What is the Preservation Stage?

The Preservation Stage is the last stage of the REACH Strategy. During the Preservation Stage, newly baptized believers are joined into the body of Christ. These will involve the following steps: 1) Judge if they still require assistance with their conversion, 2) Orient them concerning the church and the Christian life, 3) Invite them to join a community and small group, and 4) Nurture their faith through spiritual companionship. Newly baptized believers are individuals who have repented of their sins, placed their trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, have undergone water baptism, and have received the gift of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands (see Acts 2:36-41). These initial steps are crucial, even though the gift of the Holy Spirit may come at a later stage. It is important to evaluate the experiences of newly baptized believers to assess if they still need help with their conversion. Bridge Builders will do this ministry. Additionally, they need to orient newly baptized believers about the church and the Christian life, emphasizing that the Christian life is a life of discipleship by grace through faith together with others. They should not become too hard on themselves (i.e., by being legalistic or self-righteous). It’s easy to feel discouraged during the first few months after conversion. At the same time, Bridge Builders need to remind newly baptized believers that being a disciple is a spiritual battle. There will be suffering and challenges involved. They need to encourage the newly baptized believers to join a community and eventually a small group. Last but not least, they need to turn over each newly baptized believer to a Buddy Builder, to nurture their faith through regular spiritual companionship, or one-on-one discipleship, so that they can learn how to walk with the Lord by listening to the Holy Spirit daily and obeying Him by faith through proper discernment.