The follow up with new Christians is as important as the teaching we did before they were converted. The Church fails here many times and leaves these new babes in Christ floundering out in the sea of infancy.
“Follow up must begin immediately after baptism, without a time lag. The devil will attack immediately. Immediate follow up helps the new Christian ward off attack. Babies, whether in the physical or spiritual kingdom will not grow automatically. Christians who are fed en masse are not as well fed as those who are fed individually. All Christians are to have the opportunity to grow”. (Go Ye Means, Go Me, Ivan Stewart)
As Christian women we want to be involved in this important work. Perhaps our teaching will be with a young woman, or a couple, teaching along beside our husbands. (II Tim. 2:2) 

How can we have This Kind of Crop?

 In the parable of the Sower, (Matt.13:1-23) we see the seed falling on different types of soil (hearts). We want those we work with to be compared to the “good ground” who bear some 100, 60 or 30 fold. How can we get this kind of crop? From this parable, we learn that it depends on the type of soil that the seed is planted in. When the seed was received and sprang up, it had to be cultivated. Much care had to be given to this new seedling.
 The new Christian is happy and rejoicing, but he must not stay down by the waters of baptism. He is a babe. He must grow to maturity
 (I Pet.2: 2, 3). He must be taught to “long for the pure milk of the word”. (I.e. unadulterated milk, pure doctrines of the gospel as delivered in the letters and the gospels and as preached by the apostles and their successors.)
 Babies are sweet. We all love to see them grow, to begin to crawl, walk and talk. So it is with babes in Christ. If babies don’t grow, there is something terribly wrong.
 Paul, the Apostle was very aware of his responsibility. To the Colossians he said, “Whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus (Col.1: 28).

Comparing Newborn Babies

 When a newborn baby is born into a family, how long does that family wait to embrace that baby? Does the baby have to prove that it is really a child of that family, and then go through a waiting period before we embrace it?  What happens to a new born baby that does not get the affection and nurturing of a family, esp. a mother and father?
 Paul said, “As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father does his children that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory.”(I Thess 2:11, 12)

Babies can’t come to the table

 When a newborn comes home from the hospital, he cannot come to the table. Mama calls that dinner is on the table, she has to take the bottle (or herself, if nursing) to him. It has to be something that he can digest. First he takes the milk , then later the soft food.  Sometimes new Christians don’t come to the classes that the elders have prepared to feed the church. So we have to go to them. Sometimes they might forget the scheduled classes that we have planned for them. So what do we do? We find them; insist that they eat, so they won’t die.

Babies make messes

 Most people attracted to Christ are coming from a big mess. That is one reason they came, to get some help. They need help in cleaning up their mess. Christ can take care of all our messes, but he left us to teach and help these little ones to get out of it. The answers are there in His word. We must study and pray for wisdom.

Babies need attention at odd hours

 Babies, especially newborn, wake up all hours of the night. They demand attention. So it is with new Christians. They might call at odd hours.  Many come from a background of drugs, alcohol, bad marriages and poverty. We might feel that we are not equipped to handle some of these problems. We can help them find help if they need professional help.
The support we can give will mean so much, as we are assuring them that God will help them. We can rejoice with them when they see God working in their lives. 
 

Newborns change schedules 

 When a baby is born into a family, it changes everyone’s schedule. We have to fit our schedule to their schedule. We have a schedule (God’s Word). It might take months, or years to get on schedule. Is there  not habits and attitudes that we are working on within our own selves? Maybe this has gone on for years with us. Remember it is God who is at work in all of us. (Phil. 2:13)

What Can I Do? 

Pray With Joy and Confidence
 Paul prayed for the Christians in Phillipi. He said he did it with joy and he was “confident of this very thing, that He who hath begun a good work in you will perform (perfect) it until the day of Christ” (Phil 1:6)
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Be an Example 

 “You are witnesses, God also, how devoutly, and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you believers” (I Thess. 2:10).

Be Available to Teach and Train the New Convert

 (Train: to direct growth of; to form by instruction; to discipline and drill; to form by bending, pruning, such as directing the growth of a plant.)
Show hospitality. (Rom. 12:13) 
Become friends. (Prov.18: 24)

In Training the New Convert, We must realize:

 The trainer cannot do God’s work. It is God and His word that changes us. It is the trainees that must present his body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. He must not conform, but be transformed…
(Rom 12:1, 2). The trainer can only help the person become what he wants to become. The new Christian must surrender to Christ. He must be willing to pay the price of belonging to Christ. The new Christian controls her attitudes of teach ability. (Go Ye Means Go Me, Ivan Stewart)
 I must be willing to give of my time and self. “I will most gladly spend and be spent for you” (II Cor.12: 15a).
 I must be patient and gentle. I must remember that I have been practicing The Way most of my life. My parents taught me as a little child. This babe did not have the advantages that I have had. God surely expects more of me. I will remember how Paul dealt with the Thessalonians.
 “.  …Gentle, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own, children, we were exhorting you, and encouraging and imploring you as a father doth his children…
To the Thessalonians he said, “My little children, with whom I again labor until Christ be formed in you. (Gal 4:19)
God said to Israel,” When Israel was a child I loved him. I taught him to walk. I took them in my arms. I drew them with cords of a man, with bonds of love. I bent down and fed them…” Hosea 11:1, 3, 4

How Can We Encourage Each Other 

 We need to encourage each other in this work. Winning souls is work. Likewise working with new converts is work. It takes a lot of patience and encouragement from fellow laborers.
 Perhaps we are not so gifted in making contacts for studies or teaching them, but we can help train the new Christian. This will allow those who are more adept in this work to go out and “fish” for more souls. Talk to those who are involved. Share your ideas and experience and the bible lessons you work up. (Acts 14:27) Above all, let us pray for one another and the newly converted, the prayer that Paul prayed for the Ephesians (Eph.3: 14-21). 

   Christ for the world we sing;
   The world to Christ we bring,
   With loving zeal;
   The poor and them that mourn,
   The faint and overborne,
   Sin-sick and sorrow worn,
   Whom Christ doth heal.