INTRODUCTION
What is the GCJ Discipleship Program?
- A program being designed to help GCJ realize its vision of being a healthy church.
What is a healthy church?
- A church that is functioning as it should, loving God and others and making disciples for Christ.
What is discipleship all about?
- The making of disciples
- working with persons so that they become NOT only persons who believe in and follow Christ, BUT also lead others to Christ
What does discipleship look like?
- From an article, entitled Six Functions of The Church, found on the GCI website:
Throughout the New Testament, we see spiritual leaders teaching others. This is part of the Christian lifestyle; it is part of the Great Commission. “Go and make disciples of all nations … teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Everyone must be either a learner or a teacher, and we are usually both at the same time. “Teach and admonish one another with all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16). We must be learning from one another, from other Christians. The church is an educational institution as well as a place of worship and transformation.
Paul told Timothy, “The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). Every Christian should be able to teach the basics of the faith, to give an answer concerning our hope in Jesus Christ.
People who have already learned should become teachers, to pass the truth along to new generations. Teaching is often done by pastors. But Paul commands every Christian to teach. Small groups provide one way in which this is done. Mature Christians can teach both in word and in example. They can tell others how Christ has helped them. When their faith is weak, they can seek the encouragement of others. When their faith is strong, they can help the weak.
It is not good for a Christian to be alone.
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!… Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
By working together, we help one another grow. Discipleship is often a mutual process, one member helping another member. But some discipleship flows more purposefully, with more direction given to it. God has appointed some people in his church for that very reason:
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13)
God provides leaders who have the role of preparing others for their roles. The result is growth, maturity and unity, if we allow the process to work as God intended. Some Christian growth and learning comes from peers; some comes from people in the church who have the specific assignment of teaching and modeling the Christian life. People who isolate themselves are missing out on this aspect of the faith.
We have much to learn – and much to apply. Local congregations need to offer Bible studies, classes for new believers, training in evangelism, etc. We need to encourage lay ministry by giving permission, giving training, giving tools, giving control and getting out of the way!
- Our Discipleship Program is being designed to give information and training to help persons move from being mere attenders (or associates) to being disciples.
Where do we start our Discipleship Program?
- with an understanding that a church meeting may include four kinds of people: attenders, believers, Christians and disciples.
-
- Attenders … associates, friends, relatives who attend services (children)
- Believers … persons who believe the Gospel
- Christians … persons who are committed to following Jesus
- Disciples … persons who have caused other to believe in and follow Christ
What is the objective of the GCJ Discipleship Program?
- To help persons that GCJ interacts to become disciples
How does GCJ try to do that?
- To guide/lead persons through a process that causes attenders to become believers, believers to become Christians (committed believers) and Christians to become disciples.
What are the main tools used in the GCJ discipleship process?
- Discipleship 101 … for attenders
- Discipleship 201 … for believers (ideal for New Believers class)
- Disciple 301 … for Christians (ideal for New Members class)
What are the main features of each of the courses?
- Discipleship 101
- GOAL … to move persons from being attenders to being believers
- OBJECTIVE … Attender needs to hear and believe the Gospel
- Discipleship 201
- GOAL … to move persons from being believers to being Christians
- OBJECTIVE … Believer needs to get baptized to show commitment to following Christ
- Disciple 301
- GOAL … to move persons from being Christians to being disciples
- OBJECTIVE … Christian needs to get involved in witnessing and personal evangelism
What are the components of Discipleship 101?
- Discipleship 101 can be divided into five lessons:
-
- God’s Purpose … Relationship
- Man’s Problem … Separation
- God’s Provision … Jesus Christ
- Man’s Potential … Reconciliation
- God’s Promise … Fellowship with God
What are the components of Discipleship 201?
- ABC for Believers
- A … Assurance of Salvation
- B … Baptism
- C … Church (Christian Friends/Fellowship)
What are the components of Discipleship 301-304?
- Overview of the Life of Christ and Stories of the Early Church (Luke-Acts)
- Introduction to Systematic Theology
- Theology Proper
- Paterology
- Christology
- Pneumatology
- Anthropology
- Hamartiology
- Soteriology
- Ecclesiology
- Escathology
- Introduction to Comparative Religion (belief systems & denominations)
NEXT SESSION …
- We’ll take a dive into Discipleship 101.
- You can prepare by coming up with 1 or 2 Bible passages for each of the chapters above.