Monthly Archives: October 2011
A Crisis of Faith? Questions and Doubts for Transitioning College Students
This past weekend I had the privilege of presenting a College Transition Seminar at Mount Lebanon United Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA. The event was sponsored by Christ Community Church of the South Hills and the Coalition for Christian Outreach. At the same time and location, CPYU president, Walt Mueller, presented a seminar for parents and youth workers on Understanding Today’s Youth Culture. It was a fun day, filled with very meaningful conversations.
During my seminar for transitioning high school students and their parents, a parent made a comment that was very helpful. I was discussing the place of doubt within the life of a follower of Christ. One of my main points I really wanted the students to grasp was this: “It is okay to ask questions and to have doubts about faith.” In fact, I explained, doubting is part of the normal process of taking ownership of their faith. I challenged students with these words: Read the rest of this entry
10 Reasons Why Youth Are the Strategic Bulls-Eye of our Missional Target
The “12-22 window” is quickly becoming the largest unreached people group in the world. Young people, ages 12-22, must be a central priority of today’s Church.
In Hurt, Chap Clark writes that today’s adolescents operate within an environment in which adults have largely abdicated their responsibility to mold and shape teenagers’ everyday lives causing them to create an “adolescent underworld.”
Is the church contributing to this underworld? Are we unintentionally abandoning our collective role in reaching and developing young people? We must awaken to the opportunity before us, seeing youth as the most strategic missional focus of our day!
This is true for several reasons: Read the rest of this entry
The Disciplemaking Genius of Jesus—Part 6
By Bill Allison and Dave Garda- Cadre International Ministries (Posted with permission.) See also: Part 1, Part 2,Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
Leading Indicator #5 A DLC requires planned time together.
Jesus said, “Go and make disciples.” But what did he mean by “Go”?
Many scholars and theologians believe the best translation of “Go” is “having gone” or
“as you go.”
Think about the implications of that for your life.
Could it be as simple as this: “As you go about life, make disciples”?
- Are you a stay-at-home mom? “As you go about mothering today, intentionally seek to make disciples like Jesus.”
- Are you a student? “As you go to school today, intentionally seek to make disciples
like Jesus.” - Are you in business? “As you go about your business today, intentionally seek to make disciples like Jesus.”
- Are you on staff at a church or ministry? “As you go about your ministry today, intentionally seek to make disciples like Jesus.”
- Are you a construction worker? “As you go about constructing today, intentionally seek to make disciples like Jesus.”
- Are you a farmer? “As you go about farming today, intentionally seek to make disciples like Jesus.”
- Are you a _________ ? ”As you go about ________ today, intentionally seek to make
disciples like Jesus.” Read the rest of this entry
Definition of a Disciple: Got one?
Thanks to Jesus, we don’t have to spend too much time thinking up a mission statement for our churches/ministries. Make disciples pretty much sums it up.
This begs a question. Do you have a clear, biblical definition of what a disciple is?
I just spent several days with Tom Johnson co-author of Organic Reformation. Here is his definition upon which hangs all their content and guides them in each of their ministry environments:
A disciple is someone who is seeking to live the Irreducible Core devoted first to Christ, His people and His mission.
(Note: The irreducible core is defined as loving God, loving others, and making disciples.)
So, what’s your definition of a disciple and how does it inform what you do and how you do it?
