Section Two: Discipleship Systems
OBSERVATIONS, QUOTES AND ASSUMPTIONS: Agree or disagree?
A. The priority is making disciples, according to the Book of Discipline: “The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Local churches provide the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs.”[1]
B. Disciples are made by a healthy Discipleship System. Discipleship Systems cooperate with God’s work in prevenient grace, justifying grace and sanctifying grace. A quality Discipleship System smoothly moves new disciples through the stages of spiritual growth to full maturation. A quality Discipleship System vastly increases system competence and thereby overcomes limits to growth. The ultimate size of a church is limited primarily by the quality of its Discipleship System.
QUOTE [1]
NOTE
DISCERNMENT QUESTIONS
RESOURCES
[1] The quote is a selection from David O. Kueker’s Fuller Seminary Doctor of Ministry project submitted in September, 2007, entitled Diagnosis, Dialogue, and Decision: A Threefold Process of Revitalization For the Illinois Great Rivers Conference.
It is shared here in recognition of its 12th Anniversary along with comments to update and provide perspective on the material. The original project was a Training Manual/Study Guide of three Seminars supported by three chapters of research and an Introduction. The material is available for download at www.disciplewalk.com/Resources.html. In 2009 it was provided for purchase as a softcover book entitled Designing Discipleship Systems: Christian Disciple Making For Any Size Church, Any Theology through CreateSpace.com.
[2][3] [4][5] [6][7] [8]
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. Please review the page How and Why We Use Quotes.
[1]Harriet Jane Olson, ed., The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church 2004 (Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House, 2004), 87.