Discipling and retention - Page 3

Rhoni · #21 12-21-2008, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

I appreciate that, I strongly agree with your premise.

I was on early this morning, and didn't see any "gossip" threads going strong, however. It was pretty quiet all around.

LOL. The thread was started yesterday.

Have a blessed day,
Rhoni

Digging4Truth · #22 12-21-2008, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Innocuous

A study was conducted once on Billy Graham Crusade converts. When they came forward they were asked to characterize the person who brought them to Christ as preacher, teacher, or friend. Five years later they were asked if they were still active Christians. 95% of those who characterized their 'soul winner' as a preacher said they no longer attended church, 85% of those who came via a 'teacher' were not, but 90% of those who said a 'friend' won them were still faithful. Discipling works.

I think that statistic may have quite a bit to do with the fact that the person who was their friend before they were saved were still their friend AFTER as well. A friend is a good thing.

A friend is invested in YOU.... loves YOU... helps YOU... even knows YOU.

You can have your churches with tens of thousands of saints... but it will be that handful of people who actually know you, love you, help you and know you that will have the bulk of the influence in your life.

Discipling & retention are both jobs best accomplished on a very small scale.

Michael Phelps · #23 12-21-2008, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhoni

LOL. The thread was started yesterday.

Have a blessed day,
Rhoni

I understand. I was just referencing the comment you made at 6:50 am today.

But, no biggie, you may be on to something here!

In all seriousness, many of the churches I've been involved in, and I'm sad to say even the churches I've pastored, have been very light on discipleship.

It's almost as tho we expect people to come in, get saved, and absorb all of our standards and our commitment thru osmosis!

Some do, but many don't.

Even in my current secular job, I fall in to the trap of "I'm too busy to teach someone, they'll just have to learn on their own". And, it seldom works!

Investing your time into good people is never time wasted, even though it takes you away from tasks that you perceive to be urgent.

And, in the long run, the more people you spend time training, the more people there are to help share the load and allow the leader to free up his time for more outreach and discipleship!

Rhoni · #24 12-21-2008, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

I understand. I was just referencing the comment you made at 6:50 am today.

But, no biggie, you may be on to something here!

In all seriousness, many of the churches I've been involved in, and I'm sad to say even the churches I've pastored, have been very light on discipleship.

It's almost as tho we expect people to come in, get saved, and absorb all of our standards and our commitment thru osmosis!

Some do, but many don't.

Even in my current secular job, I fall in to the trap of "I'm too busy to teach someone, they'll just have to learn on their own". And, it seldom works!

Investing your time into good people is never time wasted, even though it takes you away from tasks that you perceive to be urgent.

And, in the long run, the more people you spend time training, the more people there are to help share the load and allow the leader to free up his time for more outreach and discipleship!

Aweome post. What makes sense and is tried and true in the secular world also applies to the principle of discipling. Retention on the job is all about properly training and mentoring. Retention in our churches should go above and beyond to exampling, modeling, praying, studying, teaching, and training. But the greatest of these will always be love

Blessings, Rhoni

Digging4Truth · #25 12-21-2008, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

I understand. I was just referencing the comment you made at 6:50 am today.

But, no biggie, you may be on to something here!

In all seriousness, many of the churches I've been involved in, and I'm sad to say even the churches I've pastored, have been very light on discipleship.

It's almost as tho we expect people to come in, get saved, and absorb all of our standards and our commitment thru osmosis!

Some do, but many don't.

Even in my current secular job, I fall in to the trap of "I'm too busy to teach someone, they'll just have to learn on their own". And, it seldom works!

Investing your time into good people is never time wasted, even though it takes you away from tasks that you perceive to be urgent.

And, in the long run, the more people you spend time training, the more people there are to help share the load and allow the leader to free up his time for more outreach and discipleship!

This post reminds me of another of those lessons that life has taught me.

In any job I have had in my life one thing can be said... I do a good job. My dad taught me to work hard and do a good job and I can say that my bosses have been pleased with me.

But there is a drawback to being the one that can do pretty much anything. It is assumed that you know how to do it even if no one has ever taught you.

That used to bug me beyond all end when I would be sent out to do something I had never done before. As usual, I figured it out and got it done.

Once, when I had become the "boss man" over much of the crew I had one particular worker who was pretty much good at whatever you sent him out to do.

I sent him out one day to do a job and he messed it up. I was getting on to him about the mess up and he said "You've never shown me how to do this... I did what I thought was right"

That shut me up fast. I apologized to him and we had an impromptu lesson right on the spot.

When we grow up Christian many of the things that we think are "givens" are not seen as such in other peoples minds.

When raising our children we consider so many things to be common knowledge and don't take the time to teach them things that seem, almost, a waste of time. But we still have to remember to take the time to teach what we thought everybody already knew.

A lot of these thoughts fall right in line with the concepts of Discipling and the hope of retention.

scotty · #26 12-21-2008, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Since we have to send people away to another room to receive new convert class that would appear to be in agreement with what I am saying.

It would not be a sure fire indicator... in the least... because there are things such as the plan of salvation etc that one would do well to ground these new converts in...

But the idea that we need to send them to another room to receive this teaching seems to continue that statement with the thought that the reason we take them in THERE is because it isn't going to be happen in HERE.

Oh, your probably right. As a matter of fact, we dont have "church" on Wenesday nights we have bible study.. and yes it would get kinda silly to have bible study on the purpose of baptism, infilling of the Holy Ghost and the gifts there of, every single Wenesday.

scotty · #27 12-21-2008, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhoni

Scotty,

Sounds like you are a Pastor with his heart on the pulse of the church. I totally agree with you here.

Respectfully,
Rhoni

WHAAOOOOOOOOOO SISTER !!!!!!

Ummmmmmm I'm NOT a preacher, pastor, associate pastor, bishop, youth pastor, evangalist, minister nor do I currently hold any position with in the church that remotely deals with teaching, advising, instructing nor even voicing of personal opinion......

But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night !

Digging4Truth · #28 12-21-2008, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotty

WHAAOOOOOOOOOO SISTER !!!!!!

Ummmmmmm I'm NOT a preacher, pastor, associate pastor, bishop, youth pastor, evangalist, minister nor do I currently hold any position with in the church that remotely deals with teaching, advising, instructing nor even voicing of personal opinion......

But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night !

Hilarious....

shag · #29 12-21-2008, 01:36 PM

I'm very glad U started this thread Rhoni. I am looking forward to reading it, and trying to soak up ideas to retain folks. I believe that many churches have fallen short in this area. I feel it is because of a combination of reasons of which I am the 1st to admit guiltiness and shortcoming. Too slothful when it comes to 1 on 1 evangelism, and not enuff time spent in the lives/meeting the needs of new converts. I also feel like the churches have preached Acts 2:38, standards, shoutdown, and Deut. 6:4 so much (in my "world") that "we" havent taken enough time to train people of the "covenant relationship" with Christ. For better and worse.....thru all. We need 1 God, Jesus name baptism, and Holyghost, modesty etc.. but, We also need people to know more than that, like what is covenant relationship w/ Christ. Heb.6 going on into perfection... I'm out of time to post right now, just wanted to let U know I'm looking forward to learning from this thread. Thanks for starting it.

Blubayou · #30 12-21-2008, 02:02 PM

Great thread Rhoni- I just got around to reading it. Many years ago I became involved in soul winning and disciplining new converts, I taught Bible studies, opened my home to people - for about 20 years, I moved women into my home, because they needed a stable place to stay. I do believe that it does take this kind of giving to win others to the gospel when they do not have family or friends to provide a social support system.

The church I attend now has a very strong home Bible study and home cell group system that reaches out to the community. They - I say they because I am not involved with it- have been very successful in building a church membership. It is led first and foremost by the pastor that teaches Bible studies 2 or 3 times a week in homes.
It does take sacrifice and giving of yourself to win the world. Many times we do not want to pay the cost!