New believers, if they have not already connected with a group of believers before they began following Jesus, need to get involved in some type of faith community. That can be a small group, a house church, a life transformation group (LTG), a missional group– but it should be a small enough group that they can share, get to know others, and pray together. Free downloads: Life Transformation Group (LTG) and Grupos de Transformación de Vida (GTV)
Christian community of some kind is essential for growth and discipleship, but be sure not to pull new believers out of their natural sphere of relationships. They need to maintain those connections too and keep the lines of communication open so they can reflect Jesus to people they know.
Ideally, groups should be holistic so they can help people with holistic growth. They should include scripture, prayer, service, worship, honest sharing, and supportive relationships.
Note: This blog entry is part of a series based on Beyond Church Planting (coauthored with Neil Cole) that explores the process of evangelism and coming to faith.