The Charge Conference season is moving at a great steady pace. Some of our churches chose the Sunday morning worship-conference combo, some have the individual night conference, and others are part of the cluster conference model.
Laity all over the district are answering one important question (asked in a few different ways). Many of you, the laity, have wrestled with the questions:
What steps do you use to Make Disciples?
How is your congregation (members and clergy) guiding folks deeper into Spiritual Maturity?
What’s your intentional process for making disciples?
Here are some answers that we're hearing:
Our process steps will include these three steps:
I. Personal Reflection to include prayer, discernment, communication, more small group study, and increased mission ministry;
II. Encouragement & Reflection to include welcome and invitations;
III. Creation of Vitality teams for greater response to community needs and much more visibility in the community.
We are a very small church which has been blessed recently by six Professions of Faith. We are making more intentional efforts to develop steps and we are more intentional about connecting with and reaching out to children. We are placing an emphasis on encouragement and enthusiasm through worship, outreach, and relationship building. We realize that disciple making is a long process that takes time and intentional effort.
We realize that we must ignite a Christian passion by example. We will create steps that are centered around the External, around annual events more focused on disciple making, and ministries that take place off the grounds of the church
.
The Wednesday, October 7
th
cluster was pleasantly surprised when Salem Church introduced their teen presenter, Ben Sholtis. Ben reported with clarity, with confidence, and shared the ways the very small Salem Church is taking the question very seriously. Ben reported that Salem Church is focusing on both “beginner” Christians and the more “experienced” Christians. Ben reported that Salem Church is still learning about intentional disciple making and plans to fine tune ministries like bible study, youth outreach, relationship building, use of the church facility for children and youth, as well as use of the music ministry.
The Falmouth congregation has looked at the Dotson resource and added a uniquely Wesleyan theological touch to creating their steps. Falmouth Church is designing their steps around the Wesleyan three fold grace – ministries for those in the spiritual places of Prevenient, Justifying, and Sanctifying grace. Falmouth states that they are still working on the steps and the specifics, but see the three fold grace as a great spiritual based foundation along the way.
Friends, if your leadership is having difficulty, maybe you’ll begin first with the Dotson resource, then look at connecting the dots from your ministries to proven disciple making results. This means your members are able to see clearly how ministries like small groups lead a new Christian from very little bible life application to the bible as a daily source/resource.
Keep up the good work friends!
Ted
