Sources & acknowledgment

Source material

Some of the material and the original course concept draw on Discipleship Pathway (2024) by Rev. Megan Koch and Rev. Phil Wiseman of Table Church in Des Moines, Iowa, used with the authors’ blessing. The original resource is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

Original resource: discipleship.guide · License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

The Colonial course

Developed for Colonial Presbyterian Church by Pastor Jeff Sparks for the Be the L.I.G.H.T. Discipleship Pathway. The teaching has been extensively rewritten, and the course and tools reflect substantial development at Colonial. The course includes a Launch session with a gospel foundation, a Commissioning session with a multiplication plan, weekly meeting guides, action steps, and five-day reading plans. It draws on Colonial’s Be the LIGHT Abide Guide (P.R.A.Y., R³, BLESS, and the Abide Plan), earlier micro-course drafts, and Kent Mathews’ evangelism training at Colonial (listening, validating, clarifying, and “know, tell, do, and be the story”).

Also informed by

Zúme Training (the Model, Assist, Watch, Leave pattern and the emphasis on obeying and sharing between sessions); Rooted by Mariners Church (short daily readings and shared experiences); and Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer (one practice at a time, and a rule of life).

Quotations

John Mark Comer, Live No Lies (2021). Dallas Willard, on “pitching its message too low.” Henri Nouwen, on downward mobility. Robert Louis Stevenson (attributed), on seeds and harvest. The Didache (early Christian teaching, 1st–2nd century), on weekly fasting.

Scripture

Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain. Read the full passages in any trustworthy translation or audio Bible.

You’re welcome to print and share this booklet. Please keep this acknowledgment and the license link with any copy, including website versions. If you revise it further, note your changes and keep the credit to the original authors.

The website edition

This website presents Pastor Jeff Sparks’ discipleship course for reading, listening, and practice. The October 2026 edition includes the welcome and all twelve lesson recordings, with lesson numbers matching the audio. Lesson 8 and My Freedom Plan address unmet needs, harmful coping patterns, and addiction. The downloadable booklet and tools include these revisions.

Original Table Church resource · Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Course developed by Pastor Jeff Sparks for Colonial Presbyterian Church. Some of the material and the original course concept draw on Discipleship Pathway (2024), Rev. Megan Koch and Rev. Phil Wiseman, Table Church, Des Moines. CC BY 4.0 · creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 · Original: discipleship.guide. Scripture: Berean Standard Bible (public domain). Website format: lesson content and L.I.G.H.T. labels follow the September 30, 2026 booklet.