Worship Services - Sunday Mornings at 10:30AM
DISCIPLE ON THE WAY
In the early New Testament church the followers of Christ were called disciples. The apostle Paul ministered in the church at Antioch for a year before the disciples were first revered to as “disciples”.
(Acts 11:26) and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for an entire year they met with the church, and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Every Christian is called to be a “Disciple”. Becoming a disciple is a “process” which engages us with God and others who are committed to following Christ in carrying out the “Great Commission”. We use the term, “Disciple on the Way,” because becoming a disciple is a process that places us on a “journey” that engages us in living out the “irreducible Core”, or the IC, which is: Love God, Love Your Neighbor and Make Disciples”.
The Discipling-Making Group: A discipling group consists of 3 to 4 individuals who come from different families and experiences who find themselves at different places in their spiritual journeys. Having a group of this size enables us to customize the discipling process. In other words what does the individual need for his/her next steps on their spiritual journey. The journey is a process of spiritual formation that has as the goal of living out the “IC” or being conformed to the image of Christ.
(Romans 8:29) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren;
Parents, Empty Nesters and members of the transition team interested in helping us develop a process for disciplining children are in great demand. In many instances new and struggling parents are like Froto who in the Fellowship of the Rings volunteers to carry out the mission but doesn’t know the way.
Discipling Our Children
On Sunday May 15th, parents with children ages 2-5 and 6-12 are requested to meet with pastor and leadership teams directly following the service to discuss the process of making our children disciples of Jesus Christ. (A disciple is a person who has come to know and love God, their neighbor and is making disciples.) This will require a radical change from what we and many churches and parents do to train up their children in the admonition and nurture of the Lord.
Statistically, 50% of children who are raised in our churches stop attending after high school]. When we consider that we are called to eternal life in Christ, which begins with the new birth and calls for fruit bearing in this life, the early dropout rate is staggering and unacceptable, indicating that RADICAL CHANGE IS NEEDED. The dropout rate should not be surprising considering that children’s programs have been structured to entertain and impart information but are not intentionally developed to disciple children.
The presentation will challenge parents and other gifted members of the church to engage in discipling children.
The presentation on the 15th will lay out the process and incremental steps to accomplish our goal. I can promise you that the process is scriptural and can be judged by the fruit it produces in the lives of our children and parents.
The biblical philosophy will be laid out during the May 15th Sunday sermon.
Parents, Grandparents, and individuals interested in ministering to children are cordially invited to attend.
