When the church fails in its efforts to preach the gospel and make disciples for Christ, it is because it rushes—because it does not wait sufficiently.
All tagged discipleship
Your Church Needs a Jesus Journey Class
It is for people who want to follow Jesus, but aren't sure how to go about it. And it is for people who may have gotten off the Jesus road and want to come back.
A Witness of Integrity: Mission and Pastoral Care
As Christians grounded in an integrity that is developed in Christ, there is healing power and witness in bringing that presence to those who are searching, hurting, disenchanted, or wounded from spiritual abuse.
The Christian Concept of Hope
When we face the unknown, we are demonstrating a different type of faith to the world, and we may have the opportunity to share about how God has been faithful in our lives and the lives of others in the past.
The Remedy for Decline
How is my own practice of Christian faith shaping my values, attitudes, and behaviors? Decline certainly calls for renewal. Yet renewal begins with me.
Old Stories for a New Generation
Tell how God’s work has been displayed in scripture, in your own life, and in the lives of others. These stories, even the old ones, are worth telling because of the eternal impact they can make.
Leaders who Empower Others
We work for the maturation of God’s people, helping them to grow in their Christlikeness in every aspect of their lives.
Why Effective Outreach Feels Impossible: A Parable
Simply put, we need new ways of thinking about church and outreach. We need a new imagination for what it means to be God’s people.
Companions for the Journey: Polycarp of Smyrna
It’s so easy to think of others as our enemies. We can give in to the impulse to demonize, to withdraw, or to insult. What if we followed Polycarp’s example by finding ways to show hospitality?
The Discipleship Toolkit: Adopting Some Tools from the Theatre
Discipleship is not just leading others through teaching, sermons, or reprimands. A great mentor creates space for other Christians to experience God and grow with him.
What Does a Mentor Do?
Speak truth. Share your experience. Take them with you. That is how mentors raise the next generation of leaders.
Bursting the Bible Bubble
Our aim is to proclaim, with our words and deeds, the love that Christ has shown us and the life that we have been called to. How might we do this in our particular contexts?
Know, Go, Do
Knowledge has power, but only when it is put to use. If this is the case, we must ask ourselves what we are doing with the knowledge we have of Christ.
Companions for the Journey
We know the value of good companionship, right? For some of us, we have made it through the past two years of pandemic life precisely because of our companions.
The Disciple’s Dilemma
The heart wants what it wants. This phrase is tossed around, defending the behaviors and choices of the world around us.
Collateral Faith
When we are reading and studying the Bible, we often focus on the main characters, rarely considering those who are members of the faceless, nameless “crowd.”
Getting Our Questions in the Right Order
Until folk see and experience the countercultural power of true Christian community and begin to ask, “What does this mean?,” they will not be asking the next question, “What shall we do?”
Refiner of Hearts
Scripture tells us repeatedly that God wants to take possession of our stubborn, evil hearts, but it’s difficult when we are kicking and screaming.
On Levi’s Jeans and Wine
In many established churches, we continue to assume that our jeans and our wineskins that we have received from a previous generation are still capable of holding the dynamic, electrifying power of the gospel.
Reflection Roundup: Behold, the Light
As the light of Christ streams in the window, lighting the room of our lives, let us notice what the light illuminates, yet not spend glorious, God-given energy attempting perfection in what is the Lord’s to complete.