I just finished Total Church. Lots of great insight. Still wrestling through some of their ideas in regards to apologetics. This paragraph is one I have reread numerous times, and I think it is so appropriate to focus this week, as it's Passion week.
... Luther's theology of the cross remains so significant today. How do we know God?Not primarily through mystical insight or theological wisdom or supernatural visions or words of knowledge or the beauty of creation. We know God through the message of the cross. How do we know the power of God? Not primarily through rational argument or healing miracles or political influence or spiritual disciplines or media presence or alternative worship or managerial skill or megachurches or inspirational leaders or sociological theories. Human wisdom does not recognize divine wisdom. We know the power of God through the message of the cross.
The message of the cross. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your sacrifice that provided the message of the cross.
Kevin Huggins (discipleship pastor at Fellowship Church in Knoxville, Tennessee) asks all people involved in leadership at his church to be involved in some sort of cross generational relationship. That is, they must either be discipled by someone older, or be discipling someone younger. I believe strongly that as your leadership goes, so goes the rest of your organization/group/church. So if a church can implement discipleship in the lives of all leaders, my guess is it will probably begin to spread throughout the body.
Borrowed again! Dustin Godshall is challenging his junior highers to read through the New Testament in 90 days. Each week they get a postcard with the reading assignments for the next 7 days, along with additional challenges (pray for 9 minutes 3 times a day-once with a family member, take your Bible to school and read it during study hall, invite a new friend to youth group every Wednesday night). What a great way to develop good biblical understanding in students. This challenge can easily be implemented in small groups, or even in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.
What we like about it: almost all people respond to a challenge or a goal,
and it provides an easy opportunity for accountability.
This ties into the small group idea. ReGroup is a dvd put out by Willow Creek, and it is like small groups for dummies. (I’m not calling you a dummy... necessarily.) ReGroup walks you through the process of creating a strong small group, as it helps you to develop group expectations and a group covenant. It’s designed so your group can view it together, so that everyone is on the same page.
You can purchase a copy for $20 here, and then you are free to make one duplicate of it.
Yet another ‘borrowed’ idea (aren’t all the best ideas borrowed?) We learned about this from Sean Spoelstra of Encounter church. Encounter is a young church (that we love. Read more about our experience here.), and they have a process of multiplication for every level of their ministry. From 1st impressions (greeters) to worship to creative arts, to eventually planting a daughter church, every person is training an apprentice. Discipleship is built into the DNA of their church -- every leader is reproducing themselves.
A lot of churches/youth group do small groups, and are seeing various levels of success with them. One place that we have seen small groups thrive is at Grace Church in Powell. (I've linked to this before, but you can read Mark's insights on small groups here.) Personally, I think one of the reasons that this church has seen such success is the way they started -- it was one group, led by one man with a hugepassion and vision. Over the last few years that group reproduced, and eventually started a movement within that youth group and church.
I'm not saying you have to start with only one group and let it 'run its course'. But you should have leaders who are passionate and invested in your groups. If your leaders don't see the purpose, if they don't believe in (or understand) what you are trying to accomplish through your groups, if they don't feel the groups are a priority then neither will your students.
Small groups can be a beautiful way to create community, to do discipleship. But be sure to cast that vision to your leaders.
Every student who goes on Operation Barnabas is strongly encouraged to find an older adult to disciple them throughout the next year. As an organization we provide these forms to provide some accountability: the forms list questions that deal with development in character, biblical understanding, and ministry skills. The adult discipler fills them out once every 2 months and sends them into our office. If you are overseeing people involved in discipleship, or just want to give people a guide to help them as they start discipling someone, these forms could be a great help. Don't send them in to us -- but they are free for you to download, print, and use.
Today we shared 10 discipleship ideas at CELS (CE Leadership Summit). Over the next few days, I'm going to share them with you.
10.Use your senior high in your junior high.
We saw this in action at Western Reserve. Marty runs senior high youth group on Wednesday nights. Then on Thursday he runs junior high youth group, and he asks his student leaders from senior high to be there. They help to lead small groups, they help plan events, they build relationships and love on those kids. Talk about creating 'buy-in' -- those senior highers LOVE that group. They are so invested in that church. It's awesome.
We've been in Ohio for 2 weeks. Leaving today to head back to Winona Lake (for CELS. You should come.) And personally I have been experiencing and learning something that, I think, connects to the idea of discipleship...
Some background for those of you who don't know me too well -- my mom is originally from Worthington, Ohio, so I grew up coming out here as a little girl. My grandma owns a home here that Stacie and I use as our 'home base' when we're in town. As I've gotten older, more and more of my college friends have settled in the Columbus area, and lots of Barnabas & Ambassador time in Columbus have allowed me to become very familiar with the area.
So this week I've been surrounded by friends. I've gotten to talk honestly about work, ministry, relationships, fears, excitement. I've laughed so much. I've had that safe, 'I belong here' feeling. I spent significant time with women, women close to my own age & women older than me, and I soaked that up. At one point I was standing with Kelly Coville and Tammy Nuzum, listening to them talk about speaking truth about relationships to high school students, and I honestly wished that conversation could go on forever--there is such wisdom and grace and experience in those women. I have so many questions I would love to ask them.
On top of that, there's a huge number of students here we know. Really well. Students we get to continue to invest in each time we're here.
I think Mark said it best. I have roots here. There are so many people I know and who know me. People who encourage and challenge and refresh me. It's community. It's what we're created for. And that's why it's so hard to leave. It''s hard to walk away from a place where I experience so the beauty of the body of Christ.
There are plenty of people who have the chance to be connected to community like this, and they choose not to. That kills me. Being here reminds me that discipleship and community aren't options--they are energizing, necessary, andlife-breathing. Why would you want to pass something up that is so sweet?
(Don't believe me? Work a job where community is difficult because you're in a different place every 24 hours. Bet your tune will change.)
I'm hungry for these things. I'm thankful my job has taught me the necessity of these things. And I'm thankful that the Lord gave me one of the most refreshing weeks I've ever had. I'm asking him for more like this.
Sunday Stacie and I were at Encounter Church in Dublin, Ohio (Columbus area). They are a church plant that has been meeting in a school for a little over a year, led by Sean Spoelstra.
Now, I have never planted a church. (Maybe someday God will lead me to be a part of a team like that, who knows.) But being with the people of Encounter this Sunday taught me some very valuable lessons about church planting (and, really, just church in general).
They are welcoming. I mean, so welcoming. We got out of our car and were greeted in the parking lot, not just 'Hi', but asking how we heard about the church, who we knew there, where we were from, what we did... and that conversation led us right into another conversation, and then another, and then to meeting Sean (the pastor). We've been in some churches where we've experienced the awkward 'we're not from here and everyone knows it but doesn't know what to say to us' silence-- not at Encounter. I'm guessing it doesn't happen for any of their guests.
The leadership is excited. We met and prayed with the team of people that was involved in the service that morning, and they were ready to go. From announcements to tech to worship to teaching, every person was energized for their part. That's contagious.
They are servants. Church starts at 10. We were there around 9.20, and everything was already set up and ready to go (sound, chairs, coffee...) When the service was over, the space was cleaned up in what seemed like just a few minutes. What a blessing, to have a body that helps to shoulder the practical load of ministry.
They make you feel like family. Maybe this goes along with welcoming, but it's a whole new level I think. After church we went to the Spoelstras to have lunch with their family, the Arenas (a family part who has been there from the beginning and has a daughter going on Barnabas this summer), and some friends of the Spoelstras. Again, Stacie and I have been in lots of situations like this one. It is rare that we feel so at ease as we did with these people on Sunday. We laughed and joked and talked about life and, well, felt like family. It was wonderful. And it made me want to go back. I would love to be a part of that community.
I am excited about this church. Because when people walk through the doors of that church, they will see the body of Christ. And I think that is captivating.
If one visit to Encounter can make me want to go back again, I think that says there's a lot of good things happening there. And probably a lot that we can learn from them.
Last weekend was Kalahari. It was themed 'Red: the Words of Jesus'. DC Curry, of Grainger Community Church in Grainger, Indiana. There were 1000+ people, an indoor water park, solid worship, and hilarious music videos by Mark and Josh.
Stacie and I have been at 4 retreats since Christmas, in Indiana, Pennsylvania, California, and now Ohio. This was the first one where we were not the speakers. Don't hear me wrong -- I love teaching. LOVE it. But last weekend, not teaching, allowed me to be so refreshed. To learn from DC's teaching. To engage deeply in worship. To spend free time talking with friends and students, instead of prepping for the next session. Even to get to play for a couple hours in the water park.
The whole experience just reminded me of how necessary it is for us to take a Sabbath. To rest. To be refreshed and refocused and reenergized. And I'm so thankful. Thankful that the Lord knows that we need such refreshment, and that he then provides it.
God moved last weekend. For the next week and a half, Stacie and I get to see plenty of these students as we travel through Ohio, and I can't wait to hear about how their lives are different.
We are going to Kalahari this weekend. For you non-Buckeyes out there, Kalahari is an indoor water park in Ohio, and the site of a massive winter retreat. We get to help our friend Brad Deetscreek (youth pastor at Grace Church, Bath campus) with follow up with students who make decisions. We're pumped about that.
We're also excited to be hanging out with Operation Barnabas alumni, Operation Barnabas 2010 students, and so many of our friends who are youth staff and youth pastors at these churches.
We're expecting God to do great things, to work in hearts of students and adults alike, and to leave us in awe of him.
