This is the title we’ve given this next year @ Southbrook Church—“The Year of Discipleship.” Sounds pretty impressive, huh? But what in the world does it mean?
Well, let’s start with what it doesn’t mean.
- It doesn’t mean that this is the one and only year we’re giving a rip about discipline people.
- It doesn’t mean that this is the first year we’ve thought about it.
- It doesn’t mean this is the first year we’ve witnessed it happening in people’s lives.
- It doesn’t mean that there will be no evangelism this year (It’s not one or the other).
- It doesn’t mean that discipleship hasn’t already been deeply woven into the fabric of our church.
It does mean…
- That after seeing the Lord bless us with so many people coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ we feel a heightened urgency to illuminate the path toward growth—more so than ever before.
- We deeply care about moving people further along in their journey with Christ Jesus.
- We are about minimizing maintenance and maximizing ministry.
- We want to teach others to be self-feeders.
- We are more about moving people forward in the sanctification process than growing a big church.
As pastor Judd Wilhite says,
“Measuring movement is probably our greatest indicator of overall church health. How many people are going through a process and not only coming to faith but then getting baptized. And not only getting baptized but growing in their faith. And not only growing in their faith in a group but then serving the community and passing on their faith.”