Thank you for allowing us to accompany you on your Adventure in Discipling Others journey! Our Navigator team were thrilled that you decided to invest a full day last month to discover and learn together. We hope this monthly blog will be a source of encouragement. We hope you have pressed into your “action step” from the November 3 Disciple! conference. If you haven’t moved ahead on that action step – don’t despair. Go back to your notes and action step and resolve today that with God’s strength and power you will step out in faith and obedience.
As we walk the life of a disciple, we must be careful that in our strategies and struggles, we do not lose sight of God and His purpose. We can sometimes try to come up with some type of short cut for success. However, in Him, there are no shortcuts. Maturity and discipleship are lifelong pursuits. We are to continually be growing and strengthening ourselves through the Word, prayer, spiritual disciplines, and Godly relationships. These are the tools. He is the means.
If you have just begun coming alongside someone and feel this is just too much and you are feeling overwhelmed, remember it does not happen overnight. It takes a lifetime. If you are still unsure, then consider this. One of the reasons people leave a church is that they feel they have no real relationships there! Discipleship is a great context for relationship building! We are designed for something more in life than just pursuing individual pleasures. That is why people who “have it all” still feel empty. God did not create any Lone Ranger Christians. He created us to be in community, in relationships with one another; and discipleship is the key to that community. God calls us to lift one other up. There should not be a single person in the church that does not have at least one person they can call a friend and have a friendship that extends beyond the church campus and church programs.
You were given a copy of a very good resource called “Starting Well” at the completion of the Disciple! conference. Have you had a chance to read any portions of it yet? We would recommend you begin with the first chapter – Scott Morton’s chapter: The Heart of a Discipler. As you may recall from November third – we shared the importance of integrating our hearts and minds under the lordship of Christ. This book will provide practical encouragement on your journey of discipling others – remember – Jesus never asked anyone to do anything without enabling them with the power to do it!
Should you be looking for additional web-based resources, we recommend the following:
DISCIPLESHIP: Insight for Leaders
DISCIPLESHIP NETWORK: Helping you and those you disciple enjoy life with God
DISCIPLE!: Monthly e-zine from The Navigators – USA
The next DISCIPLE! Conference – The Adventure of Discipling Others – from the Inside Out – will be on Saturday, February 9 in London. Hope to see you there!
Stage fright has never left me until now. That’s why mseatry of the songs and practice keep me on the right track even when my knees shake hard. Before the service starts , I welcome people and invite them personally to worship. Sometimes, i make coffee for early bird seniors. On stage, I greet the congregation and share a Scriipture about worship like the importance of bodily movements such as clapping, jumping , dancing and so on. During the worship, I give time for silence before God. Some church leaders are afraid of silence. They think that it’s a waste of time. Little they know that silence is a moment of confirmation, revelation and affirmation from God I invite them to open their lips to praise God, declare His goodness and faithfulness in their lives. One thing more, a music worship leader must be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit, the powerhead of God who is the true worship leader. Without His directions, our worship will just be a performance. Everything we do must always be focused on God