It’s Not Complicated
by Tim Stevens
“Discipleship”
is the new rage. Every church conference seems to be focused on
discipleship. Every leader is trying to figure it out. Every church
member is asking, “What does this church offer for discipleship?” And
every pastor is leaning in to figure out what it is, how to measure it,
and what they are responsible for. I’m included in that list.
I wonder if sometimes we over-complicate the issue? Have you seen the new AT&T ad campaign where a bunch of little kids sit in a circle and answer questions? They say something crazy or off-the wall, and the narrator follows up, “It’s not complicated.” I think we need a little dose of childlike thinking regarding discipleship.
Sometimes we get so mired in the nuances of our argument that it paralyzes us from getting anything done. We sit around arguing the when, where, how and what–and we fail to inspire people to get on the path and start moving.
I’ll admit that sometimes I’m pretty simple, but this is how I look at it:
As
a pastor at Granger Community Church since 1994, Tim Stevens’
leadership has helped them connect with people who think church is
irrelevant. He has done this through the creative blending of
architecture, strategy and technology. Stevens is acutely tuned in to
pop culture and is instrumental in balancing operations, building
creative teams and inspiring artists to brand each message series and
sharpen the guest experience. Stevens has co-authored three books in the
“Simply Strategic” series, is author of Pop Goes the Church and the newest release Vision: Lost and Found.
Stevens will be one of 75+ leaders speaking at Exponential West Oct.
7-11. Connect with him at LeadingSmart.com, on Twitter @timastevens, or
at Facebook.com/tstevens.
“Discipleship”
is the new rage. Every church conference seems to be focused on
discipleship. Every leader is trying to figure it out. Every church
member is asking, “What does this church offer for discipleship?” And
every pastor is leaning in to figure out what it is, how to measure it,
and what they are responsible for. I’m included in that list.I wonder if sometimes we over-complicate the issue? Have you seen the new AT&T ad campaign where a bunch of little kids sit in a circle and answer questions? They say something crazy or off-the wall, and the narrator follows up, “It’s not complicated.” I think we need a little dose of childlike thinking regarding discipleship.
Sometimes we get so mired in the nuances of our argument that it paralyzes us from getting anything done. We sit around arguing the when, where, how and what–and we fail to inspire people to get on the path and start moving.
I’ll admit that sometimes I’m pretty simple, but this is how I look at it:
-
A disciple has his feet pointed toward Jesus and is moving.
-
A disciple maker is intentionally taking someone else with him along for the journey.
-
A mature disciple doesn’t require anyone else to continue taking steps with him and toward Jesus.
- People who are not yet convinced (pre-Christians) can be disciples (yes, discipleship includes conversion).
- Speed of growth doesn’t matter.
- How far you are along the path doesn’t matter.
- Spiritual maturity isn’t measured by knowledge or time traveled.
- Any disciple can be a disciple maker.
- One goal of the church should be to make people less reliant on the church for facilitating their growth.
- If you are still relying on the church to feed you spiritually, that is okay. But it probably means you are not a mature disciple.
As
a pastor at Granger Community Church since 1994, Tim Stevens’
leadership has helped them connect with people who think church is
irrelevant. He has done this through the creative blending of
architecture, strategy and technology. Stevens is acutely tuned in to
pop culture and is instrumental in balancing operations, building
creative teams and inspiring artists to brand each message series and
sharpen the guest experience. Stevens has co-authored three books in the
“Simply Strategic” series, is author of Pop Goes the Church and the newest release Vision: Lost and Found.
Stevens will be one of 75+ leaders speaking at Exponential West Oct.
7-11. Connect with him at LeadingSmart.com, on Twitter @timastevens, or
at Facebook.com/tstevens.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar