Discipling and retention

[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?