Discipleship Ministry
Purpose: It is our duty as Christian Leaders (Men) to produce disciple makers. There are too many families broken apart due to a lack of a disciple of Christ leading them. We as men must have relationships around us that build up and encourage as well as hold each other accountable. Just as Proverbs 27:17 says “iron sharpens iron” we must work together and put away our pride to grow in our faith. There will never be a day when we don't need each other.
Vision: Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV).
Disciple means student. And it is my vision to have a ministry that is full of leaders and disciple makers. That first will require all of our current leaders to know our Lord more intimately and completely in order to disciple others. In other words “Being” the change we want to see in the MOB. I have a vision of 20 individual groups by September 2010. Currently there are 7 groups meeting and by November 2009 there will be 10. I have a vision of 4 co-leaders per group that each lead for one quarter to avoid burnout and to keep the groups fresh. I believe it is imperative that all men need to be plugged into a group of Christian men to hold us accountable to God and to each other. I can tell you from personal experience that if I had not made the decision to start attending a men’s group 6 years ago, I would not be the husband, father, and leader that I am today. I would probably still be drinking, and I can promise you I would not be the Godly example my family needs to see in me and through me and from “HIM”. The health of the ministry is dependent on the health of our leaders. In order for us to be healthy we have to plan to be healthy. I believe this is a start to growing deeper, stronger, and more committed men to raise up the next generation of “Mobsters”.
We should have 25% of the men involved in the ministry according to current church statistics. This means out of the estimated 2500 men who regularly attend BAF there should be 25% actively involved in church or ministry. So according to ordinary church statistics we should have a goal to reach 625 men who are engaged and participating in the MOB in some way, although Bay Area Fellowship is no ordinary church. I believe we can reach 800 men by this time next year (October 2010). There are many ways to serve and get involved in the MOB and being a part of a small group is one of the important dynamics in our walk with God.
Join me in becoming the disciples that Christ has called us to be.
Scott Walker Director of Discipleship for the MOB
The following was taken from http://www.gotquestions.org
Question: “What is Christian discipleship?”
Answer: By definition, a disciple is a follower, one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another. A Christian disciple is a person who accepts and assists in the spreading of the good news of Jesus Christ. Christian discipleship is the process by which disciples grow in the Lord Jesus Christ and are equipped by the Holy Spirit, who resides in our hearts, to overcome the pressures and trials of this present life and become more and more Christ like. This process requires believers to respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to examine their thoughts, words and actions and compare them with the Word of God. This requires that we be in the Word daily—studying it, praying over it, and obeying it. In addition, we should always be ready to give testimony of the reason for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15) and to disciple others to walk in His way. According to Scripture, being a Christian disciple involves personal growth characterized by the following:
1. Putting Jesus first in all things (Mark 8:34-38). The disciple of Christ needs to be set apart from the world. Our focus should be on our Lord and pleasing Him in every area of our lives. We must put off self-centeredness and put on Christ-centeredness.
2. Following Jesus' teachings (John 8:31-32). We must be obedient children and doers of the Word. Obedience is the supreme test of faith in God (1 Samuel 28:18), and Jesus is the perfect example of obedience as He lived a life on earth of complete obedience to the Father even to the point of death (Philippians 3:6-8).
3. Fruitfulness (John 15:5-8). Our job is not producing fruit. Our job is to abide in Christ, and if we do, the Holy Spirit will produce the fruit, and this fruit is the result of our obedience. As we become more obedient to the Lord and learn to walk in His ways, our lives will change. The biggest change will take place in our hearts, and the overflow of this will be new conduct (thoughts, words and actions) representative of that change. The change we seek is done from the inside out, through the power of the Holy Spirit. It isn’t something we can conjure up on our own.
4. Love for other disciples (John 13:34-35). We are told that love of other believers is the evidence of our being a member of God's family (1 John 3:10). Love is defined and elaborated on in1 Corinthians 13:1-13. These verses show us that love is not an emotion; it is action. We must be doing something and involved in the process. Furthermore, we are told to think more highly of others than of ourselves and to look out for their interests (Philippians 2:3-4). The next verse in Philippians (verse 5) really sums up what we are to do when it comes to everything in life: “our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” What a perfect example He is to us for everything we are to do in our Christian walk.
5. Evangelism - Making disciples of others (Matthew 28:18-20). We are to share our faith and tell nonbelievers about the wonderful changes Jesus Christ has made in our lives. No matter what our maturity level in the Christian life, we have something to offer. Too often, we believe the lie from Satan that we don't really know enough or haven't been a Christian long enough to make a difference. Not true! Some of the most enthusiastic representatives of the Christian life are new believers who have just discovered the awesome love of God. They may not know a lot of Bible verses or the “accepted” way of saying things, but they have experienced the love of the living God, and that is exactly what we are to share.
Click here for a list of MOB Discipleship Groups and their meeting times and locations
