Subject: How to "win the world" ? |
Bible Note: Greetings EdB! I'll try to get to all the questions! ;-) What I have been doing is small group discipleship. The pastor teaches the new members classes. Some of what you mention is a part of our small group experience, while some is not. We do stress growth and witness quite a bit. But, the people that I have been working with have grown into the positions they are now filling. And, yes, they are sharing their faith very actively. Most of the new converts in our church are coming from these relatively new converts as they have grown in Christ. Now, we aren't a 'large' church, so the pastor does know everyone. :-) But, we are like most churches in that we have a committed core which I would say are disciples, and we have a large group who simply attend church. The unusual part about our church is that most of our committed core are realitively new believers. As far as Willow Creek is concerned, their small group structure allows the kind of relationships that you mention. Obviously, in a large congregation, everyone can't know everyone else. But, the small group leaders serve as under shepherds, ministrying to the needs of those in their group. So, the senior pastor may not know every single individual, but every individual is being pastored by someone. One of the best discipleship programs that I have been exposed to is from one of the pastors in my former denomination of the United Brethren in Christ. It is a two year intensive program which focuses mostly on Bible knowledge and spiritual disciplines for the first year, and then on ministry opportunties the second year. It is the people in our small groups though who are growing, serving, and sharing. And, they are mostly definitely turned on and sold out for Christ! :-) Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |