How To Be One and Make One in the Church
Discipleship: Be One. Make One. • Sermon • Submitted
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· 14 viewsLeaning heavily on the discipleship process and book called "The Vine Project"
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Be One. Make One. In the Church...
Be One. Make One. In the Church...
I buried two people this week...
To my knowledge, neither were involved in a community of faith. What if they were. And not simply a community of faith, but a community of faith, a church that was determined to be a disciple making church? Would it have made a difference in their lives? I can’t say for certain, but I have a pretty good Idea that it would have and it might have saved their earthly lives...
Our theme for 2018 is Disciple: Be one. Make one.
This is the commission from Jesus Christ to his disciples and their mandate from Him was and is reproduction.
2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.
And while I can’t say the church has totally failed in this, because she hasn’t (which is why you are sitting here this morning), I believe her focus has shifted from purposeful, intentional discipleship, to a consumer driven, quasi entertainment model that puts the authority in the laps of you and I as consumers, to get what we desire, instead of us doing what Jesus has commanded - to make disciples.
Making disciples is not flashy. It’s not easy. It’s not fun (at times). But it is effective (when empowered by the Spirit). It is fulfilling. It is amazing to be a part of a process to see people grow into the image of Jesus.
We can easily fall into the delusion that God is blessing because of “Nickles and Noses”. In other words, as long as we have good numbers of people showing up and as long as the giving is strong, God must be blessing. And while that can be an indicator of God’s blessing, it is not the difinitive answer as to whether God is blessing or not.
I believe God will truly bless His Church when His church is actively making disciples...
And so, we as a local church have got to get this figured out if we want to have the blessing of God! If we want to, as a church, have fruit that will last!
Over my ministry and especially over the past two months I have been reading books on discipleship. There are many! Two of which I have drawn on heavily to stir my thinking are “The Trellis and the Vine” and the follow-up volume, “The Vine Project”. Explain each...
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The thought I share with you come almost exclusively from “The Vine Project” and the Scriptures. I have chosen to “steal” their concepts, first, because the authors welcome the church to do so and second, because they have done a marvelous job packaging the discipleship concept.
So again, this week is different than my normal style of preaching because we are focusing in on the “how to” of discipleship, with a focus of how it is done in a local congregation of believers. (this sermon will be pointless…)
So, what is a disciple?
“…a ‘disciple’ is someone engaged in transformative learning.” (TVP 860)
This definition is so helpful.
A disciple is engaged - willing and active participants
A disciple is engaged in transformative learning - Not just learning, but learning with the pursuit of real and lasting change. Change to be more and more like Jesus.
The Disappearing learner? In their book, the authors point out and interesting phenomenon in the New Testament in regard to the noun, disciple.
“Throughout the Gospels and in Acts, the noun mathētēs (‘disciple’ or ‘learner’) appears often as a description of those who have devoted themselves to being learners under Christ. But after a final mention in , the word promptly disappears. In all the remaining 22 books of the New Testament, no-one is described as a ‘learner’ or ‘disciple’.” (TVP 898-901).
However, the verb form of ‘disciples’—manthanō, ‘to learn’—does appear quite often in the epistles, in connection with the gospel truth that Christians have learned, and the lifestyle or action that goes along with it. Here’s a sample: (Kindle Locations 904-906)
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.
Payne, Tony. The Vine Project: Shaping your ministry culture around disciple-making (Kindle Locations 898-901). Matthias Media. Kindle Edition.
Rom
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
(Kindle Locations 904-906)
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf
They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.
Subtle as this is, it is very helpful to see that a disciple is not simply a state of being (the noun form) but a disciple moves to a constant state of doing (the verb form). A disciple is a leaner! Is a student who first studies an inexaustible subject - Jesus. Second, pursues becoming like the subject studied - Christ-like!
It is very striking how these few brief quotes line up with what we see of ‘learnership’ in the Gospels and Acts. It clearly involves content—that is, words being spoken and taught, and then received and learned. But it also involves learning from a teacher’s actions and example, and seeking to do likewise (as in ). It involves being taught not just information but a totally new repentant way of life—to kill off the old ‘me’ and with a renewed mind embark on a whole new existence (as in ). (Kindle Locations 922-926)
Subtle as this is, it is very helpful to see that a disciple is not simply a state of being (the noun form) but a disciple moves to a constant state of doing (the verb form). A disciple is a leaner! Is a student who first studies an inexhaustible subject - Jesus. Second, pursues becoming like the subject studied - Christ-like! The New Testament is clear that “Learning Christ” is at the heart of disciple-making!
The New Testament is clear that “Learning Christ” is at the heart of disciple-making!
The authors of “The Vine Project”, in their research have found a disturbing worldwide trend...
(Kindle Locations 922-926)
What we mean is that in our observation of churches, and in our conversations with pastors all over the world, the culture that exists in many churches is no longer a culture of transformative learning, if it ever was. The whole ‘way we do things around here’ is not focused on transformative learning through the word of God in the power of the Spirit of God. (Kindle Locations 933-937).
They then ask a very intrusive question that we at ABC must continually grapple with. Are we a church that promotes “transformative learning”?
Would you describe your church’s culture in this way? Would you describe your own life in this way? What other cultures and frameworks tend to be operating instead?
What is a disciple?
I’ve used this quote many times for the sales training guru, Zig Ziglar - “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time!”
So, as a church, collectively, what are we aiming at? “Transformative Learning”
From top to bottom and everywhere in between. From our Sunday morning prayer time, Equipping classes, and morning services. From our Nursery, to children’s ministries to youth ministry. From our Connection Groups to our missional outreach. Even our set-up and tear down ministries must be rooted in “Transformative Learning”!
This is our target! And if we don’t aim at it, we WILL hit it every time...
What is a disciple?
Payne, Tony. The Vine Project: Shaping your ministry culture around disciple-making (Kindle Locations 933-937). Matthias Media. Kindle Edition.
“…a ‘disciple’ is someone engaged in transformative learning.”
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We could add one small detail to our diagram to represent this—namely an ‘L’ (learner) sign above the person who has been transferred out of darkness and into the kingdom of the Son, and who now continues that transformational learning in every sphere of life, especially in the ‘transformational learning community’ that we call ‘church’. (Kindle Locations 939-941).
How are Disciples Made? - “By what method or means is God rescuing and gathering his people into the kingdom of his Son?”
This is the message of the New Testament. And when we put on our “discipleship” lens, we will have eyes to see it more clearly. I would like to take a journey with you through a 30,000 foot view of the New Testament Scriptures to see that this mindset is in the very fabric of the scriptures.
And, of course, we start with the...
Payne, Tony. The Vine Project: Shaping your ministry culture around disciple-making (Kindle Locations 939-941). Matthias Media. Kindle Edition.
The Great Commission
Payne, Tony. The Vine Project: Shaping your ministry culture around disciple-making (Kindle Location 942). Matthias Media. Kindle Edition.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
There is certainly the command to go and make disciples. There is the admonition to baptize them as the formal entry point into the church. The ongoing teaching of Christ’s commands and the promise that Jesus will be with the disciples all the way. However, other than this, there isn’t a great deal of detailed instruction on the how within these verses.
So we turn to another Gospel that fleshes it out a bit more for us...
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Luke
Here we see three crucial things that have been written about the Christ. Do you see them?
That the Christ should suffer...
That on the third day He should rise from the dead...
and that repentance for the forgiveness should be proclaimed to all nations. The starting point is Jerusalem.
You can also see they are to witness to the veracity of these truths, not in their own strength but the power provided in the Holy Spirit from on high.
Okay so we move from Matthew to Luke and...
Now, as we continue the journey through the New Testament, this is what we see occuring in the book of Acts....
The Spirit of God descends on the disciples with power - and they proclaim the greatness of God and His desire for the nations. (Acts 2:1-11)
Peter preaches a powerful sermon that communicates to those there that everything they are experiencing was predicted by the Scriptures as well as Jesus. (Acts 2:14-41)
That the Messiah, the Son of David had died and had risen as the Lord of all!
That He poured His Spirit out to His people
That the season of repentance and forgiveness of sins is now here.
And 3000 souls were saved that day!
Continuing through Acts we see the disciples spread out and start to follow the concentric circles found in .
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Here is an example of what happened in Derbe as the gospel driven disciple-making process moved forward...
When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
Do you see the process here?
They preached the gospel.
They made many disciples.
They returned to encourage to hang in there!
The WORD of God is proclaimed throughout the book of Acts by the disciples. This is what the disciples were commissioned to do by the Lord.
By the way, notice how the Word of God has its own, inherent power...
And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
But the word of God increased and multiplied.
And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.
So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
This is such an encouragement to the timid among us. It is the Word of God that has the power, not us!
“In the sermon, Scripture read is the sermon half preached” - Dave Celeskey
We also can clearly see that the Word isn’t the only powerful one. Consider the Holy Spirit...
The Holy Spirit gives boldness in the face of challenge...
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
or the Spirit falls upon them as they speak...
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.
or the Spirit gives direction for mission
“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me.
And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.
or joy in the middle of suffering...
But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
The powerful reality is that we have the tools necessary at our disposal to make disciples.
“The making of disciples is God’s work, achieved as his word and Spirit work through the activity of the disciples and in the hearts of those they speak to.”(Kindle Locations 1040-1042).
Now, as we move past Acts and move into the NT letters, we see a continuation of this method. Obviously we do not have time to go through all the letters in the NT but we can look at one to see the continuation of the pattern.
Let’s look at 1 Thessalonians and see how they became “learners of Christ”
Payne, Tony. The Vine Project: Shaping your ministry culture around disciple-making (Kindle Locations 1040-1042). Matthias Media. Kindle Edition.
Paul proclaimed the gospel to them, “not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction”. (; cf. 2:13)
because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
The response of the Thessalonians tells us something not only about the effect of the proclamation on them, but also about its content. After they heard Paul and were convicted by the Holy Spirit, they “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come”. ; cf. 5:9-10
For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
None of this was easy. Paul, Silvanus and Timothy “had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict” ()
But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.
and a mark of the genuineness of the Thessalonians’ conversion was that they “became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit”. (; )
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
Paul and his colleagues loved and cared for the Thessalonians, being gentle with them like a mother, ()
But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.
and encouraging them like a father (2:11-12)
11 For you know how, like a father with his children,
1 thess 2 11-
11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
to walk in a manner worthy of God. (2:12)
we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
They shared “not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us” (2:8)
8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
which in context meant a very practical hard-working concern by Paul to earn his own living while he “proclaimed to you the gospel of God”. (2:9)
9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
Paul sends Timothy to “establish and exhort you in your faith, that no-one be moved by these afflictions”. (3:2-3)
2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.
Paul continues to give thanks for them, and to pray earnestly for them that God would increase their love, and establish their hearts blameless before God when Jesus returns. (3:8-13)
8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? 11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
Paul then exhorts them to continue “more and more” to live a life of holiness and love, pleasing to God, according to the instructions (or ‘commandments’) he had given them through the Lord Jesus. (4:1-12)
1 Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.
Paul then points forward to the hope of the resurrection and the return of Jesus, not only so that they won’t be misled or uninformed about these matters, but also so that they can continue to encourage and build one another up in these truths. (4:13-5:11)
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
The letter closes with final exhortations to do good and to hold on to the good, to rejoice and to pray constantly, and with a prayer that God would keep them blameless at the coming of Jesus Christ. (5:12-28)
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
(Kindle Locations 1045-1070).
Payne, Tony. The Vine Project: Shaping your ministry culture around disciple-making (Kindle Locations 1045-1070). Matthias Media. Kindle Edition.
So you can see clearly the disciple-making process throughout this letter. Paul and his colleague’s involvement in the conversion to their continued maturation. Paul the Word and the Spirit worked in tandem to make disciple-makers.
The elements here are those that we find repeated throughout the New Testament:
the word or gospel of God concerning his Son, proclaimed and taught, both initially and continuously
the work of God by his Spirit to bring conviction, to change the heart, and to bring forth the fruit planted by the word—which can be summarized as ‘repentance and faith’ (again, as an initial response and then continuously day by day)
the agency of God’s people in speaking the word, in exemplifying and modeling the Christ-learning life, in praying for God to work by his Spirit, and in mutual encouragement, exhortation and edification
the struggle, conflict and suffering that attends this whole process, because it is taking place over time within “this present darkness”; that is, the ongoing proclamation and practice of ‘learning Christ’ is constantly threatened from without by opposition, and from within by erroneous teaching and our own wayward hearts (hence the need for constant ongoing proclamation, prayer, repentance and faith).
To put it in the briefest way possible, disciples are made by the persevering proclamation of the word of God by the people of God in prayerful dependence on the Spirit of God.
Summary of Acts, Thessalonians and the whole of the New Testament - “...disciples are made by the persevering proclamation of the word of God by the people of God in prayerful dependence on the Spirit of God.”
(Kindle Locations 1070-1082)
So, the question for us is, seeing what we see in the whole of the New Testament regarding disciples and disciple-making, what’s our problem?
Payne, Tony. The Vine Project: Shaping your ministry culture around disciple-making . Matthias Media. Kindle Edition.
How is it that the American Church, in large part is experiencing a decline.
Why is it that the majority of Churches are in decline or plateaued?
Is church-growth only for the first century? I don’t think so! Do you think there is a correlation between disciple-making and church-growth? I do! And I think faithful disciple-making will result in church growth both spiritually and numerically. How can it not? After all, healthy things grow!
It is important to assess our church and ask, are we poised and positioned to make disciples? Can we truly be a disciple-making Church, not merely say we are and wish we will be? What must we do? What steps must we take? How do we, by God’s grace, create a culture where discipleship is second nature?
Remember the summary I gave you? “Disciples are make by the persevering proclamation of the word of God by the people of God in prayerful dependance on the the Holy Spirit.”
Let’s break this down and think this through...
Proclamation of the word of God - We must be a church saturated with the word of God. It must come from the pulpit, classes we teach, groups we have. It must be a par of our spiritual diet. But is cannot only be in a public format. The proclamations of the word of God must take place at a personal level as well. We must loving proclaim truth to each other. We must put off timidity and be willing to love people enough to share truth with them. This is harder than it may seem.
- We must be a church saturated with the word of God. It must come from the pulpit, classes we teach, groups we have. It must be a par of our spiritual diet. But is cannot only be in a public format. The proclamations of the word of God must take place at a personal level as well. We must loving proclaim truth to each other. We must put off timidity and be willing to love people enough to share truth with them. This is harder than it may seem.
Prayerful dependence on the Spirit of God - When we started this year off I warned you that we dare not forget last year’s focus. Prayer! Ladies and gentlemen, if we are going to be a disciple-making Church you and I must pray! And we must pray specifically for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. You are ineffective in discipleship when you do not pray. You are impotent in disciple-making without the POWER of the Holy Spirit!
People are God’s fellow workers - God, in His infinite wisdom, has chosen to work with us! You are His vehicle to make disciples. He didn’t send “disciplebots” to come and take care of the process, he found you, saved you and sent you! God wants to work with you in part, to disciple you as well.
Persevering, step by step - Christ-learners are ‘made’ patiently and perseveringly over time.
Christ-learners are ‘made’ patiently and perseveringly over time.
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Think of it this way...
By the cross of Christ we are rescued out of the domain of darkness into the kingdom of the Son, and have an eternally secure inheritance in Christ that is already ours.
S
Our daily ‘walk’ is now in the light rather than in the darkness, as we live out day by day who we really are (as citizens of Christ’s kingdom). We are all at different points on that walk, and need to keep pressing on to what lies ahead. The movement is always to the right, as it were. Christ-learners are transformed as they grow to maturity in Christ.
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Those who remain trapped in the domain of darkness are also at different points and have different issues. Some are ‘far away’ and hard of heart; others are ‘closer’, in that they are hearing the gospel and considering the gospel of Christ.
Thus, the goal of every form of Christian ministry could be summarized simply as seeking to help each person, wherever they happen to be, to take a step to the right—to come closer towards hearing the gospel and being transferred out of the domain of darkness into the kingdom; and then to press forward towards maturity in Christ in every aspect of their lives.
The means by which God moves people to the right are: Proclamation, Prayerful dependence on the Spirit, People as his fellow workers, and Persevering in it, step by step.
(Kindle Locations 1282-1292)
5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
I have a question for you. What would a church culture be like if more and more people in that church begin to see themselves as prayerful speaker of the word to those around them both in the church and outside of it?
9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.
What does this look like in the church?
12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
We begin by looking at ourselves to see which Kingdom we are in.
5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
2
2.
We ascertain, through personal reflection, where we are at on the Kingdom spectrum.
3.
We as leadership insist that every ministry here at ABC “moves people to the right”
We as individuals begin to see our responsibility to move people to the right by speaking loving truth into their lives and trusting the minstry of the Holy Spirit to conform them to the image of Christ.
How do we start at ABC?
I would like to start a Discipleship Team that’s main responsibility is to help the culture of this church to be inculcated with a discipleship mindset. 5-15 people
We will meet regularly to study The Vine Project and implement the scripture saturated practices and processes in our lives with the intent of it spreading to every life in this body.
We will pray regularly to ensure the Spirit’s power is at our disposal.
We will work with every ministry at ABC to ensure the discipleship culture permeates every aspect of our local body.
We will seek to ensure the practices and processes developed are portable and reproducible for future church planting and church revitalization opportunities the Lord gives us.
What will this Commitment require?
Your time - Initial 4 meetings begin on Sunday at 4pm. Jan 28th, 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th.
Your intellect - You will read at least one book and you will have writing and reflection through the process. This is not a “check your brain at the door” team.
Your passion - If you have a burning desire to grow spiritually while helping this body achieve its full potential at a disciple making church then sign-up!
Your prayer - Regular, fervent prayer for this process and that it will result in ABC being a God-pleasing, disciple-making Church.
I buried two people this week. Two people that took their own lives. I can’t help but wonder if a thriving, community of faith, a disciple-making church committed to moving people to the right, step by step, would have made any difference.
In my heart of hearts, I believe it would. Do you?