Paul described his approach to training the Thessalonians as a father to his. children. Sadly, there seems to very little fatherhood in the church

Transcription

1 Foreword Paul described his approach to training the Thessalonians as a father to his children. Sadly, there seems to very little fatherhood in the church today. There are men and women that have been saved for many years and have never had the basics of the Christian life explained in a way they could understand it. These disciples are characterized by: a. Never submitted themselves to basic Bible teaching b. After years of being saved they have little interest in the basics. c. They possess a desire to teach, but need someone to teach them. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. Hebrews 5:12-13 Orphan disciples occur when: Through one means or another they were reached with the Gospel, and either never made it to church or were left to figure it out. 1

2 The health and habit of the church depends on Adopting Discipleship. Adopting Discipleship: - Choose to adopt orphaned disciples. - Train to prevent future orphans in the church. - Give them a foothold on the faith. - Establish patterns of obedience. - Nurture an attitude of submission. For our churches to be equipped by Adopting Discipleship we will grab ahold of three simple truths. 2

3 Chapter 1 Paul had a plan for Discipleship His plan included: a. An Attitude b. A Message c. A Model We know it was effective because there they were. Paul looked at their faithfulness as a measure of their discipleship. a. Through Hardship b. Through His Absence A Discipleship plan should have a focus: 3

4 a. Focus on Faithfulness. Completing material is not discipleship. We want to step back and see the disciple standing. Our measure of discipleship is not the last session, but equipping them for the next ten years of Christian life. b. Focus on Adaptation. We want the Disciple to inject new habits into their life. - Read Scripture - Pray on their own - Be faithful to church - Lead their children to do the same - Reach out to friends and family. Everyone needs a Discipler. 4

5 Discipleship starts with the Gospel We must be more concerned with helping families more than keeping families. a. Patience b. Yeilding c. Teachable Discipleship is Caring for Someone else. a. Discipleship is not about the size of your church. 5

6 b. Discipleship is not about a notch on your belt. c. Discipleship is about ministry for the good of others. - Discipleship requires Exhortation. - Discipleship requires Comfort - Discipleship requires Confrontation Everything is Discipleship. 6

7 Discipleship is Reward a. Joy of Fellowship b. Hopeful Fruit c. Crown of Rejoicing d. Glory to God Everyone needs a Disciple. 7

8 Chapter 2 Discipleship is: Influencing individuals to duplication. Everything is Discipleship Everything you do in the church is teaching something. Discipleship is a philosophy of ministry that will affect how you do everything. a. State your expectations generally. b. Project your environment in print. A ministry handbook will outline what you want in a ministry. It can include: - Role and duties of the Director - Character of the Director 8

9 - Role and duties of the Minister - Character of the Minister - Policies and Procedures - One or Two Elements of Training c. Reach others to join you. Resist the urge to make a blanket request for ministry. It means so much more to the Minister if you: - Pick up the phone - Call the candidate - Set up a time to talk about the ministry. Everyone needs a Disciple Growing Christians need a disciple. Each member of the church needs a disciple. They need someone that they are responsible for building. a. Find a Disciple "I don t have one " 9

10 - Pray God will reveal that one. - Pray one in the door. b. Set the Expectations In your first approach ask this potential disciple to pray about doing discipleship. Your discipleship could require: - Church three times a week - Involvement in a Sunday School Class - Meet for one hour each week - Write three verses every day - Daily Bible reading and prayer - Weekly questions from Bible reading Everyone Needs a Discipler. When you are ready to involve more disciplers in the ministry consider these steps. a. Find a Director 10

11 Roles the Director can handle are: - Recruiting - Training - Organizing - Scheduling When it is time to take your ministry public do so with a leader that can handle the directing of the ministry. You will find this helps the ministers because: - Many are uncomfortable saying no to the pastor. - Removing people can become permanent. b. Gather the Disciplers c. Partner the Disciples 11

12 Some simple guidelines for partnering disciples: - Men are assigned to men, and women with women. - Partner within the same age group. - Designate a space. d. Train the Disciples - The Exchange - First Steps for New Christians - Continue 12

13 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. II Timothy 2:2 e. Meet Weekly Disciplers meet with their disciples at a set time every week for about 1-1 ½ hours. Remember the discipleship session is an informal time. The Discipleship Director welcomes everyone, gives announcements, and opens in prayer. The Discipleship Director comes back to close out the meeting. f. Graduate the Disciple Upon completion of the last lesson of the program, the disciples will get a certificate in either a church service or a Sunday School Class. 13

14 Adopting Discipleship Disciple: Discipler: Disciple: Discipler: Disciple: Discipler: Disciple: Discipler: Disciple: Discipler: Disciple: Discipler: Disciple: Discipler: Disciple: Date -> AWd/Compl -> Date -> AWd/Compl -> Date -> AWd/Compl -> Date -> AWd/Compl -> Date -> AWd/Compl -> Date -> AWd/Compl -> Date -> AWd/Compl -> Date -> AWd/Compl -> First Steps Discipleship Ministry SKBC Discipler: Chapter 1: Our Sinful Condi;on before Salva;on Chapter 2: Chapter 3: Chapter 4: Understand- Our New Life Eternal ing God's in Christ Security Salva;on Chapter 5: Chapter 6: Bap;sm- The The Local First Step of Church Obedience 1 Chapter 7: The Bible Chapter 8: Chapter 9: Chapter 10: Learning The Witness Bible How to Pray of a Believer Memory Chapter 11: Chapter 12: Chapter 13: Overcoming Biblical What is a Sin Stewardship Bap;st Chapter 3 14

15 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; I Thessalonians 1:3 Ask three questions when designing your Discipleship ministry. Question 1 - What are the primary steps of faith in your Church? a. Worship For many churches the front door is the morning worship service. This is when we will meet most of our guests. b. Unify We love to see morning guests move to join us Sunday night. Sunday night is designed for the church family. In this service, focus mostly on the local church doctrine, training, and preaching. c. Train Wednesday evening is all about spiritual growth. Messages cover personal spiritual development. This is when we offer church discipleship. 15

16 d. Disciple It s a big deal when people follow the Lord in discipleship. Pull together to see people involved in discipleship. e. Lead Leadership is an important part of the church. Time invested in developing leaders is never wasted. Question 2 - What are the primary demonstrations of growth in the Christian s life? a. Enroll We want to communicate to the Sunday AM congregation the need to be involved in their Sunday School Class. b. Establish We know that most of the people that come to our church are likely unsaved. Before they go any further in the pipeline lead them to saved and baptized membership. 16

17 c. Nurture When people get saved they need the word of God. So the way we know discipleship is working is if they have started reading the Bible as a daily personal habit. d. Give Generosity is a great measure of the heart. We know if we should move any further along in the pipeline by whether or not they are trusting the Lord with their finances. e. Mentor II Timothy 2:2 describes the aim. the same commit thou to faithful men which shall be able to teach others also. We teach and then they teach this is an act of faithfulness. Questions 3 - What are the ministry opportunities for the people of your Church? 17

18 a. Ministry Team I - In Ministry Team I, we open the ministries of the Sunday School Classes to the members. These volunteers are not necessarily members of the church. In some cases they haven t yet been saved. Class Hospitality Ministry Class Care Group Ministry b. Ministry Team II - We focus on the ministries that open up chances for frequent fellowship with established members and leadership. Hospitality ministry gives them opportunity to learn the faces and people of the church. Greeter Ministry Facility Ministry - Parking Attendant - T.E.A.M. Soul Winning c. Ministry Team III - Missing the preaching is a detriment to the development of the Christian. We require the Ministers in these 18

19 ministries to have personal devotional life and strong connection to their Sunday School Class. These ministries include: Media Ministry Music Ministry - Security Ministry - Nursery Ministry d. Ministry Team IV - Many ministries require trust built through exposure and time in a church. At South Knollwood, working as a Children s leader require a clear background check and six months of faithful service in the ministry. Altar Worker Children s Ministry - Youth Ministry - Discipler e. Ministry Team V - Leadership is a benefit to the church and to the individual who follows the Lord into leadership. Every leader is a potential risk to the ministry. So we reserve leadership for those who have submitted to the process and have showed genuine love for the Lord, and loyalty to the Church and Pastor. Adult Bible Class Leader Deacon - Ministry Directors - Children s Teacher 19

20 Officer s These are layed side by side. Step of Faith - Growth - Ministry Transitions are all about Ownership Transitions for us are like the relay runner passing the baton from one runner to the next. The transitions should be natural. a. Encourage b. Call c. Visit d. Teach. All together it looks something like this: 20

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23 Appendix A Sample Leadership Requirements The Need for Leadership Requirements As a leader in a local church, the congregation will be evaluating you more than ever. Your conduct will either elevate or bring down the name of the Lord. By accepting your role as a leader you are agreeing to many things written and unwritten. The following will help you understand the heart of what we call The Leadership Requirements. They are not a list of rules. They are not meant to be enforced with a legalistic or holier-than thou attitude. They are not meant to define spirituality. Our heart in this matter is that our lives would be consistent with the Bible. Our hope is that leaders in this ministry would be pure vessels, fit for the Master s use! 1. Church membership South Knollwood Baptist Church requires all servants in leadership roles be members. 23

24 2. Commitment Servants in leadership positions must attend the regular services. We insist on regular attendance because it is important for your growth. As well as, a good testimony for the people you influence. Some ministries will cause you to be out of the auditorium for a service. God uses preaching to grow saints, so we require you to be in the auditorium for the other two services in the week. 3. Correct Doctrine Leaders in our ministry must agree with the doctrinal statements of SKBC. These doctrinal statements are in our Articles of Faith. 4. Cooperative Spirit Excellence in ministry comes when all the people pull in the same direction. The leaders in the ministry must have loyalty to the Pastor and Ministry Director. They should also have a spirit of teamwork with those with whom they serve. 5. Communication We must guard our tongue from gossip, complaining, and false information. As believers, these things should not be a part of our spiritual walk with the Lord. As leaders, be examples for others to follow 24

25 by cultivating unity. If others speak against the church or those within the church, rebuke them in a loving way. It is your responsibility to avoid such activity yourself. 6. Conduct Ephesians 4:22-32 outlines proper conduct. Scripture defines it: speaking the truth not lying not being angry not giving place to the devil being a hard worker not stealing using the tongue to edify others not bitter not wrathful (outbursts of anger) not clamoring or fighting not speaking evil being kind and tenderhearted. not using foul language A holy life is a prerequisite for effective service for Christ. A person characterized by worldliness presents a wrong model to those they lead. Worldliness brings a reproach to the ministry and the church in the community. 7. Clothing As a church, we have not set any dress standards for the congregation. Modesty is our basic scriptural principle. However, people have the tendency to carry this liberty to an extreme. To prevent an issue in this 25

26 area we ask those in leadership to set the standard. Remember you are dressing to honor a sovereign Lord and King. When serving on the church platform men wear a tie, jacket, dress slacks and shoes. Other public duties such as serving communion, singing in the choir or special music, ushering, etc., have the same requirements. Women wear an appropriate dress or skirt and blouse. When serving in Sunday School, nursery or Super church all leaders represent the Lord. Though not ministering in front of the church, you are on display before those in their class. When serving in these positions, it men wear a jacket, shirt, tie, dress slacks and shoes. Women wear an appropriate dress or skirt and blouse. The nature of Kings Kids and VBS includes many activities that need discernment on the part of each leader and helper. We ask that each leader or helper wear modest apparel when serving in this capacity. Do not wear shorts, old work clothes, or denim. The handbook for each ministry outlines the appropriate uniform. When you are not serving the church, we still ask that you wear modest apparel to church. For example, women in dresses, skirts, and men in dress slacks. 26

27 8. Covenant The church does have expected conduct of its members. In particular, we ask leaders to uphold our spiritual service standards. Leaders abstain from: the use of tobacco illegal use of drugs carnal and pornographic literature gambling dancing alcoholic beverages The leader pledges before God to use a high degree of spiritual discernment in all entertainment. Including: television videos computer games the internet radio card games theater attendance music Remember, your spiritual walk speaks louder than your talk. It can reinforce what you say about our Lord, who is holy and righteous. Or your conduct can discredit you and hinder God s work. Please take note of your copy of the church constitution. 27

28 9. Context of Scripture We hold that those translations based on the Textus Receptus (TR) Greek Text are the best. Other translations base on an inferior Greek text (Westcott & Hort). The only version for leaders to carry, teach, and study from is the King James Version (KJV). 28

29 Appendix B Discipleship Progress Forms CONTINUE Discipleship Ministry SKBC Disciple: A[d/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Disciple: A[d/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Disciple: A[d/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Disciple: A[d/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Disciple: A[d/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Disciple: A[d/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Disciple: A[d/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Disciple: A[d/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Week 1: The Word of God Week 2: Knowing God Week 3: Who Is Jesus? Week 4: Your SalvaHon Week 5: Developing a Prayer Life Week 6: Your RelaHonship w/ God's Word Week 7: The Holy Spirit Week 8: The Life of a Disciple Week 9: The Local Church Week 10: Your Place in your Church Family Week 11: Financial Stewardship Week 12: Go & Tell the Good News Week 13: Living in Light of Eternity Week 14: ConHnue 29

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31 Appendix C Discipleship Ministry Handbook The Role of the Discipleship Director Definition: The Discipleship Director facilitates discipleship as an extension of the Pastor's ministry. Description: The Discipleship Director has: a sincere love for people. a passion to reach people for Jesus Christ. loyalty to the pastor and church ministry. the gifts of administration and helps. Duties: Establish Disciplers in each Sunday School Class. Train and install servants for ministry opportunities. Aid the Pastor with recruiting Disciplers. 31

32 Witness for Christ, and carry out the Great Commission. Take part in weekly T.E.A.M. Soul Winning. Love, care, and minister to members as well as non-members. Support and communicate the work of the church. Pray for members, guests, and prospects. The Ministry of Recruiting Successful recruitment is a vital part of running a great LifeStages program. At South Knollwood Baptist, our philosophy of recruitment is unique. Many churches will give responsibility hoping the recruit will grow to faithfulness. Recruitment will happen many times in a specified pattern: Pray for God's Leadership Identify Contact Challenge Give Handbook Show Curriculum Give a Clear Picture Visit Classroom Train Wait The Role of the Discipler 32

33 Definition: The Discipler enters into a one-on-one relationship with a new believer or member. The Discipler will guide the Disciple through the discipleship equipment. They will also provide the Disciple with a mature Christian friend as a mentor. Description: The Discipler has: a sincere love for people and interest in their lives. a passion to reach and train people for Jesus Christ. loyalty to the pastor and church ministry. the gifts of teaching and exhortation. a working knowledge of the Bible and Daily in the Word. Duties: Meet weekly with your Disciple for review, covering new material, and answering questions. Witness for Christ and carry out the Great Commission. Take part in weekly T.E.A.M. Soul Winning. Speak to new class members about the ministry of discipleship. Lead members to grow through personal, family, and church worship. Support and communicate the work of the church. 33

34 Pray for current and former disciples. Contact absent disciples through a phone call or visit. Attend training clinics and class leadership meetings. Be First Steps Discipleship Ministry SKBC Disciple: AWd/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Disciple: AWd/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Disciple: AWd/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Disciple: AWd/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Disciple: AWd/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Disciple: AWd/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Disciple: AWd/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Disciple: AWd/Compl -> Discipler: Date -> Chapter 1: Our Sinful Condi;on before Salva;on Chapter 2: Understanding God's Salva;on Chapter 3: Our New Life in Christ Chapter 4: Eternal Security Chapter 5: Bap;sm- The First Step of Obedience Chapter 6: The Local Church Chapter 7: The Bible Chapter 8: Learning How to Pray Chapter 9: The Witness of a Believer Chapter 10: Bible Memory Chapter 11: Overcoming Sin Chapter 12: Biblical Stewardship Chapter 13: What is a Bap;st 34

35 aware of spiritual needs or struggles in the life of disciples. The Curriculum The Exchange The Exchange is Bible study that focuses on presenting a Gospel presentation. This is a tool that is built for someone that though unsaved are willing to sit down for a multi-week Bible Study. First Steps for New Christians This is a simple thirteen lesson booklet on the basics of Christian living. The Discipler will lead the Disciple through one lesson in the first week. Then assign a lesson for the Disciple to complete on their own. Then follow up with another meeting. In that meeting complete a new lesson then assign one for them to finish. This process will continue until the book is complete. Continue In our Discipleship Ministry, we use Continue. This curriculum is used to develop committed followers of Christ who reproduce more followers of Christ. In short, it is the fulfillment of Paul s instruction to Timothy: 35

36 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. II Timothy 2:2 This curriculum has three primary goals to be accomplished in the life of each disciple. The first goal is that these new believers would be in the Word of God every day. The second is that these believers would be equipped for the ministry. This is the responsibility of the church leadership according to Ephesians 4: It is from this group of disciples that we look for our future laborers. This curriculum is part of our response to the Lord s prayer request: Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. Matthew 9:38 Third and finally, this curriculum has been designed with the intent of seeing the multiplication of disciplers. To ground a believer to the point of being able to answer tough questions is not the same as discipling that believer. Our goal should be to help new believers understand, embrace, and pass on the foundational principles of the truth of God s Word. The Discipleship Session 36

37 Disciplers should meet with their disciples at a set time every week for about 1-1 ½ hours. South Knollwood Baptist Church holds discipleship on Wednesday nights during our mid-week service. There are many benefits to this: It helps the new believer to form a habit of being in church on Wednesday nights. Convenient childcare is already provided for the church service. At the beginning of the discipleship session, the Discipleship Director should welcome everyone, give announcements that would be made in church, and open the evening in prayer. After prayer, one-on-one discipleship should take place between the already paired disciples and disciplers. The Discipleship Director should come back and close out the meeting. He should give the disciplers time to wrap up and dismiss about the same time as the main service would end. What happens when I complete discipleship? Upon completion of the last lesson of the program, the disciples will get a certificate in either a church service or a Bible Class meeting. Who can be discipled? Those who are discipled should have a desire to grow to maturity and should be attending at least three services a week. 37

38 In addition to new Christians, there are also new church members or those who have been saved for years who need to be discipled. These same believers may have never studied the basics of the Christian walk or may have never been challenged to multiply other Christian disciples. This missing element may be the motivation to help more established Christians go through a discipling ministry along with the newer converts. Given below are some final thoughts to consider as you seek to develop a heart for discipleship. Disciple in such a way that when you are finished, your disciple can go on to disciple your child. Rather than teaching rules, teach doctrine & biblical principles and strive to be a example. Teach your disciple to become dependent on the Word of God, not on you, or any other personality. Teach your disciple to hear, read, study, memorize, and meditate on the Word of God. Explain the importance of the Word of God for practical daily living. Pray with and for your disciple. Remember that discipleship will never replace soul winning. 38

39 Early on in discipleship, teach the principle that spiritual strength can never be attained apart from the Word of God. Preach the importance of discipleship to everyone. 1 The Shaw Pocket Bible Handbook, Walter A. Elwell, Editor, (Harold Shaw Pub., Wheaton, IL; 1984), p