Discipleship Matters – Part 10
A Note from Michael Gossett
DISCIPLESHIP MATTERS PART 10
In last week’s article, we discussed the importance of discipleship and multiplication within Connect Groups. Connect Groups are the primary vehicle by which we make disciples, and when new groups and new leaders cease to form, it reveals an interruption in the process of discipleship. Today, we look at the importance of the many leadership roles within a Connect Group and the role that each one plays in developing leaders.
The Importance of Structuring Your Connect Group: An effective Connect Group should serve the church as a tool to foster discipleship, develop leaders and multiply groups. In addition, the very structure of a Connect Group can bolster ministry effectiveness throughout the church. In the Old Testament, God’s people experienced challenges that changed the organizational structure. Moses was forced into a new pattern that would facilitate growth within the Kingdom of God. This is now known as the Jethro model of Connect Group structure and organization.[1] When the framework changed for Moses, opportunities opened for other people to participate in serving and leading. In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul describes organization and structure for the purpose of building one another up (Ephesians 4:11-16, ESV). This pattern allows for all people to have a place of ministry within the church. For the follower of Christ, no exceptions were given regarding the call to serve in some capacity. There is something that should be noted to help understand this service in A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, “Christian service translates a Greek noun meaning ‘service, work,’ a general term for all that a Christian is called on to do.”[2] Paul explains the implications of Christ’s discipleship model for Connect Group ministry and the function of group members.
Church members must understand that every believer in Jesus is an active minister for Him.[3] Greg Ogden observes, “The church in its most fundamental essence is nothing less than an interdependent, life-pulsating people who are indwelled by the presence of a resurrected and reigning Christ.”[4] This understanding is most aligned within a biblical interpretation of individual expectation as well as New Testament ecclesiology.[5] To support the whole, every person in a Connect Group should participate in some way. Through opportunities provided, each group member should discover the gifts that God has entrusted to him or her. Bruce Bugbee says, “Your gift indicates the role, function, or particular way in which God has intended you to serve.”[6]
There are times when Connect Groups become stagnant and are no longer growing. In this case, the overseers should ascertain whether leaders are being fostered, disciples are being made, and God’s Word is being taught. Connect Groups should share the same vision and commit to the same values as the church. They should equip the saints to do the work of the ministry, as Paul commanded in Ephesians chapter 4.
The structure of a Connect Group will determine the effectiveness of the group in accomplishing its mission.
As Jesus modeled, and as Paul prescribed, each person in the group will be given an opportunity to lead through one of the various roles within the group. There will be specific practices in place to train and equip each member of the group. Each group member should practice pastoral care, evangelism, helping others discover and develop spiritual gifts, and leader development. Maturing within the group should result from the mutual care and support given to one another. All efforts of the church should be bolstered by small group involvement. Conveying this vision will require intentional and patient leadership from each minister and lay leader.
Everyone is expected to lead in some capacity, as illustrated by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12. In the description of the body of Christ according to Paul, there is an expectation that every member is doing their individual part within the body. The healthy function of the body is dependent on each individual member expressing the gifts and utilizing those gifts for the edification of the church. The intended goal, as seen throughout Paul’s epistles, is that every believer participates in ministry activities.[7] Each member of the body has a definitive role in discipleship and leader development. Jim Putnam writes, “Many Christians believe that they are unimportant to the cause of Christ and that the work of the church is the job of the clergy.”[8] Paid ministry leaders have mistakenly placed a divide between laity and themselves. Ed Stetzer exposes the ideology that paid ministers are the only ones expected to make disciples. Church leaders cannot advocate any further that lay people are excluded from making disciples and building leaders. According to Stetzer, language such as “laypeople” creates a mindset that there are those within the church who participate in ministry and those who receive ministry.[9] Greg Ogden understands the church is an interdependent people that is directed and steered by the indwelling Spirit of God.[10] This understanding is most aligned with a biblical interpretation of individual expectation as well as New Testament ecclesiology.[11] Frank Damazio agrees and says, “The New Testament presents all Christians as ministers in the sense that all have definite ministries to perform within the Body of Christ.”[12] The Connect Group structure provides every believer the opportunity to engage in Kingdom work for the purpose of discipleship.
CONSIDER THIS:
THIS SUNDAY: We are continuing our study in 1 Peter called, Anchored. This week, specifically, we are looking at what it means to be Anchored in Victory. Disciples of Jesus have a gift by the Lord that we can walk in this world with a unique victory. Those who are in Christ do not experience defeat here on earth, nor for all eternity. We are victorious in Christ. Come and hear Peter’s explanation of why we have such a profound and eternal victory. Join us at our Tyler Campus at 8:30am or 11:00am or at our Flint Campus at 11:00am. To prepare for worship, read 1 Peter 3:18-22 and let’s dive into this great victory together. I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday!
STUDENT PASTOR VOTE: I want to thank our Discipleship Selection Committee for their incredible work on prayerfully searching for and finding our next Student Pastor. I’m so thankful for their dedication and effort in this process. As a church family, we will vote on Sunday at the conclusion of each service to call the Student Pastor candidate and his family to Green Acres. If you have a moment in the next couple of weeks, be sure to thank our Selection Committee members: Chairman Gregg Eppler, Mike Murphy, Jim Nipp, Shanda Proctor, Colton Rudd, Lori Sirman, and Michelle Small.
BLOCK PARTIES: Our Connect Group ministry is going on mission this Fall, right here in our own community! On Monday, October 31st, we will have multiple block parties throughout our community in your neighborhood! What I love most about this is that it is through our Connect Group ministry. Connect Groups have three primary elements that model what we see in the New Testament: First, they study God’s Word together and seek to be like Jesus. Second, they live together and support one another in Biblical community. Third, they serve together on mission! If you’re not a part of one of our Connect Groups, find one on our group finder. Find a block party near you by clicking the image below:
SHUTTLE DRIVERS NEEDED: The environment we create on our Guest Services team goes far beyond smiles, shuttle rides, and hot coffee—God uses each team member to set the stage for lives to be transformed with the truth of Jesus. We’ve recently purchased two shuttles for our Parking Team. We’d love to have YOU join our Parking Team as a driver. These team members will drive shuttles, greet guests, and provide guests with a ride to a building entrance. To serve as a shuttle driver, visit gabc.org/drive.
You are loved and prayed for!
Michael Gossett
[1] Bob Deffinbaugh, “18. What happened to Discipleship in the Epistles?”
[2] Robert G. Bratcher and Eugene Albert Nida, A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1993), 102.
[3] Ed Stetzer, “Lay People and the Mission of God,” TheExchange (blog), Christianity Today, July 17, 2012, accessed November 4, 2016, http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2012/july/laypeople-and-mission-of-god-part-1–killing-clergy.html.
[4] Greg Ogden, Unfinished Business, 41.
[5] Edmund P. Clowney, The Church: Contours of the Christian Faith (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1995), 112-113.
[6] Bruce Bugbee, What You Do Best in the Body of Christ: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, Personal Style, and God-Given Passion (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 37.
[7] Robert G. Bratcher and Eugene Albert Nida, A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1993), 102.
[8] Jim Putman, Real-Life Discipleship: Building Churches That Make Disciples (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2010), 21.
[9] Ed Stetzer, “Lay People and the Mission of God,” TheExchange (blog), Christianity Today, July 17, 2012, accessed November 4, 2016, http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2012/july/laypeople-and-mission-of-god-part-1–killing-clergy.html.
[10] Greg Ogden, Unfinished Business, 41.
[11] Edmund P. Clowney, The Church: Contours of the Christian Faith (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1995), 112-113.
[12] Frank Damazio, The Making of A Leader, 3.