This seminar on making disciples for Jesus Christ is in service of this calling. There are a variety of methods of fishing for people, and some are more effective than others. The church growth movement began when Donald McGavran, a missionary supervisor in India, “lamented that so much activity was taking place in the name of evangelism but that very few disciples were being made.” He began to study what was working. At that time there were few examples of success to study as the vast majority of his missionaries were ineffective at fishing for souls. Most of our efforts today are similarly ineffective. As missionaries repented of methods which did not work and humbled themselves to adopt methods that did work, the lost began coming to the table in greater numbers. The church of today needs to similarly and humbly repent. So do we as individual Christians. It’s time to return to the most basic principles to learn how to fish for people.
What is the simplest system one can use to make disciples and mature them spiritually to the point where they can make their own disciples?
A flood of new ideas and methods in evangelism has made us skeptical. The innovation that is needed in churches today is far more elementary yet entirely sufficient:
Jesus is Lord.
What would happen if we obeyed every command of Jesus as he taught his disciples how to fish for people?
How can we overcome resistance to this innovation?
REFLECTIO
N QUESTIONS:
*Reflection Question 1.02: Do you believe that “Jesus is Lord” is entirely sufficient as a means of making disciples? Why or why not?
*Reflection Question 1.03: How would your life be different if “Jesus is Lord” was your central purpose?
*Reflection Question 1.04: How would your church and the lives of other Christians around you be different if “Jesus is Lord” guided all their decisions and actions?
SOURCES:
The photo “Disciple Making 101” is by David Kueker.
All Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.