Are You At A Crossroads? If so, Next Steps is For You!
Many people come to Next Steps because they sense that life is out of balance in some way – they have a general feeling of uneasiness, inner conflict, or anxiety that something is not right.
Others come too Next Steps because they face a period of transition in their lives – they recognize they are moving into a new phase, and they wonder how their purpose or function in life might change.
Still others come to the Next Steps process because they have a sense that something could be better or that something needs to be added to their lives in order for them to feel a great sense of purpose and meaning.
People rarely come for casual reasons. They are usually at a crossroads, or they are facing a crisis moment.
Are You Going Through A Transition?
NEXT STEPS is especially for those who:
- are unsure of what to do next and feel confused, frustrated, discouraged, and restless
- want to stop drifting through life
- long to gain vocational clarity and direction
- feel overextended in many areas of their lives and are seeking a more balanced life
- feel insecure and doubt their uniqueness
- desire to discover their God-given special design
- sense they are poised to make a big change but want confirmation
- need help further clarifying God’s specific Kingdom purpose for their lives
- desire to pursue not a career, but a calling
- are energized and ready to focus on finishing life well
- struggle to understand and accept how God has made them to be
- question whether God’s desires align with their dreams
- lack confidence to accept their specific Kingdom assignment
Do you have nagging, perhaps very deep-seated questions, such as:
- Where do I go from here?
- What does God have for me in the next phase of my life?
- Holy Spirit, is that you prompting me: Now is the time for a new work to begin in and through me?
If these are your questions, Next Steps is for you. God has a plan for your life. He will show you the path of life to take, and living in His presence you will find the “fullness of joy” (Ps. 16:11).
Getting The Most Out Of Your Life Journey
The fact that you are still reading this tells me you are someone who has realized that there must be more to life than you are experiencing. You are not alone; plenty of folk are searching for fulfillment and a renewed purpose. Perhaps you long to honor God with your talents and passions – to become the person He created you to be and to make the contribution He desires you to make.
In A Nutshell
Next Steps will guide you to discover and face the truth of where you are at present, where you want to go, and how you’ll get there. Here you will discover what you were created to do and what you shouldn’t do. Here you will discover and identify what really matters…and what doesn’t in your life’s next steps.
Your Life Purpose
Rick Warren, author of “The Purpose Driven Life,” describes the discovering of God’s will for your life in this way:
“Before God created you, He decided what role He wanted you to play on earth. He planned exactly how He wanted you to serve Him, and then He shaped you for those tasks. You are the way you are because you were made for a specific contribution on earth. God never wastes anything. He would not give you abilities, interests, talents, gifts, personality, and life experiences unless He intended to use them for His glory. By identifying these factors, you can discover God’s will for your life.”
Next Steps Provides Tools to Discover Your Uniqueness
Next Steps is a process that will guide you to a discovery of God’s plan for your life rather than conceive and develop a plan. The process is intended to help you discover and face the truth of where you are at present, where you want to go, and how you’ll get there. Here you will discover what you were created to do and what you shouldn’t do. Here you will discover imbalances, poorly directed energy, talent and gifts, and identify what really matters…and what doesn’t.
In a nutshell, you will discover your uniqueness and the way in which God has been involved in every aspect of your life (personal, family, church, vocational, and community). You will discover what you are gifted to do, what you are passionate about, and what you naturally excel at doing. You will identify your personality strengths and realize that you have a wide array of experiences that can be used for God. After putting all of this in a blender, you will see what God intends to make of it in terms of your unique purpose. In other words, God has given you unique gifts, talents and abilities to use, and when you use them, you fulfill your God-induced purpose in life.
Creating a Personal Action Plan
The final stage of the Next Steps process is the creation of a personal action plan that outlines steps to take immediately in response to the exercises that have been completed. This stage is unique to each person and requires the person and the facilitator to engage in dialogue and prayer.
In most cases, however, action plans seem to write themselves. The decisions that need to be made and the direction that needs to be pursued become obvious in light of what a person has discovered through the Next Steps planning process.
You’ll Discover God At Work
It is our prayer that Next Steps be a Holy Spirit led and empowered process that will most importantly lead you to greater revelation of God’s providential care and His design for your life. It’s our belief that the Holy Spirit will reassure you of your unique giftedness and your unique heart’s desires, passions and burdens for your Father’s world. He too will not only envision you but enable you to own your plans for personal health and well-being, family belonging and connectedness, work/ministry satisfaction and meaningful relationships at church and in your wider community. As a result, you will be equipped to move forward into the future with clarity, conviction, purpose, and a sense of renewed hope.
Duration
Next Steps spans a 7-day period (couples) and a 4-day period (individuals).
Arrival & Departure (Couples)
| Start – Thursday | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||
| Final Day – Wednesday |
|||||
|
|||||
Arrival & Departure (Individuals)
|
A Typical Day
|
|
|
|
- Exploring how God made you
- Uncovering your positive character traits
- Embracing your spiritual gifts
- Uncovering your natural abilities, talents, hearts burdens and values
- Exploring your needs and wants
- Evaluating your image of God
- Unpacking key life experiences
- Contemplating where you’re at personally and relationship wise
- Developing a life purpose statement
- Exploring your vocational world and possible opportunities
- Exploring what undermines and depletes you
- Considering what refuels you and helps you manage life’s demands
Why Prep Work Is Important
A series of pre-session assignments will help you think about your current state of being in all areas of your life (personal, family, church, vocational, and community). Taking stock of your unique makeup and circumstances will help prepare your heart and mind so that we “hit the ground running” when we meet together.
You will be sent electronic versions of some of the tools used during Next Steps. These will be completed and returned to your Next Steps facilitator by email. A calendar of due dates will help keep you on track in a timely manner.
