Published on: 26/08/2025
The Bible is full of images and metaphors that help us to understand the Kingdom of God and our place within it. In its pages we can read about mustard seeds, jars of clay, and being the salt of the earth. One of the most common images used in the Bible is that of light – in fact, light is mentioned over 200 times!
In John 8:12, Jesus declares ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ As a Diocese, we are using the theme of Christ’s light as the inspiration for our approach to discipleship. We want to encourage every follower of Jesus, lay and ordained, to see themselves as Lights for Christ in the world today. This echoes the commission given at baptism and confirmation:
You have received the light of Christ;
Walk in this light all the days of your life.
Shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father.
(Common Worship, Archbishops’ Council, 2000, p. 363)
Receiving, Walking in and Reflecting Christ’s Light
We must first receive Christ’s light before we can walk in it and reflect it to others. We receive it at our baptism and confirmation and then anew whenever we spend time in God’s presence.
As disciples of Jesus, we walk in Christ’s light by seeking to follow his example in our daily lives and becoming more like him.
When we walk in Christ’s light, we will begin to reflect it to others – to show them something of God’s love and character. It is not our own light that we share, but rather that of Jesus.
So – receiving Christ’s light, walking in it and reflecting it to others. To put it another way, being a disciple involves being with Jesus, becoming more like him, and doing what he did.[1]
Resources and Support for Developing Discipleship
Being Lights for Christ describes our approach to discipleship in the Diocese of Sheffield – it’s a way of thinking about ourselves rather than being the name of a specific resource or course. It’s not something we do for a time and then ‘tick off’ as complete – whatever you call it, being a disciple or light for Christ is a lifelong journey of formation and learning.
The Lights for Christ team have compiled plenty of resources to help disciples on this journey on our website, including resources for children, young people and families. Our diocesan Personal Rule of Life materials are structured around the framework of receiving, walking and reflecting and can be used by individuals and church communities to put the idea of being Lights for Christ into practice.
As a Diocese, we are committed to equipping church leaders to help people understand their call to be Lights for Christ. Whether you’re a Focal Minister, children’s worker, incumbent or Reader, our Lights for Christ team can help you to develop discipleship in your context. If you’d like to chat with a Lights for Christ Enabler to find out more, send an email to lightsforchrist@sheffield.anglican.org.
[1] Phrasing borrowed from the subtitle of John Mark Comer’s 2024 book, Practicing the Way (PRH Christian Publishing).