Archive for Mission

Sunday School, Disciplemaking, and the Great Commission

As we conclude our theme of “Making Disciples” for this year, let’s take another look at the Great Commission. We understand that we are to make disciples. We know that this can be done through Sunday School, preaching, and other means of teaching and expounding upon God’s Word. A disciple is made when he or she is engaged in making more disciples. So what keeps us from doing the work of disciple-making? Yes, it is work. It takes time, resources, and an investment from our lives into the lives of others.

When looking at the Great Commission, we need to understand that not everyone is on board with the idea of making disciples. Yes, many will go about the routines of church without engaging in the work of making disciples. Sometimes churches continue the weekly routine and have no evidence of persons growing in their faith to the point of helping others to grow in theirs.

In Matthew 28:16, the scripture tells us that not everyone will be on board. Jesus said that there were those who doubted even after they had seen His miracles and heard His teaching. They still did not worship Him. Jesus saw those sitting on the sidelines and addressed them by giving them and us the charge of the Great Commission.

Regardless of those who are not willing to do the work of disciple-making, we must move forward with those who are willing. We must be one who is willing. It is a personal decision to make disciples. Waiting for everyone else will keep us from making disciples with anyone. Who are you discipling? We need to lead those in our group to be disciple-makers. You need to do this as you teach, but you also need to have those you are working with on a personal level as well.

Disciples are “made” according to Matthew 28:19. Coming to know Christ as Savior indicates a choice to be a disciple. When we fail to follow through with disciple-making, it drastically reduces our capacity to reach more with the gospel. Those who have been discipled well will want to share their faith with others. It is part of who they are as disciples of Christ.

Here are some simple steps that can help you become a better disciple-maker with your group.

• Prepare and teach your group as if everyone in the room will one day become a disciple-maker.
• Walk with individuals in your group through the struggles and celebrations of life while pointing them to Christ.
• Understand that not everyone will be willing to be discipled. Disciple-making is a personal decision and not everyone will respond to that call upon their lives.
• Pray about who God would have you disciple. Just because a person has been a good attender in your group or is a church member does not mean that someone has personally invested in him or her.
• Practice evangelism from the perspective of disciple-making as Jesus did. Lead people to Christ. Share life with them. Show them the importance of leading others to faith as well.

3 Arenas of Replication: Self, Group, Mission

Ultimately, disciple-making is about, well… making more disciples. It is often very easy to get so wrapped up in our own personal growth and the growth of your D-Group that it is easy to forget that one the most important things we can do as disciples is to make more disciples. This often involves leaving the group we are in and starting a new group. It also involves sharing the Gospel with lost people and leading them as they become a follower of Jesus Christ and have a personal relationship with Him and with other disciples.

2 Timothy 2:2 is one of the most well used and treasured Scripture verses of a disciple. In this verse, Paul writes,

What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses,
commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2, CSB)

This verse is well known because it has four generations of disciples in only one verse (Paul, Timothy, faithful men, others). In other words, Paul is instructing his protege Timothy to replicate himself – to make more disciples. Paul can encourage Timothy to do this because Timothy knows that Paul replicated himself; not just in Timothy, but in Titus, Silas, Luke, Philemon, Lydia, Mark, Aristarchus, Epaphroditus, and so many more. Paul’s words ring true with Timothy (and with us) because we can see this ministry of replication in Paul’s life, it is clearly visible.

Let’s slow down and make this personal for a moment… as a disciple, is your ministry of replication plainly visible?

Many efforts at making disciples in the local church fall way short of four generations. Few rarely get past generation 2. The problem is that at generation 2 (identified in the verse as Timothy’s generation), we are still operating on the level of addition. But once the disciple-making movement reaches generation 3, and definitely generation 4, it has moved from addition to multiplication. Our failure to replicate beyond generation 2 is the reason most disciple-making movements in the local church fizzle out.

Three Arenas of Replication

Replicate Yourself
The first arena of replication is to replicate yourself. We will not initiate a movement if we have not successfully initiated this first arena. You may lead someone to Christ and have the opportunity to show this new believer how to meditate on God’s Word, pray, live in biblical community, and replicate themselves in someone else. Perhaps you know a church member or someone or some people in your small group with whom you could form a D-Group to help them better follow Jesus. But the fact of the matter is, a mature disciple is a replicating disciple.

Replicate Your Group
When a disciple forms a new D-Group, they should immediately begin making plans to lead that group to start another group, or even groups! This is the generation 2 problem discussed a couple of paragraphs above. When a group fails to replicate, it freezes the movement at generation 2, plus it robs the disciples in the group of an opportunity to start a new group themselves. For multiplication to occur, groups must replicate and the more often the better.

Replicate the Movement
Disciple-making does not become a movement until individual disciples are making disciples evangelistically and personally, AND individual groups are replicating and forming more groups. Paul had a massive impact on making disciples, not just personally or in groups, but as a movement because he encouraged both personal and group disciplemaking.

Feel free to leave your questions or comments in the comments section below.

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Bob Mayfield is the Sunday School and Discipleship specialist at the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. You can follow Bob on his blog at bobmayfield.com, Twitter at @bobmayfield and Facebook @thebobmayfield.

3 Reasons to Have a Group Mission Board

blankWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? A Missionary Board is a bulletin board or wall space dedicated to keeping the group focused on “why” we are here. It usually contains pictures that remind participants of the mission and ongoing purpose of the group.

WHAT DO I DO?

  1. Celebration of Mission Engagement. Posting pictures of the latest mission project or photos of group members ministering in other areas of the church serves as an ongoing celebration of the true purpose of any group – Great Commandment/Great Commission engagement. The pictorial celebration of these events encourages the people in the photo and challenges others to be involved. The photos can also inspire more ideas of mission opportunities in the community.
  2. Care for Missionaries. Posting photos of people who have left the group to serve in other groups or areas of ministry, reminds group members of their responsibility to provide ongoing care and assistance to these missionaries. One of the difficulties of stepping out to serve, is the feeling of loss that comes from departing the group. Group members should strive to continue in friendship and fellowship with all who serve so they will know they are still valued person in the group.
  3. Change the Culture. What you value is visible and vocal. There are plenty of grandparents that can show pictures and talk endlessly about their grandchildren. Why? Because they are treasures of great value. By developing a Mission Board, the group makes visible what they value. It also creates opportunities to talk about the importance of growing and going as a group on mission for Christ. When people walk into the meeting place of the group, they should be able to quickly access the community culture by seeing and hearing about those who matter most. A Mission Board will become a valuable tool to change the culture of the group from ‘meeting’ to ‘mission.’

3 Ways to Deploy Group Members in Ministry

care4otherWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? The writer of Hebrews (10:24-25) reminds us that we gather to “spur one another on towards love” and to “encourage one another.” Jesus says that His disciples are recognized by their love of one another (John 13:35). If your group does not minister effectively to one another and show love one to another, then it will quickly fall apart.

WHAT DO I DO?

  1. Inside the Group. Each group should set up smaller groups within the group for prayer and ministry. The smaller the sub group (3-5) the better. These groups can be informal, put together on the spot, or formal, an ongoing group. They should meet for approximately 10 minutes to share prayer needs and pray. The smaller group will make this a more intimate time and curtail needless travelogue in prayer requests. If you form groups on the spot, you will be able to better include and get to know guests. As the teacher/leader you may want the guests in your group.
  2. Through the Group. Each Group should have a Care or Ministry Leader(s) who presents the ministry opportunities discovered through prayer groups and contacts. This should not be a lengthy recital of prayer needs, but a presentation of ministry opportunities and making assignments. It should include assigning individuals to contact a group member who is absent and organizing the group to take appropriate ministry actions for group members who are hurting (sick, unemployed, hospitalized, etc.).
  3. Beyond the Group. Encourage group members to become aware of ministry opportunities to unreached people in their relational networks. Organize members, as appropriate, to perform acts of kindness to spread Christ’s love beyond the group. Share stories of ministry that takes place and makes positive impact.

Many groups already have a system of Care Ministry and Prayer Ministry. This is commendable! However, many groups spend more time in prayer requests rather than in prayer and in discussing ministry needs rather than assigning ministry action. If this is the case for you, it may be time to recalibrate your groups and refocus them on ‘why’ they should minister to the group.

3 Ways to Deploy Group Members in Service

Growing-to-ServeWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

Ephesians 2:10 is a verse that gets overshadowed by its predecessor (2:9), but it contains an equally powerful message: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” You have heard it said, “We are saved to serve” and that is true. However, in recent years we have exchanged “come, let’s serve the Lord together” for “come on in and have a seat.” People are created to serve and sense that they truly belong when they are serving in and with the group.

WHAT DO I DO?

Inside the Group

A leader is wise to involve as many people in serving inside the group as possible. Teachers, according to Ephesians 4, are not to do ministry for everyone but to equip everyone for the work of ministry. If a person is given a service to perform during the group time, they are more likely to be present and on-time.  If nothing is expected of them, then attendance becomes optional. Think of as many possible tasks that can be done: set-up team member, greeters, care leaders, fellowship leaders, host/hospitality leaders, and so forth. Seek to involve everyone.

Through the Group

Hopefully, you will begin to have group members leaving the group to start a new group or to serve in another age group ministry in the church. Groups should consider these people as missionaries serving beyond the group. Seek way to serve these missionaries. It may be serving in their place when they are on vacation or cannot be present. It may be serving them by making provisions for their new ministry. Your missionaries should see their former group as people willing and ready to serve them.

Beyond the Group

It is wise for every group to look for service opportunities for members in the church, in the community, in the city, and beyond. Mission service projects tend to unify the group and focus it on being a Great Commandment/Great Commission ministry. Look where group members go and are engaged beyond the group, are there ways the group can serve in those areas? For example, if group members have children that are involved in a recreational sports league, how might your group serve and minister to others who are involved. The Great Commission reminds us to make disciples as we go and wherever we go. So, go and serve.

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Daniel Edmonds is the Director of the Office of Sunday School and Discipleship at the Alabama State Board of Missions