Where does evangelism end and discipleship begin? Some would say the dividing line is salvation, but check out the Great Commission where Jesus says, 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…
The post title is intentionally ambiguous. Stop to process the possible questions being asked: Who has invested and impacted you as a disciple over the years? Who is currently investing in and impacting your growth as a disciple? In whom are you investing and impacting as they grow as a…
Jesus passes the torch to the Apostles and to us today in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20): 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…
I have been doing a series of training and planning sessions across Kentucky this year. Those events have caused me to realize something about discipleship that had not clicked until now. Jesus taught and modeled ministry before he called the Twelve. He prayed all night (Luke 6:12) before calling them…
I read an interesting yet disturbing article recently on intergeneration connections and the involvement of teens after they graduate from high school. The article was written by Kara Powell and it was called, “Faith that Sticks.” Studies suggest that approximately 40 to 50 percent of our students who are part of…
We’ve all heard the quote, “Everything rises or falls on leadership.” We know that it is the Spirit of the Lord in us that provides the energy and guidance to lead, but the fact is… God is still using people to accomplish His purposes. He uses godly leaders. Churches that…
One of the most effective, powerful, and efficient ways to make disciples is “one on one.” This method of discipleship is also called Mentoring, Life Coaching, or Spiritual Coaching. There is awesome power in “one on one” discipleship relationships because they transform lives. My own life has been impacted by…
Audrey Barrick writing for the Christian Post reported an interesting new study by the United Methodist Church on what makes some churches healthy. Here are the key findings in that study. Churches with a high number of small groups, effective lay leadership, faithful pastors, and both traditional and contemporary services…
Religion News Service reports that a new Gallup Poll found that Americans’ self-reported church attendance has increased slightly since 2008. When asked “How often do you attend church, synagogue, or mosque?” 43.1 percent of Americans in 2010 said they attended church “at least once a week” or “almost every week.”…
How do we grow our members from converts to disciples? How do we lead our churches in the process of growing disciples? In the first part we said that this process is not automatic. If we don’t have a discipleship process/plan in place we are presuming that it will just…
Two encounters are critical. First, the leader encounters God in His Word and is changed. Second, the leader guides the group to have a life-changing encounter.