Deep Calling: On Being and Growing Disciples

A wholistic discipleship movement that emphasizes lifelong spiritual growth, not destination. It's about making space for God in the everyday, knowing and experiencing Truth, and learning to listen to God's voice in your own precious life.

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What is Deep Calling?

Deep Calling: on being and growing disciples is a wholistic discipleship movement – discipleship and disciple-making that emphasizes a life-long process, not a destination. It’s about making space for God in the every day, bearing witness to transformation in the ordinary. It’s about knowing truth and experiencing Truth. It’s about learning to listen to the voice of God. It’s about satisfying your longing with the only One who can satisfy your soul. All are invited. All are welcome to answer the deep call of God.

Journey with God in trust . . . Discover more of who you are . . . Imagine what is not-yet for your 
church . . .

Discipleship Lessons include:

Teacher’s Notes to equip you to facilitate 2 retreats and 10 sessions as a part of the Deep Calling discipleship process

Hands-On experiences for use during group sessions

Visuals and stories to bring the discipleship experience to life

Deep Calling will support your church leadership team as you work to establish an effective discipleship process. The foundation and framework are provided for you. Get started by reading the book, Deep Calling: on being and growing disciples.

The Deep Calling Discipleship kit includes:

Book: This includes Biblical foundations of discipleship and specific steps that leaders and churches can take to embrace an effective discipleship model.

Curriculum: The complete guide for the facilitator to use to lead a discipleship journey.

Additional Resources: Additional material, such as invitation cards, bulletin inserts, graphics for marketing, and promotional video.

Sample Participant Journals: Each participant in the DEEP CALLING discipleship journey will need their own Participant Journal for notes and experiences. This kit contains two participant journals.

Click on the images below to view sample pages.

"Deep Calling is the best book on discipleship I've read. Tara VinCross's fresh, engaging pictures of Jesus and church and life–in tandem with her refreshing authenticity over the everyday glory (and struggle) of following Him and helping others do the same--is what our "post-pandemic" lives are needing!"

Dwight K. Nelson, DMin
Lead Pastor, Pioneer Memorial Church
"Deep Calling is inspiring, engaging, practical and a must read for every pastor, church leader and member. It is about Jesus' command to us, to make disciples and expand the Kingdom of God. When we make disciples, believers grow spiritually, they become active in God's cause.../ highly recommend the book to everyone to read and use for small groups or prayer meetings or › any other church venue. I know you, and the people around you, will be blessed."

S. Joseph Kidder, DMin
Professor Andrews University, Theological Seminary, Author of Journey to the Heart of God, Out of Babylon, and other titles
"Finally, a discipleship book that engages the head and the heart. Tara skillfully defines the essence of discipleship while simultaneously calling us into deeper levels of discipleship. If you are seeking to go deeper in your Christian experience, this book is a must read."

MyRon Edmonds, DMin.
Lead Pastor of Grace Community, Author of The Frustrated Leader and 40 Days to Life-Changing Family Worship
"In a genre that can too often fixate on individual piety, VinCross manages to keep readers focused outward, on discipleship as a call to our communities. She does not pretend this is an easy task. But she is convinced it is the call of Jesus in and to our world today. VinCross clearly experiences a close relationship with her God and believes in her bones that nothing is more important than being a disciple and making disciples. This, she believes, is sacred work. As one privileged to know the author, I know that she authentically lives the ideas and values she shares."

Kendra Haloviak Valentine, PhD
Associate Professor, La Sierra University and author of Worlds at War, Nations in Song and Signs to Life
"A wise woman (Tara VinCross) once said, "Reading a menu is fundamentally different than tasting a meal." I've become convinced that is what we often do in church. I am so excited that this book is a cookbook of sorts. It cuts through the complexity of concepts related to discipleship and presents a recipe for an amazing discipleship journey. This is the book I didn't know I needed, both personally and professionally."

Andrea Trusty King, PhD
Vice President, Southeastern California Conference, Author of Queen in Me and Finding Christ
"At a time when most Christians confuse involvement with discipleship, this book gives absolute clarity to the true making and growing of disciples. Anyone passionate about connecting with and fulfilling their own life purpose should go on this book's journey. It will not only change the world around, it will change your world."

Roy Ice
Speaker/Director of Faith For Today, Author of The 12 People You Love
"In this very practical book, Deep Calling: on being and growing disciples, Pastor Tara VinCross very thoughtfully challenges, edifies, and helps to equip spiritual leaders to truly follow Jesus Christ and lead others in the process of doing the same. I have not yet encountered such a relevant, practically useful, spiritually deep and theologically sound resource. This is not a onetime read. It is a book I am anxious to read again and again. This book is a must for every Pastor's library."

Tricia Wynn Payne, Mdiv
Senior Pastor, Conant Gardens SDA Church, Author of The Fight for My Life
"A refreshing and thought-provoking new perspective on discipleship. Tara VinCross has reminded us of the Biblical mandate of discipleship, to equip and develop disciples as change agents of their communities for the Kingdom of God."

Sung Kwon, Ph.D., D.Min.
Executive Director, North American Division Adventist Community Services
"In this book, Pastor VinCross cuts to the heart of what it means to be a disciple. Rich pastoral and personal experience combined with clear theological insights make this an invaluable guide to following Jesus. At a time of high apostasy rates, this is a practical "how-to" that the church desperately needs."

Gary Krause, PhD
Director of Adventist Mission, General Conference
"For those who desire spiritual growth (discipleship), here's your tool. Pastor Tara takes us on a journey that combines her personal story, pastoral experience, doctoral research, and practical applications. This resource has helped me personally, and I want to share it with others."

Steve Case, PhD
President of Involve Youth, Andrews University DMin Intergenerational Church Coordinator, Author of It's My Choice, Connection, and other titles
"Do you ever sense a gnawing lack of the presence of Jesus in your church...or even in your own heart? This book captures practical, God-given, hope-inspiring calls to notice and be embraced by Jesus wherever you are now and all along the way as you move forward with Him... I've been through the process presented in this treasure of a book twice and am excited to do it again and again for myself and those / disciple. I invite you and any other willing human to read, apply, and deepen with Jesus."

Nick L. Snell, Mdiv
Youth Director, Kansas Nebraska Conference
"VinCross is at the same time broadly researched and intensely personal as she shares her experience as a disciple of Christ. Deep Calling offers personal and simple steps on how to go past the surface in your walk with Christ. That hunger in your soul for a deeper walk with Christ is there for a reason. Your soul is craving discipleship, to go deeper. Balanced between knowing, being and doing you will be invited to join a community as you dive deep into what it means to journey with Jesus."

Heather Crews, DMin
Associate Director, NADEI
"If you're yearning for a dynamic discipleship experience with Jesus and those around you, Tara VinCross' Deep Calling, has the answers. Loaded with practical, relevant and realistic insights into discipleship, and authored by an aware woman, cognizant of the daily challenges of being authentically Christian in a not-so-Christian world, this book provides all the solutions to re-kindle or refresh your experience with Jesus and others who share your community."

Anthony R. Kent, PhD
Associate Ministerial Secretary, General Conference
"Pastor Tara VinCross brings a much-needed fresh take on Discipleship...with her decades of ministry experience Pastor VinCross guides the reader through storytelling, biblical foundation and practical application to a deeper understanding of how, 'Discipleship is learned in the context of relationship with God and other believers! Sharing from her own heart and life, makes this a compelling read, that will resonate with pastors and leaders who seek to strengthen their discipleship journey personally and for their congregation."

Kirsten Øster Lundqvist
Pastor in New Zealand
"Through this experience I learned to hear God speak to me through Scripture and to trust the Holy Spirit's workings in my life to both transform my heart and to identify my gifts in order to serve in the Kingdom."

Angel Smith
Discipleship Class Participant
"When I was first invited to participate in the Deep Calling discipleship journey, I was hesitant; I didn't want to end up with just another notebook full of good ideas that ended up in a box somewhere. I'm so grateful Jesus led me to be a part of this discipleship experience, though, because I gained, not only a transformed understanding of discipleship, but also some life-long friendships with other participants and many life-changing spiritual practices that I've woven into both my personal and ministry life. This has deepened my journey with Jesus in lasting and perpetually blossoming ways!"

Jason Vanderlaan
Youth Pastor, Discipleship Class Participant
"The class showed me that being a disciple means understanding when to wait and be still for God's leading. Sometimes God invites you to just be still with Him. It is when you are being still, is when you're able to see Him at work."

Ranny Wenur, BSN, RN
Discipleship Class Participant

Deep Calling: On Being and Growing Disciples

What is Deep Calling?

Deep Calling will support your church leadership team as you work to establish an effective discipleship process. The foundation and framework are provided for you. Get started by reading the book, Deep Calling: on being and growing disciples.

The Deep Calling Discipleship kit includes:

"Finally, a discipleship book that engages the head and the heart. Tara skillfully defines the essence of discipleship while simultaneously calling us into deeper levels of discipleship. If you are seeking to go deeper in your Christian experience, this book is a must read."

"A refreshing and thought-provoking new perspective on discipleship. Tara VinCross has reminded us of the Biblical mandate of discipleship, to equip and develop disciples as change agents of their communities for the Kingdom of God."

"For those who desire spiritual growth (discipleship), here's your tool. Pastor Tara takes us on a journey that combines her personal story, pastoral experience, doctoral research, and practical applications. This resource has helped me personally, and I want to share it with others."

"Through this experience I learned to hear God speak to me through Scripture and to trust the Holy Spirit's workings in my life to both transform my heart and to identify my gifts in order to serve in the Kingdom."

"The class showed me that being a disciple means understanding when to wait and be still for God's leading. Sometimes God invites you to just be still with Him. It is when you are being still, is when you're able to see Him at work."

God Loves Me and All My Feelings

Tara J. VinCross