Monday, January 17, 2011

A couple steps forward

I've had some interesting spiritual conversations over the last couple of weeks with people.  These particular people have moved from an orientation against belief to an orientation toward belief.  So now I am in a new spot - wondering how to help people have what they need to grow in the knowledge and likeness of Christ.

This is probably what's traditionally called "discipleship."  We'd like to think that it happens in the church, but I'm not so sure that it really does.  It's not easy to be discipled when all you hear are general messages preached to the whole congregation.  More often than not, you have to have someone come alongside you and walk through questions and problems as they arise.  There are also lots of curricula that have been used by student ministries for ages that walk people through assurance and some of the essential spiritual disciplines.  But they still have a modern feel and I'm not sure that my friends would really connect with them.

So for the last couple of weeks, my community has been chewing on this question of how to disciple new believers in this age.  As much as I would like to just invite them to the Bible study that the church plant I'm involved in is doing, it's not quite where they're at.  Although they could learn as much as any of us there, it's not really the content that they need.  So now we're thinking about what we need to create to use to come alongside people at this point in their lives.

It's a new problem for me, actually.  I've been removing rocks and planting seeds for a good long while.  What kinds of discipleship curriculum does your community use?  What are some things that have worked?  What is missing that you really feel you need?

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