discipleship at western reserve
In January we sat around with Marty Dent and a bunch of his students who had been on Barnabas in the last couple years (o7 & 08). We discussed the need for discipleship and what it should accomplish. And we saw Marty affirm the value of discipleship as he publicly apologized to a couple of girls for setting them up with a discipler who hadn't come through in the way he had anticipated.We walked away that night having learned a few things:
1. Marty Dent is the man.
2. He seriously believes in and invests in discipleship.
3. (students at Western Reserve are HILARIOUS)
Wednesday night we found ourselves back at Western Reserve, this time with mostly 2009 Barnabas alumni. We heard from each one of them about their transition home - about what has been good & what's been difficult, and about how they're currently involved in ministry. Here's what we learned
1. All 5 of our students are being personally discipled by an older adult.
2. All 5 also are involved in leadership for the middle school group. They help with their small groups, they go to their large group gatherings, they go to their outreach events. These high school students are all about loving on these younger kids and investing in them. Discipleship? Totally.
3. Most of them are spending consistent time in the Word and are excited about what they are learning. They're asking for new resources and ideas to further deepen their understanding of God's Word.
4. They recognize that they have an awesome church. They are surrounded by people who value, train, and use them. And they are so thankful for that. That shows some maturity.
This church is full of people that we just genuinely enjoy being around. In large part, I think it's because they understand and implement biblical discipleship.
Titus 2:
2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers s or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned.
Thanks, Marty & the rest of the Western Reserve-ers, for showing us a practical example of what this passage looks like.
Labels: discipleship, marty dent, small groups, western reserve
posted by sarah @ 2:59 PM
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