This cry from the heart of the disciples (Luke 17:5) is the response of anyone who hears the difficult call to discipleship. In our top 5 of 2011, discipleship has to be at the center. Here are just some of the things I noticed this year.
For one, we added to our pastoral staff this year with Jan Price's commissioning. She became our Pastor of Adult Discipleship. While the position would be considered part time, her commitment to making disciples is full-time. More than one person has told me that the guidance and dedication she offers has made a tremendous impact on their spiritual lives. You may notice that Jan has not launched a big program or started teaching classes, and this is intentional. We are pursuing a more organic and natural path to discipleship, similar to the way of Jesus. Efficiency, while great in a factory, does not create disciples like Jesus did. Jesus gained and lost the crowds the whole way, keeping a small group of dedicated disciples around Him at most times. Anyway, Jan's pursuit of the way of Jesus has already had a transforming effect on the way we function.
Discipleship has often been seen as what the "dedicated" Christians do, and the "fringe" Christians are meant to be entertained long enough for the Holy Spirit to encourage the step from "fringe" to "dedicated." Other than the problem of judgment in our hearts about who is dedicated and who is on the fringe (usually measured by church attendance), the equation just isn't true. Discipleship is the process every single Christian is invited into, and Jesus Himself had the devout and the skeptical around Him. And so I have been so pleased at how many and what variety of people have really stepped into various opportunities to be discipled.
In short, I pray that this spirit of discipleship grows deeper and deeper as we try to follow Jesus together.
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