A New Look at Discipling --- Agree or Disagree?

David Putnam (Breaking the Missional Code, Broadman & Holman, 2006) offers a new look at the discipleship process that he says most missional churches have discovered. They challenge our thinking. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with his findings?

DISCIPLESHIP:

1. ...begins prior to conversion. In today's context, conversion is part of the journey and will often require years of participation in a local congregation before a person goes public with his or her faith. New missions are already figuring out how to do church in such a way that makes this possible for those who are just learning about Christ.
2. ...involved participation in a faith community prior to conversion. Churches will need to recognize the importance of relationships as the currency that moves the unreached and unchurched person toward genuine discipleship. Members of those churches spend more time connecting with unchurched people, loving them genuinely even if they don't become believers right away.
3. ...often involved participation and experience with the Christian community prior to conversion. Non-believers have even gone on mission trips with believers and along the way have come to know Jesus. Churches that understand this are proactive in creating experiences for those on such a journey.
4. ...involves participation in service prior to conversion. Churches that understand this encourage their members to invite unchurched friends to participate in service to the community. The very act of serving in a Habitat for Humanity project along side churched Christians may be used by God to move someone toward faith in Christ.
5. ...does not require "club membership" in the church before someone is permitted to usher, play in worship band, sing in a choir or even read the scriptures aloud in worship. Churches that understand this trust that the very fact that an unchurched person wants to participate in serving, in mission, or in worship - may expose people to the means the Holy Spirit uses to bring someone to faith.

So - what do you think? Do you agree? Are there others you would add to the list?

Sharing Jesus in Third Places

Each of us has a First Place,Second Place and a Third Place.

First Place for most people living in the developed world is the home. This is often a place of closely guarded privacy. The Second Place is where we work. The workplace can often be a place of huge demands and pressure. Third Places vary by context and culture and may be places like pubs and restaurants, places like Starbucks, sports team parents groups and anywhere that people feel free to be themselves. Kind of like the bar in Cheers, "where everybody knows your name." People will spend hours in Third Places and may know more about the lives of people there than most people in churches know about each other. Third Places are where the relationships that knit our society together are formed and fashioned. For many Christians, "church" is their Third Place. Often we expect people who are far from Christ and His family to come to our Third Place. After all, we feel so comfortable and welcomed there, we think that they should too...but they don't come. Perhaps what we need to do is meet folks in their own Third Place.

Why should Third Places matter to Christians? They are where we can learn about the culture of our communities. There we can learn about people's everyday struggles and concerns are. They are places we can ask spiritual questions. They are the places we can share Jesus. Afterall, people who don't know Jesus rarely come to our First Place , and often we are not permitted to talk about Jesus in our Second Place. Where are the Third Places in your community?

Where does this concept come from? Michael Frost's book, Exiles: living missionally in a post-Christian culture (Hendrickson, 2007)is the place. Michael is Australian and Professor of Evangelism at Moorling College in Sydney Australia.

Should Small Churches Plant Churches?

[from an article by Rev. Ken Behnken, Center for U.S. Missions]

How often haven’t we heard the excuse that we will plant another church when we get larger? How large is larger? At what point do you, as a new mission start, start thinking about having a family? This is something newly married couples discuss already in their courting days. By the time they are pronounced husband and wife they already have a pretty good idea about when they will start their family.

New church plants ought to be doing the same thing. The initial mission plan should include “family planning.” When will we start having children? It is never too early to plant a new church. Many non-denominational churches are grooming a team for a new church plant in their first year of existence. By the time they reach 100 members they are ready to give away leaders and members to help start the next church.

If we are serious about reaching more people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then we need to be thinking exponentially. We have daughter churches that have daughter churches that have daughter churches. This is New Testament thinking. Paul, Barnabas, Timothy, and the early apostles did not plant a church and wait until it grew to a certain size. As soon as there were leaders established in the new church, they were off to plant the next church.

Yes, it is costly. It will cost you money, people, leaders and delayed dreams. Your initial church would probably be larger if you did not plant another congregation. It is easy to get so focused on our own turf that we forget to look at the Kingdom.

A newly-married couple that selfishly chooses not to have children because it would interfere with their occupations and dreams of material wealth, come to the end of their lives having multiplied things but not themselves. When you plant a daughter church, you have multiplied yourself and are reaching twice as many people. As your daughter congregations plant new churches, the multiplication continues. Think of the joy you receive by watching God bless your children. Think of the joy you will have watching God bless your daughter churches. Think of the family reunions as you get together with your daughter churches and your granddaughter churches.

It is never too soon to start thinking about multiplying your church family. Prayerfully seek God’s guidance and then watch Him perform the miracle.