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This gathering aims to inspire, support, and rekindle the church's corporate faith journey in developing discipleship communities. The discussion will explore practical approaches to discipleship in today's fast-paced and pragmatic cultures.
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Ministers’ Gathering 2018The discipleship challenge in the 21st centuryThe Revd Dr Peggy Kabonde Purpose: inspire, support and rekindle the churches corporate faith journey in respect of developing discipleship communities.
Introduction • Definition: the aim is not necessarily to give a deep etymological explanation of discipleship but rather introduce the working definition in this context • The word discipleship is derived from the word disciple which means a learner. The Gospels and most of the New Testament has a lot of such examples of discipleship. The term applies to one who professes to have learned certain principles from another and maintains them on that others authority. (Ungers Bible Dictionary, 2005).
Introduction • According to Matthew 4:19; Jesus’clear and invitation challenge – ‘come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men,’ has not changed. Those who responded to this invitation to follow, they left their nets at once and followed him. For them, this invitation of Jesus was urgent, they had to let go of what was, in order to discover what could be.
A few questions – food for thought • What is Church? • Why is Church? • Who runs the Church? • Where is Church? • Why is there Church?
Church’s challenge on discipleship • We are living at a time in God’s history where every aspect of life is fast paced. The world is also running at the press of a button or swipe – this age of information technology demands that we catch up • There must be a continual side by side discipleship dialogue or discussion • The need to listen to emerging Christian expressions and discovering the questions that they are asking, and what form of support would be most helpful in such a discipleship process, is a must for the Church today.
The emphasis of Church mission field – community centred • Established and mature leaders must not lose sight of the fact that God is no respecter of persons and is working in very mysterious and not so obvious ways and this challenges the Church to have a discerning spirit • Any effective discipleship should be people centered and those who are coming into the faith may just have some of the answers the Church had been looking for – the value of every individual to make a complete whole.
People focus – relationship building • Encouraging members to critique communities beliefs and practices does not necessarily mean breaking the very relationships we want to build • Martin Percy said: ‘if the community is beyond criticism, the infallibility of humans is not taken seriously and this can become damaging and unhealthy as we grow discipleship ministries.’ (Evaluating Fresh Expressions, pg 85 to 104, Martin Percy-Eds).
Church’s challenge on discipleship • The Church is now tempted to look at its core business in the lenses and influence of corporate thinking, with an emphasis on thought and action – what works is what counts?(Tony Blair – UK Prime Minister). Is this assertion as observed by the Prime Minister true for our churches today? • This question is – dealing with how I look at what the world can or would do for me, rather than what I would do for the world.
Church’s challenge on discipleship • This already is a demonstration of capitalistic thinking, individualism and consumerism tendency that is slowly but surely fueling insatiable greedy and feeds into structural and systemic neoliberal economies of the global village, where the people on the margins are left out of the goodness and provision of God. How can we enforce or develop discipleship spirit in such a harsh reality?
Church’s challenge on discipleship • Jesus never looked at what the world would give him otherwise he would not dare to come and call us friends, brothers and sisters. Rather he came for what he believed he would give out to this lost and weary world, full of broken relationships and hopelessness • The starting point of the early Church on discipleship was practical rather than theoretical. Acts 2:42-47.
Church’s challenge on discipleship • In today’s pragmatic cultures, discipleship needs to be practical too. While there is a need to learn, discipleship should start where people are, in communities where they live, work and have family and friends • There are a lot of churches who have developed well tailored courses on discipleship, with fixed topics organized in a certain order, with a goal to achieve effective discipleship and have not achieved all that they desired. Why?
Church’s challenge on discipleship • Yet others have adopted a top down approach where the content and material reflects the top leaders desire, biases and priorities • It is important to note that the Holy Spirit does not leave identical finger prints the same way on each person. The Holy Spirit is not limited to church structures and as such, He can use individuals to bring renewal to his Church.
Church’s challenge on discipleship • In a fast paced world like ours today, Christians should look at themselves as people of presence, connected to God and to one another through inhabiting, unifying power of the Holy Spirit • The Church of God is endowed with divine impulse that enables it to carry out the mission of God in the great power of the Holy Spirit.
Church’s challenge on discipleship • In Luke's account in Acts 20:28, it is recorded; ‘keep watch over yourselves and the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God which he bought with his own blood.’(NIV) • The world’s busy and fast paced lifestyles are, to a greater extent, distracting the Church, and pausing a challenge to the Churches mandate to be the presenters of God’s Presence in the world.
Church’s challenge on discipleship • The Church should not abandon to cultivate habits and liturgies that create space for creativity and contours for that presence to be felt and known • Technology can both be a challenge or an opportunity for the church in its agenda of discipleship • Technology is pushing the Church away from physical and face to face fellowships gatherings.
Church’s challenge on discipleship • People are now living their daily and normal lives through screens and gadgets. Our relationships are increasingly becoming digital. The physicality of the Church and its presence in the world is subtly being compromised • Even though the Church can use technology to connect with each and evangelize the world, it should not neglect the habit of physically gathering together. (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Some questions for the Church to answer • How can the Church lead the 21st century people to awe, wonder and worship of the triune god, without watering down the message of salvation and quenching the fire of the spirit in an attempt to adapt to the varied contexts? • How can the Church avoid compromising its identity and godly mandate in the lost world?
