Practicing the Way:
A pathway for apprenticeship to Jesus
Whether you’re a new or seasoned believer, you are invited to join Bethel Cleveland’s year-long discipleship journey.
Be with Jesus.
Become like Jesus.
Do as Jesus did.
The modern church is facing a crisis of discipleship.
It’s not that people don’t want to become like Jesus, or that people aren’t trying to become like Jesus. It’s that we don’t know how to become like Jesus.
We need a pathway to formation for the modern era.
We will use John Mark Comer’s Practicing the Way resources, which he and his team have created to help church communities be with Jesus, become like him, and do as he did.
An Invitation to Discipleship
In 2025, alongside Flourish Bible-reading, we are embarking on a journey as a community to become like Jesus through spiritual practices like prayer, fasting, solitude, generosity, sabbath and others.
Together, we can grasp the depth of His love for us, which is the root of all transformation and uncover a depth of understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
You can join the group that meets weekly at the church, form your own group, follow along on your own, or make your family a group.
Schedule
- March-April: Practicing the Way: Introduction to Spiritual Formation
- May: 4-week session covering a spiritual practice
- September: 4-week session covering a spiritual practice
- October: 4-week session covering a spiritual practice
Session 1: March – April
Practicing the Way
An Introduction to Spiritual Formation
We begin with the “Practicing the Way” course, which features eight sessions of teaching, guided conversation, and spiritual exercises designed to lay a foundation for lifelong apprenticeship to Jesus.
Then, we’ll move into 4-week sessions, with each session covering one spiritual practice.
An eight-session primer on spiritual formation
Two thousand years ago, Jesus said to his disciples, “follow me.” But what does it mean for us to follow Jesus today? The Practicing the Way Course is an on-ramp to spiritual formation, exploring what it means to follow Jesus and laying the foundation for a life of following him.
What to expect
Over eight sessions, you’ll form a foundational understanding of intentional spiritual formation. We’ll explore how to follow Jesus in our busy, distracted, and increasingly secular culture. Each 30-minute session consists of teachings, guided discussion, tutorials, and voices from experts.
Week by Week
Session 01: Following Jesus
Session 02: Formation Part 01
Session 03: Formation Part 02
Session 04: The Practices
Session 05: Meeting God in Pain and Suffering
Session 06: Healing From Sin
Session 07: Crafting a Rule of Life
Session 08: Life Together
What Will It Be Like?
Every week, when the large group meets or in your own group, we’ll engage in:
- Teaching Sessions
Listen to teachings on apprenticing under Jesus, spiritual formation, healing from sin, meeting God in pain, crafting a Rule of Life, living in community, and more.
- Exercises
Weekly practices and exercises to help integrate what you’ve learned into your everyday life.
- Guided Conversation
Prompts to reflect on your experience and process honestly in community.
- Companion Guide
A detailed workbook with exercises, space to write and reflect, and suggestions for supplemental resources.
- Recommended Resources
Additional recommended readings and podcasts to get the most out of the Practices.
Session 2: May
Session 3: September
Session 4: October
The Practices
By adopting not just the teaching but the practices from Jesus’ own life, we open up our entire being to God and allow him to transform us into people of love.
The core Practices work together to form a Rule of Life for the modern era.
What Will It Be Like?
- Teaching Sessions
Each session includes teaching, guided discussion, and exercises to integrate the practices into daily life.
- Exercises
Simple, practical suggestions to help begin a lifelong journey living out the Practices.
- Guided Conversation
Prompts to reflect on your experience and process honestly in community.
- Companion Guide
A detailed workbook with prompt questions, session-by-session exercises, and space to write and reflect.
- Recommended Resources
Additional recommended readings and podcasts to get the most out of the Practices.