Disciplemaking ministry foundations

In this series Jeb Egbert and I have been presenting basic principles and strategies concerning the development of youth ministry in our congregations. We’ve noted that this essential ministry involves obedience to the great commandment to love, expressed through obedience to the great commission to make disciples. This GC2 ministry (see logo) flows out of our encounter with Jesus where we embrace his love and share in his ministry patterns to make disciples who make disciples.

In the Gospels we observe basic patterns of disciplemaking ministry as modeled by Jesus. Then in the book of Acts and the epistles we find these patterns developed further by those Jesus trained and commissioned. The patterns of this great commandment-great commission ministry include winning lost people, building believers, equipping workers and multiplying shepherd-leaders. In this column we’ve explored several ways youth ministry leaders and workers may co-minister with the Holy Spirit to advance these disciplemaking patterns in and through their congregations.

We turn our attention now (and in the next several articles) to the related issue of disciplemaking ministry environments. We will note foundational characteristics of environments that are conducive to making and developing disciples of Jesus. Jeb and I will author a new series of articles in this column, and we are also offering a related daylong seminar (called YouthBuilders II: Foundations) throughout 2004. If you would like to be host for one of these seminars, you may contact me, Ted Johnston (Ted.Johnston@wcg.org) or Jeb Egbert ( Jeb.Egbert@wcg.org ).

YouthBuilders II is an official Sonlife Ministries seminar, and much of this article and the series that follows is based on principles taught in the seminar. Participants in the seminar will receive a 192-page workbook that develops the concept of ministry foundations in great detail with lots of practical how-to tips and related resources.

We know from Scripture and experience that disciplemaking is a process whereby a person is born anew and grows to become an increasingly mature follower of Jesus. This growth process is the sovereign and gracious work of the Holy Spirit from start to finish. We also know that we are called to co-minister with the Spirit as stewards of his gifts of grace (1 Peter 4:10).

One of the primary ways we cooperate with the Spirit in his disciplemaking mission is to provide ministry environments that are conducive to the Spirit’s work. Such mission-enhancing environments possess certain essential characteristics—ones we refer to as ministry foundations. Over the next several months in this column, and in the related seminar, Jeb and I will be examining these foundations one by one, offering tips concerning how youth ministry leaders and workers can effectively establish and develop these life-imparting environments within their ministry contexts.

The reason to create and develop these ministry environments is to provide fertile soil in which the Spirit grows disciples of Jesus. Certain elements in this soil tend to produce corresponding characteristics in a disciple. Though this growth process is dynamic and multifaceted, a clear and direct correspondence exists between the characteristics of the soil (the ministry environments) and the characteristics of the plant (the growing disciple).

This correspondence is illustrated in the chart below. The column on the left lists six essential Christlike characteristics of a disciple. The column on the right lists the ministry foundations that support and enhance the development of the corresponding characteristic.

Note in the chart that a disciple of Jesus is grace-based (relates to God on the basis of his love, acceptance and provision in Christ). What type of ministry environment produces a grace-based follower of Jesus? One characterized by an atmosphere of love (where people are embraced by God’s love and are encouraged to relate to God on the basis of his grace in Christ).

Taken together, the six particulars summarized in this chart describe a balanced disciplemaking ministry in which healthy disciplemaking followers of Jesus are born, grow to maturity and participate actively in the ministry of Jesus their Lord and Savior.

This correspondence between ministry environments and growth in personal characteristics is the basis of this series of articles and the YouthBuilders II: Foundations seminar. We will note in both that disciplemaking involves more than the provision of particular environments.

Jesus’ example is instructive. Though he created such environments for his disciples during his earthly ministry, it was not until these disciples were born of the Spirit that they began to evidence significant growth in the identifying characteristics of disciples.

Disciplemaking thus involves co-ministry with the Holy Spirit. We are commissioned by the Spirit to provide and maintain growth-enhancing ministry environments in which the Spirit develops Christ-like maturity in disciples.

What a blessing to take part with the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ ministry! It is a challenge, to be sure, but we have the benefit of the Spirit’s power, of our Lord’s example, of the example of other disciples of Jesus who have gone before us, and the assistance of current disciples who are anxious to partner with us to advance what Jesus is doing on this earth.

I invite you and challenge you to be a disciple who makes disciples. And please continue to read these articles as we learn more about providing disciplemaking ministry environments.

The foundations of disciplemaking environments

Characteristics of a disciple of Jesus

Our mission is to multiply disciples of Jesus who possess and express the following personal characteristics:

Foundations of a disciplemaking ministry

We advance this mission by providing ministry environments that are grounded in the following essential foundations:

Grace-based

Relating to God on the basis of his love, acceptance and provision in Christ

An atmosphere of love

Where people are embraced by God’s love and are encouraged to relate to God on the basis of his grace in Christ

Christ-centered

Worshiping God by trusting in and living in loving allegiance to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord

The adoration of Christ

Where Jesus is seen and exalted for who he is, and his disciples experience the joy of who they are in Christ

Spirit-formed

Conforming to Christ through the transforming grace of the Holy Spirit, which is embraced through the spiritual disciplines

Prayerful dependence

Where dependence on God is modeled and embraced through the spiritual disciplines

Word-directed

Living a life ordered in the gospel and characterized by faithful stewardship of God’s gifts of grace

Communication of the Word

Where the gospel is clearly lived and proclaimed, leading unbelievers to Christ and encouraging disciples to live and share the gospel of Christ

Fellowship-building

Participating in the grace-filled fellowship of a local church, leading to a community of purpose, hope and expectancy

A biblical church image

Where disciples experience and contribute to the growth of the church as a community of grace characterized by purpose, hope and expectancy

Disciple-making

Extending God’s grace by pursuing in Jesus’ love the mission he gave us

Commitment to contact

Where disciples are equipped for disciplemaking ministry with an emphasis on building grace-based relationships with believers and unbelievers