The purpose of our church is to "Glorify God by Making Disciples." It's a great purpose, but unfortunately one we are terrible at fulfilling. But I do believe we are on the right course.
A wise, old, bald man once told me, "You can only expect the church to follow where the pastor is leading." It may seem like a heavy burden to have as a pastor, but I do feel we are called to carry that burden, with Christ carrying it with us, of course. But if as a pastor I am frustrated that the church is not making disciples and I look at my own life and realize that I am also not making disciples, then I cannot expect the church to go where I am not leading.
I am currently in the process of reading Transforming Discipleship by Greg Oden. I am only a few pages into it when I read this quote by Cal Thoman, a Christian syndicated columnist and social commentator. "The problem in our culture . . . isn't the abortionists. It isn't the pornographers or dug dealers or criminals. It is the undiscipleined, undiscipled, disobedient, and Biblically ignorant Church of Jesus Christ." In all honesty, I cannot agrue with him. And in the process of seeing an "undisciplined, undiscipled, disobedient, and Biblically ignorant" church around me I also see that I am not far off from the same.
As pastors, when we realize that the church we are called to shepherd is not making disciples of Christ, but consumers of Christ, then we also need to look at our own spiritual walk. I am currently not making any disciples, but that will change in a few weeks. Two men in the church I shepherd have agreed to meet with me every other week for one year. During our time together we will be reading Scripture, praying for each other, and becoming disciples of Christ. I can't wait for the year to be done because then the three of us will each ask two other men in the church or community and begin another one year process of making disciples. My hope is that through this we as a church will begin to fulfill the purpose that God has placed us in this community. We'll just have to wait and see what He does with us.
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It could be because it is late, but I have yet to figure out what everyone means by “make disciples”. I’ll confess, your mission statement doesn’t make sense to me. Neither did our statement until we changed it. When you say “making disciples”, do you mean evangelizing lost people, or growing Christians, or both? Is there even a difference? Are these men you will be meeting with Christians? If so, are you “making disciples” of them, or are they all ready disciples and you are helping them mature? I have always thought that Matthew 28:19 was a call of evangelism, much like Acts 1. I know that Matthew 28:20 says “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded”. Is that what you mean? I have been wondering this for awhile. Is it just a catchy evangelical way of saying “helping Christians to mature”? One older bald man (I’m not naming names, but he is related to you) asked me if I was making any disciples. I answered that there were many non Christians that I was evangelizing. Then he stated “any Christians that you are making disciples?” I’m confused. Again, I think you and your bald relation and the book you are reading are talking about “maturing Christians” right? As I said, it’s late, but this question has been in the back of my mind for some time now.
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