Adults

Posts about Uncategorized

Home / Uncategorized / Page 14
Aug
21
Uncategorized

Fivefold Ministry Pentagon

By Paul Wilkinson

Mike Breen in Creating a Discipling Culture offers a helpful image of the fivefold ministry. In addition, he highlights the consequences of immaturity in each role. I share these ideas with you because, in understanding these roles, we can do two things: empower our group members to fulfill their calling in Christ and maintain unity in the body by not forcing our role on someone else.
The definitions come from page 25 of Spiritual Leadership by Jeff Iorg, the core question comes from Breen, and the immaturity comments come from Breen.

Evangelist

  • Evangelists share the gospel and train others to share the gospel.
  • Core Question: Are new people entering into the Kingdom of God?
  • Immature Evangelists:
    • Reduce the gospel to simply getting out of Hell.
    • Move on immediately after conversion to get to the next unbeliever rather than walking with the new convert.

Apostle

  • Apostles are pioneers sharing the gospel in new communities or new ways.
  • Core Question: Are we leading the people of God to their destiny?
  • Immature Apostles:
    • Lack discernment between good ideas that they have and the innovative ideas that God has given them.
    • Lack follow-through, e.g., throwing out new ideas but never working them to fruition.

Pastor

  • Pastors care for and coordinate believers ministering together.
  • Core Question: Are the people of God caring for and showing compassion for people?
  • Immature Pastors:
    • Lack the confidence or skill to move people forward out of their struggles into the kingdom life and work.

Prophet

  • Prophets speak truth and call people to live up to God’s standards.
  • Core Question: Are the people of God hearing his voice and responding appropriately?
  • Immature Prophets:
    • Share what God’s vision is and then they provide the interpretation of the vision themselves rather than giving it to the faith community to interpret.
    • Have a tendency to assume that they are always correct.

Teacher

  • Teachers instruct believers and help them apply the Bible to life.
  • Core Question: Are the people of God immersing themselves in Scripture and incarnating it?
  • Immature Teachers:
    • Allow Scripture to be the end rather than the Triune God, e.g., they make the Bible their idol.
    • Rely on their own intellectual prowess to impress people rather than the authority of Scripture.

 
 

Jul
3
F Leader , Paul Wilkinson , Uncategorized

Intentionality

By Paul Wilkinson

Bobby Harrington and Josh Patrick are big on intentionality as a necessary feature for discipleship. As many a discipleship guru has said: disciples are not made accidentally. We must be AFTeR individuals that the Lord would have for us to invest in as they come to and grow in faith. They suggest Matthew 28:19-21 and Deuteronomy 6:4-9 as key texts highlighting the Lord’s intentionality in commissioning us to disciple others, raise up new generations, and make the faith known. Harrington and Patrick offer 5 guidelines for intentionality.

  • You need a plan

The essence of this idea is that people need practical steps to follow as they seek to disciple others. We must know in advance where we want to take people spiritually, and how to get there generally. Pray about each of your group members and where the Holy Spirit might be moving them over the next few months. It what ways, out of the ordinary, might you become an instrument in that movement?

  • You need tools

Tools are those mediums by which you convey your discipleship. The 7 volume Foundation series produced by Brentwood Baptist Discipleship is a great guide to core values for the Christian life. Ongoing training and other resources that you might request are our pleasure to provide to you. And of course, grounding all of what we do, is the Scripture.

  • You need to be a role model

Lecturing or facilitation during group time is only one facet of discipleship. We must also demonstrate how the faith is to be lived. Now, this does not mean that we have to “get it perfect,” rather it means that we, as disciplers, must make our lives accessible and vulnerable to those we lead. They must see how we live the faith. Invite some group members into your home, let them see the messiness of your house, let them see you discipline your children, let them see you engage your neighbors. Find those select individuals from your group that the Lord has put on your heart and show them what the faith looks like. Don’t strive for perfection or else you may paint a false picture; instead, strive for authenticity. You will be stunned how those group members reproduce for others what you provide for them.

  • You need to be discerning

Harrington and Patrick suggest that discipleship moves to the lowest common denominator, so you must set the agenda and the vision, constantly pulling people towards it. You must see people for where they are and where the Holy Spirit is moving them rather than what you think they could possibly become. Jesus pulled 12 particular disciples out of the multitudes that were following Him. He then focused heavily on 3 out of those 12. Why should we be any different?

  • Intentionality is the key to multiplication and reaching people

Intentionality is an ongoing, willful choice. We must not treat our lives and encounters like accidents or coincidences. We must always be looking for places to explain, debrief, and model the Christ-centered life for those we engage.

Our authors offer us 4 guidelines.

  • Learn an effective discipleship model from other disciple makers.
  • Pray about how you might disciple those who you discern are AFTeR.
  • Develop a meeting schedule, study routine, and relationship growth.
  • Determine that you will open your life to them, warts and all.[i]

 
[i]Bobby Harrington and Josh Patrick, The Disciple Maker’s Handbook (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017), 112.