might not look or sound like what your church is accustomed to but invite us in anyway.

When a person is saved, she “is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Give her the grace to leave behind the past and move forward in her new faith. Think about the Apostle Paul. He hunted Christians and stood chief among the very people who called for Jesus’ death. Nevertheless, Paul’s conversion changed him so much he became a man that many consider to be one of the greatest men of faith in history. With Christ, people really can change.

All believers need a church family and fellowship with the body to grow into healthy Christians, but this is especially true of new believers. Give them a church a home.

9. Be patient with new believers.

Again, let’s compare new believers to children. I am often surprised by what my children need me to explicitly tell them. I take for granted what I already know because I’ve known it for so long. My children, on the other hand, don’t know a whole lot yet. I need to teach them, but some days their mistakes, forgetfulness, and questions can try my patience. New believers can be the same way.

Christians don’t get saved and then stop growing. Instead, they go through a sanctification process, becoming more holy. Like most things, though, that process isn’t as easy as going directly from A to B. Believers will struggle, and we need to make sure we demonstrate patience as they mature. As a Christian grows, she’ll require less assistance and guidance. However, those early days might feel overwhelming as you walk alongside the new believer. Imagine how she feels!

10. Pray for new believers.

New Christians will face challenges from all kinds of sources: friends, family, work, personal baggage, significant others, and any other possible opposing forces in their lives. First Peter says:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

1 Peter 5:8

The Enemy is always seeking out opportunities to attack us. He injures our spiritual walk and hurts our testimony. A new believer is particularly vulnerable to these attacks because she won’t be as rooted in her faith as more seasoned Christians. We’re all in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12), and prayer is an important weapon in our armory.

Encourage the new believers you know by asking how you can pray for them and pray right then and there. Let them know you care and that other Christians are fighting those battles with them. A lot of us leave prayer as a last resort, but let’s try to turn to it as our first defense against Satan and the lies of the world.

Final Thought

Helping new believers take their first steps in Christianity might seem like a small issue, but I suspect the Church’s poor discipleship is part of the reason we are inundated with false gospels, new age practices, celebrities pretending to be pastors, and false converts unaware of their spiritual condition. What if we stopped trying to fill seats? What if stopped forcing a “decision” so we can look successful on paper?

New Christians require our time and energy. I suggest we we focus on nurturing strong believers who will lead others to the Lord and serve our communities. The end result? Strong, healthy, and faithful churches that shine a light from a hill (Matthew 5:14-16).

What was the best thing someone did for you when you were a new believer?

Image courtesy of Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash.