Discipling and retention

[shag]

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.

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by shag

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 the 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 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.

There are things each of us can learn from each other through experience, trainning, and relationship to Jesus Christ. It is an area that lay leaders, saints and pastors need more awareness and training in.

Blessings, Rhoni

[Michael Phelps]

Originally Posted by Rhoni

There are things each of us can learn from each other through experience, trainning, and relationship to Jesus Christ. It is an area that lay leaders, saints and pastors need more awareness and training in.

Blessings, Rhoni

I spent several years in the engineering business while in the ministry, but all of my time was in the automotive tooling field - designing, building and installing automotive assembly lines.

When I was laid off in 1999, I went into the ministry full time until 2005.

When I resigned the church, I spent some time recruiting engineers, and I placed several engineers with the company that now employs me, Jacobs Engineering.

Well, long story short, Jacobs offered me a job with their company, supporting Kellogg's.

I explained that I didn't have an engineering degree, and had absolutely NO food and beverage experience, but they liked my management skills and hired me anyway.

On my first day, my boss said, "I can give you two options - I can hand you this huge procedure manual to read for a month, or I can give you a project to manage, and look over your shoulder and guide you".

I said, "Give me the project!!!!!!!"

I was fortunate, because he mentored me while I was actually working on a project, instead of making me sit at a desk for month and read documentation that I didn't even really understand yet.

My point is that many churches have "new converts training", but it mainly consists of sitting in class rooms, trying to absorb a ton of information, but not being allowed to actually "DO" anything in the church until they've completed a certain number of courses, which by the way, usually takes weeks or months.

I realize that most Apostolic churches have standards that must be met before one can be involved in platform ministry, but I still think we would retain many more people if we actually let them get involved SOMEWHERE in our churches right off the bat, and just look over their shoulder.

THey may make mistakes along the way, and they may not look like the more seasoned saints, but a mature congregation will understand and nurture the new converts thru their foibles and follies.

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

I spent several years in the engineering business while in the ministry, but all of my time was in the automotive tooling field - designing, building and installing automotive assembly lines.

When I was laid off in 1999, I went into the ministry full time until 2005.

When I resigned the church, I spent some time recruiting engineers, and I placed several engineers with the company that now employs me, Jacobs Engineering.

Well, long story short, Jacobs offered me a job with their company, supporting Kellogg's.

I explained that I didn't have an engineering degree, and had absolutely NO food and beverage experience, but they liked my management skills and hired me anyway.

On my first day, my boss said, "I can give you two options - I can hand you this huge procedure manual to read for a month, or I can give you a project to manage, and look over your shoulder and guide you".

I said, "Give me the project!!!!!!!"

I was fortunate, because he mentored me while I was actually working on a project, instead of making me sit at a desk for month and read documentation that I didn't even really understand yet.

My point is that many churches have "new converts training", but it mainly consists of sitting in class rooms, trying to absorb a ton of information, but not being allowed to actually "DO" anything in the church until they've completed a certain number of courses, which by the way, usually takes weeks or months.

I realize that most Apostolic churches have standards that must be met before one can be involved in platform ministry, but I still think we would retain many more people if we actually let them get involved SOMEWHERE in our churches right off the bat, and just look over their shoulder.

THey may make mistakes along the way, and they may not look like the more seasoned saints, but a mature congregation will understand and nurture the new converts thru their foibles and follies.

I agree with this approach, hands on training with a mentor for personal touch. Books, libraries, and hand outs is a bit impersonal and many people don't like to read and would rather be shown/modelled/exampled.