Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Let's Do This Together

What can your church do to encourage discipleship within your congregation? 

First of all, you have to be willing yourself—as the pastor, as a leader in the church—to look at your own journey of discipleship.  What are you doing to grow deeper in your relationship with Jesus Christ?  Where are you being equipped to move out into new areas of ministry and mission?  Discipleship begins with me and you.  It is not something we want others to do or even can help others do if we don’t do it ourselves.

Second, as a church you can be intentional in your focus upon discipleship for everyone.  Talk about it in your board and committee meetings.  Discuss it with Sunday School teachers.  Lift it up as the focus for vacation Bible school.  Make it the main point of several worship services.  If you don’t know how to talk about discipleship, ask for help.  Our Region Staff are willing to help you focus upon discipleship.  The Discipleship Partners Network (information available on http://www.abc-indiana.org/) is a group of persons who can come to you to assist in being intentional about discipleship in all areas of your church ministry.

Third, you can share your stories with other churches.  Many churches are trying new things in discipleship.  There is no simple or single answer to how we help persons grow as disciples.  Share your stories with others.  You can share your stories by writing them down and sending them to the Baptist Observer Editor to be shared.  Or you can share them on here on Discipleship Explorations.

However you do it, the important thing is to do it.  We can’t make disciples if we don’t plan to make disciples.  Let’s do it together.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

What's happening in your church?

I am very interested in hearing from you about what is happening in discipleship forming in your congregation.  I have been concerned about discipleship my whole ministry.  How do we pass on the faith practices?  What ways are persons "apprenticed" as disciples of Jesus?  I believe there are as many ways to disciple persons as there are disciples.  I also believe that discipleship is very much a relational practice.  We grow together when we share together. 

Churches are beginning to seek new ways of disciple-forming.  By this I don't mean only getting someone to the point of baptism.  I see disciple-forming as a life-long continual process.  We are meant to be growing as disciples all of our lives.  We grow closer to God.  We grow closer to one another.  And we grow in our own self understanding.

What is your congregation doing to enable persons to be growing as disciples of Jesus?  Share with me and others.  I hope this can become a dialogue of persons who care deeply about helping disciples grow throughout their lives.  Share your story.  Share what help keep you growing.  Share resources that you have found helpful.  Share what practices your congregation is using.