We summarise the principles of
discipleship under the following headings:
Make discipleship a
priority:
- This is what Jesus did
- He told his followers to do the same
- Discipleship equips Christians to promote the kingdom of God
God
wants people to become disciples of Jesus
See your whole fresh expression in terms of
discipleship:
- Discipleship is far more than getting new Christians started. It's
a lifelong journey into the heart of God's love
- Have you thought about how you can begin discipleship
before people come into faith?
- Discipleship has four dimensions - upward to God, inward to the
self, outward to the world and sideways to the whole body of
Christ
Discipleship
is a journey, not a course
Listen to those you are seeking to
disciple:
- Discipleship should start with the questions people are asking
Comment: But very often Jesus helped
people realise that there were more important questions than the ones
they were asking. People's questions may be the starting point, and we
certainly need to listen very carefully rather than imposing our agenda
or insisting on our starting points, but becoming a disciple often
means learning to ask different questions. Stuart Murray
Williams, Urban Expression
- It should fit the context - one-size-fits-all increasingly doesn't
work
- It should normally be side by side rather than top down or bottom
up
Discipleship
starts where people are
Address the whole of
life:
- Discipleship is about bringing kingdom values to bear on every
aspect of life
- This involves a journey to holiness
- Holiness requires dying-to-live in your inner heart
Discipleship
is about transforming the whole of life
Nurture community:
- Authentic community nurtures spiritual life
- Healthy Christian communities will be life-centred rather than
church-centric
- Discipleship includes multiplying these communities
Discipleship
requires commitment to a Christian community
Provide plenty of
support:
- Disciples need the support of other Christians
- A Christian community can provide this through one-to-one support,
small groups and gatherings of the whole fresh expression
- Effective discipleship increasingly requires collaboration between
churches, and this should be a priority
Discipleship
requires the support of other Christians
Rethink worship and
learning
- Worship may be very different from inherited church
- Understanding how people learn can make discipleship more
effective
- There should be a renewed emphasis on spiritual practices, such as
a light-touch 'rule of life'
Discipleship
involves rethinking worship, learning and spiritual practices
Encourage reliance on the Holy
Spirit
- Top-down learning risks creating a dependency on Christian
leaders
- The New Testament emphasises dependence on the Spirit instead
- Pioneers should normally leave their new Christian communities as
soon as possible
Comment: This depends on the kind of
pioneer. Some are gifted at initiating new churches and need to move on
quite soon – so that they can use their pioneering gifts elsewhere AND
so that they do not get bored with what they have been doing or get in
the way of emerging leaders. But other pioneers grow with the church
they plant and serve it over the long haul. Stuart Murray
Williams, Urban Expression
Discipleship
encourages dependence on the Spirit
Remember that discipleship is
changing
- It has to engage with changes in society - we are a more sensual
culture, for example
- Discipleship in fresh expressions may be more about forming church
than helping people to join church
- Individuals are very different, or at least want their differences
recognised
Discipleship
is changing as society changes
This list of principles is far from being a final statement, and
pioneers are still learning how to put these principles into practice.
Have we got the emphasis right? What have we left out?
What
are the key principles?
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Listen to those you are seeking to disciple
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