So I am being challenged in how to play a role/lead our church in the area discipleship. I am convinced for the church to become all it is to become we must be sharing our giftedness, experiences, and journeys with one another. We must be pouring ourselves out for and into each other. I am wondering if anyone out there has any thoughts/books to read on discipleship and/or spiritual transformation.
Of course I am seeking our God's direction in this... This is an honest and humble question for anyone to offer their thoughts.
Love and Peace,
-J
5 comments:
Read 'Daws' http://www.amazon.com/Daws-Man-Who-Trusted-God/dp/0891097961/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-7023985-3606420?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174423014&sr=8-1. It's the story of how Dawson Trotman started the Navigators. The Navigators are who Billy Grahm turned to when he found that most people that were 'making decisions' at his crusades were not living it out. www.navigators.org They're pretty much the discipleship specialists.
-Vinny
I asked an older guy this question before I went to Wake. I was meeting with some college guys at the time. He said that I should read first and second Timothy. That they were a great place to start b/c the are (in part) Paul writing to his mentee. Worth taking a look at.
The other thing I would do is talk to Todd Smith (crusade staffer at State). Todd is amazingly gifted in this area and would be a great resource to tap into.
You know I have about 7 off the top of my head:
many discipleship books in the past have been very individualistic, you will get that perspective from para-church groups too, individual discpleship tools are helpful, but a lot of work right now is being done on communal based discipleship, which fits with heart of Visio Dei, we need both individual tools in a communal approach
I'll give you my top three authors right now since you are a busy man:
anything by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch (they are looking at reaching post-christian culture through innovative church forms like Visio Dei)
The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission in 21st Century Church
Exiles: Living Missionaly in Post-Christendom Age, by Michael Frost
The Forgotten Ways: Discpleship in Post-Christian Age, by Alan Hirsch
Pete Scazerro: The Emotionally Healthy Church; also Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, this is a great resource about depth of growth, very important, challenging book I have read recently
Eddie Gibbs: ChurchNext and LeadershiphNext (one of my professors here at Fuller)
Also, I'm working through Richard Rohr's the Enneagram right now, which talks, which is really good, about different people's unique journeys toward redemption
Another great book is the Holy Longing, by Ronald Rolheiser, deeper stuff
Oh, one more is Transforming Discipleship by Greg Ogden, 4 a church that discples each other
Oh, one more is Colossians Remixed, by Walsh and Keesmatt, 4 asking better biblical questions
That's more than you bargained for, but I think the Frost and Hirsch stuff would be really helpful
Peace homey
Have you looked at True Spirituality, by Francis Schaeffer? More on what spiritual transformation means than on how to "do" discipleship, but a good read.
Is it possible to have effective discipleship w/o 1-1 relationships based on learning and living the Word of God? Is providing the framework and impetus for creating such relationships the heart of discipleship?
Interesting, just came across this during dinner reading: http://www.adrian.warnock.info/2006/11/interview-dr-albert-mohler-radio-host.htm
If you don't like clicking through ...
Mohler:
I do believe that there is a role for formal theological education, but we should not be seen as an agency that is assigned the task of training ministers by franchise. I want to assist churches and to assist pastors in training pastors. But, after fourteen years of service in this capacity, I am absolutely certain that the finest theological seminary on earth is absolutely incompetent at replicating the actual life of a Gospel congregation. I want to train a generation of pastors who will train pastors, and I want to help them in that task.
Adrian
What would this concept of a seminary in every church look like?
Dr. Mohler
Well, the concept of a seminary in every church would look pretty much like what I just described. As a matter of fact, I think it would look pretty much like what we see in the New Testament, and especially in the relationship between Paul and Timothy. Paul poured himself into Timothy, exhorted him, taught him, corrected him, and entrusted significant ministry to him. Undoubtedly, Paul served as his mentor and model in preaching and teaching and in the leadership functions of ministry. This is what I hope to see develop in healthy Gospel churches—a group of young Timothys studying under the directed leadership and teaching of a senior pastor. I want to help those churches and those pastors by providing a program of theological education that assists them, working in partnership.
Adrian
How can a local church begin to take the first steps towards accomplishing this?
Dr. Mohler
Well, I am sincerely honored by your interest, Adrian. I guess the one thing I would want to say here at the very end is that I can only hope that every minister could come to know friends as true, as faithful, and as genuine as I have come to know in C. J., Mark, and Lig. We are exhilarated in being together, and we take tremendous delight in each other. One of the problems we face in today’s church is that men are not often sustained by authentic friendships. This is especially deadly for pastors. I hope and pray that pastors could come to know friendships as I know in these brothers. And, I would hope that those friendships are, like ours, established in the deepest Christian convictions. I truly believe that God is glorified in this.
Post a Comment