Discipling and retention

[Michael Phelps]

Originally Posted by Rhoni

The absence of posts to this thread is one of the reasons that we lose as many members as we gain in many Apostolic assemblies.

Discipling...what is that?

Blessings, Rhoni

Uh, this statement is quite a stretch.

Maybe its because there are not many people on line?

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by nahkoe

It's not just the teaching, although I definitely agree that I appreciate that very, very much.

It's the emails exchanged with my pastor, the hours and hours on the telephone going over the same stupid things, knowing that he'd give everything if that's what someone needed (and being on the receiving end of that has been life changing for me). It's the tears in his eyes when we've talked about some things (my kids this summer, some things I'm struggling with right now). It's knowing I don't have to explain my past, but I'm free to if I want to, and he never discounts it. It's knowing that he, and others in the congregation, would do anything to hold me up until I can stand on my own two feet. *This* is probably the key. They would do, and are doing, and have done, ANYTHING to get me from where I was to where I'm going. I have never before in my life experienced love like this, and it's changed my life. They believed God loved me and cared for me before I could even begin to fathom the possibility.

The teaching? Yeah, that's been my key to relationship with God. But all the rest of it kept me here long enough for that relationship to start growing.

Nahkoe, would you define discipleship as leading by example. Showing Christ in us to newborn babes so they can follow the more mature in Christ as they follow the teachings of the Master?

[nahkoe]

Originally Posted by mizpeh

Nahkoe, would you define discipleship as leading by example. Showing Christ in us to newborn babes so they can follow the more mature in Christ as they follow the teachings of the Master?

I was going to say maybe and started typing...but then I noticed something. I hate to be so picky, but I think it matters.

It's about the more mature following and pursuing God with everything within them. It's about them striving to know God more.

If my pastor is actually thinking about the disciplining that he's doing, I definitely don't see it. (I might need to discuss this topic with him someday) He's passionately pursuing God and the result of that is that people can't help but see God in his actions and hear God in his words.

IMO, it's not about showing Christ..it's about pursuing Him. The more time you spend with Him, the more you know Him, the more you love Him, the more you're going to be like Him and the more someone looking at you is going to see God...and not you.

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by scotty

We have a class for new converts on Wenesday nights that last about a month and teaches about what they recieved, the importance of baptism as a next step, gifts of the spirit and how to grow in the spirit. They are assigned to a "Life Connections" group which meets once a month. If a lady, she is given a "prayer sister" who will become her best friend and source for answers and support.

Discipling is just as important as bringing them in. I often wonder and worry if we will have to give account for those we brought to HIM and then allowed the world to take back.

New converts should continue to be a burden on our hearts until they become a blessing in our lives.

Scotty,

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

Respectfully,
Rhoni

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Great thread Rhoni...

Our churches revolve around the spirit.

WHOoooooooooooooooooooo the spirit moved last night. That is the measure of a good service.

If a preacher is going to be in demanded... he had BETTER be a high spirited one because that is our drug of choice. That is what we want. We want the high of the spirit.

But the high of the spirit does not help you when you put one foot in front of the other tomorrow. It is the teaching of the word.

And I'm not talking about that YOU CAN DO IT... GOD IS GONNA MAKE IT HAPPEN... JUST YOU WAIT AND SEE WHAT GOD IS GOING TO DO... RUN AROUND THIS CHURCH IF YOU WANT A BLESSING kinda stuff either.

I am talking about teaching that deals with our attitudes... the way we interact with others... TEACHING FROM THE BIBLE about the ways that we dress ourselves and conduct ourselves (Yelling for an hour about why you are going to go to hell for doing this or that is NOT teaching.) Of course teaching many of these things from the Bible is difficult since some of it isn't in there so yelling for an hour how you are going to hell is about all they've got.

The very fact that we have new converts does say a little bit about how the regular services have moved away from foundational, one foot in front of the other, this will help you tomorrow in the real world kind of teaching.

We want to get drunk... we don't want to learn something new.

We want to hoop and holler... we don't want to find a new way we can change who we are into more of what He is.

When the Religion Lite no longer does it for them and they can't pretend that wallering on the floor for half an hour didn't really change the battles they were facing inside they decide that THEY must not have want it takes and they go away.

The interesting thing is that a couple of months without any hooping and hollering assuming that this is accompanied with a couple of months of solid teachings about what the word of God has to say about the most basic things in life might just bring about revival. I'm not against hooping and hollerin'... I just think we need a time of refocus.

The spirit has become the main focus when, interestingly enough, the spirit is given to us to give us the power to live the WORD. The spirit is an engine... raw power.. good stuff. But the word is the transmission. It is what the engine was built for... and without it the engine is nothing more than a show of power with no forward movement to show for it.

When there is a reviving of the word within us... there is no greater definition of revival. When the word touches people where they live and changes their very lives... retention is not a problem. Space is.

Whoda thunk it.

great post. I always worry when someone tells me they had such a move of God that the preacher didn't get to preach. The Holy Spirit is the WORD and I would trade a year of hooping and hollaring for 1 hour of pure word.

Blessings, Rhoni

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

Uh, this statement is quite a stretch.

Maybe its because there are not many people on line?

Bro. Phelps,

This is probably true but the gossip and judgemental threads were up and going so I thought maybe it would draw those here who really have a the spirit of grace, soul winning, and discipleship at heart. Like you
Respectfully,
Rhoni

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by nahkoe

I was going to say maybe and started typing...but then I noticed something. I hate to be so picky, but I think it matters.

It's about the more mature following and pursuing God with everything within them. It's about them striving to know God more.

If my pastor is actually thinking about the disciplining that he's doing, I definitely don't see it. (I might need to discuss this topic with him someday) He's passionately pursuing God and the result of that is that people can't help but see God in his actions and hear God in his words.

IMO, it's not about showing Christ..it's about pursuing Him. The more time you spend with Him, the more you know Him, the more you love Him, the more you're going to be like Him and the more someone looking at you is going to see God...and not you.

Heather,

The way your church discipled you is how my mother used to disciple others. You cannot hear the message until your basic necessities are provided for, which is; food, clothing, and shelter. When a person cares enough to open their pocketbook , time, and energy into helping a person get on their feet enough to help themselves, then your word has been listened to and worthy to be looked into further. A prayer partner/mentor/teacher that walks along side you and guides you and even helps you up when you fall is a soulwinner, wise, and honorable discipler.

God is really good at assigning tasks and leading persons into your life for this very reason. Trust God.

Blessings, Rhoni

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Rhoni

Heather,

The way your church discipled you is how my mother used to disciple others. You cannot hear the message until your basic necessities are provided for, which is; food, clothing, and shelter. When a person cares enough to open their pocketbook , time, and energy into helping a person get on their feet enough to help themselves, then your word has been listened to and worthy to be looked into further. A prayer partner/mentor/teacher that walks along side you and guides you and even helps you up when you fall is a soulwinner, wise, and honorable discipler.

God is really good at assigning tasks and leading persons into your life for this very reason. Trust God.

Blessings, Rhoni

Tell on sister... A major priority that seldom even gets a second thought...

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Tell on sister... A major priority that seldom even gets a second thought...

God has blessed me to have met a precious new covert and I pray daily for her to feel the love of the Lord from me. There are scriptures and lifestyle changes that accompany salvation but babies first have to drink milk before they can digest the meat of the word.

Please help me pray for wisdom and quality time to let God's love shine forth.

Blessings,
Rhoni

[Michael Phelps]

Originally Posted by Rhoni

Bro. Phelps,

This is probably true but the gossip and judgemental threads were up and going so I thought maybe it would draw those here who really have a the spirit of grace, soul winning, and discipleship at heart. Like you
Respectfully,
Rhoni

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.