Discipleship 101

This week I listened to a message from Andy Stanley, a pastor in Georgia, who answered an important question for our church. The question was, "How does God grow our faith?" Our relationship with God is based upon our trusting him in faith. When Adam and Eve sinned they basically didn't trust God or have faith in his goodness for them. So, how does God grow our faith? This is basically, the same question as how do we make disciples? Jesus commanded us to go out into the world and make disciples of all nations. How do we do that at New Song? Sometimes we want a discipleship process that has sequential steps or graduation points of achievement. The problem is that's how college works not a relationship with someone we love like God. So how does God grow our faith? How do we make disciples at New Song? The process of discipleship and growing our faith can be summarized in these five ways.

Practical Teaching

As we look into the Bible each Sunday and apply it to our lives we are beginning the process of discipleship. The key verse here is 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

We learn truth from the Bible so that we can be equipped do the good works God prepared in advance for us to do. Application of truth is the key to discipleship here. Not just knowing more information for information sake. James 1:22 tells us, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

Providential Relationships

God designed us to live in community and love one another, so it's only natural for us to grow as disciples together. One of the most powerful ways discipleship takes place is when we develop relationships with other believers. Through these relationships God gives us opportunities to serve and love and grow in ways that we could never do alone. Sometimes people say, "I am a Chrisitian, I just don't go to church." Someone who says that is often struggling with personal relationships and the way God wants to change their heart through interaction with others.

I have found that I struggle most in my Christian walk and become prideful when I am isolated from other people. When I am isolated from people, I always think that I am right. But when I get close to other people, their observations, encouragement, and even reactions to my sinful attitudes makes me want to change and grow. God often uses people like a mirror to reflect back to us areas where he wants us to grow as his disciple.

This Sunday we'll be sharing more about our Life Groups, which is a great place to grow as a disciple!

Spiritual Disciplines

Discipleship also takes place when we engage in personal spiritual disciplines. These are habits that we practice regularly to grow in our faith. Examples include journaling, daily Bible reading and prayer, times of solitude, and fasting. For me, tithing is also a spiritual discipline that grows my faith. When Susan and I give regularly and sacrificially it is an act of trust in God's ability to provide for us.

The spiritual discipline that has helped me grow the most in recent years is using the SOAP journal that I have talked about many times on Sunday mornings. By taking time to write our a scripture, observation, application, and prayer, God has helped me grow in my faith tremendously. Just FYI, we have SOAP journals available in the back after church if you want to give it a try.

Serving Others

Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Part of discipleship is learning to be more selfless and less selfish. By taking time to invest in and serve others we grow in our faith. I think this is because as we take the focus off of ourselves it makes it easier for us to focus on God and worship him. As we serve others both inside and outside our church we grow in faith as Christ's disciples.

At New Song, we have many wonderful people serving on a regular basis. I shared a few weeks ago about some of the great people working faithfully each week! This last Sunday, we had our first Servant Leaders Team meeting. Our Servant Leaders Team (SLT) is made up of people who are leading key ministries in the church. At New Song, we are staff led and board protected, which means we have staff and elders like a traditional church. In addition, we now have what are often called deacons. These are people who lead a ministry team within our church.

Pivotal Moments (Trials)

One of the biggest ways that God grows our faith is through a pivotal moment in our life. This could be the birth of a child, moving to a new city, or something unpleasant like the death of someone close to us or the failure of a marriage. God doesn't want bad things to happen to us, but he can use these dark times to disciple us and help us grow in our trust for him. Pivotal moments often shake us out of a rut and help us move forward in our faith in ways that we otherwise would not. They help us trust God and know deeply that Jesus is enough for us.

I have had many conversations with people whose faith came alive when they had their first child. When they realized that they were responsible for the well being of another person they saw the need for God in their life. I have also saw many people turn to God when they lose a job, go through a divorce, lose a close family member, or struggle with a disease like cancer. I have also seen long time Christians grow in their faith when they experienced a painful circumstance. In moments of struggle we develop compassion and character in ways that we otherwise would not have and become more mature disciples of Christ.

As you can see from this list, discipleship is not necessarily linear or a systematic process. We have systems and strategies in place at New Song like our Life Groups, Sunday morning teaching, and service opportunities to help facilitate discipleship, but we don't have a step by step class system. Instead, we focus on developing a loving relationship with God through all five of these discipleship methods.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

When I was young I remember watching the classic movie, "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly," on a little twelve inch black and white TV my dad brought back with him from Vietnam. The title of that western perfectly describes what has been happening in our church this week. Here's some good news, bad news, and ugly news...

The Good

There are a lot good things happening in our church as we head into fall. This week we had teams serving meals again at Powerhouse Ministries here in Folsom. Powerhouse serves families in our community who are in need and often homeless. Thank you to everyone who provided meals and served so faithfully. Joe Tilchen coordinated our meals service this week! Thank you Joe!

Another great thing that is happening is that our Youth Group is up and running and doing great! Steve Caler and the team (Tim Zsoka, Eunike Jonathan, Heidi Potter, Dennis Frelick, and Becky Kraemer) have been doing a great job helping the kids through our summer transition. They have been averaging about 20 High School students on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights and about 10 Middle School Students on Sunday AM. We now have separate Middle School and High School groups each Sunday morning. Next Wednesday (8/27), Steve's having a parents meeting to update everyone about about some of the exciting Winter Camps that are in the works and the great things planned for the fall. As Martha Stewart would say, this definitely a "good thing."

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I also want to give you an update on the special fund for Walter & Nellie Bergmann that I wrote about in June. As of today, we have raised just under $1900 for the Bergmann's and their need for help with their immigration status. On behalf of the Bergmann family I want to say a special thank you to everyone who contributed to this special need. If you would like more information or would like to contribute to this special need you can find out more info by clicking here (http://newsongchristian.blogspot.com/2008/06/special-need-walter-nellie-bergmann.html)

I also want to celebrate last Sunday at church! We had an incredible day! Andrea and the team did a great job leading us in worship. At the end, a whole bunch of people decided to give their lives to Christ and I am following up with several people who want to be baptized. God is moving in our church in a powerful way. Last Sunday, I was especially excited as a friend that Susan and I have been talking to, Lindsay, crossed the line of faith and received Jesus forgiveness. Lindsay is probably going to be baptized in the coming weeks!

I believe that God is moving in our church and we are seeing people come to Christ because we are being so deliberate about seeking him and his will. With that in mind, I want to invite everyone to a Special Prayer Time on Friday, September 5th at 6:30 PM at our Ministry Center. We are going to pray like crazy that God puts his hand on New Song so that we'll be a healthy church that never stops growing and giving him glory. I hope you can join me for this special night of prayer!

I am also excited about our upcoming New Song Live! event on Sunday, August 31st! We are having church and a picnic in the park at Catlin Park (10:30 AM). This is a great chance to invite a friend that you have been sharing Christ with. We'll have music, food, and I'll be sharing a special interactice message that will be a great chance for you to get to know other people at New Song. It will also be a great way for someone you know who is not following Christ to hear the good news of Jesus and experience His love. In my experience, someone who might not be open to church on Sunday may be open to church at the park. We'll have lots of hamburgers, hot dogs, and specialty meats from Travis Potter. Pray this week about who God wants you to invite!

The Bad

In the last few weeks, many people in our church family have seen unexpected deaths in their extended family. Please pray for encouragement for Bob & Joymay Chipman, Kingsley & Caroline Chigbu, James & Lilly Vickers, Rob & Amie Porter, and Brenda Peterson as each of recently them lost close family members. Each of these families lost a mom, or dad, or close relative to an unexpected death. They have been traveling to funerals all over the country and should be back with our church in the next week. If you have a moment I'd like to encourage you to send them a card or give them a call to encourage them. When you see them at church make sure to give them a hug and please pray for them to experience God's encouragement too. I lost the last of my grandparents in 2006-2007 and I know the pain and sense of disorientation of losing those that you love. One of the biggest things that helped me was the love and support I felt from our church family. I am praying that these families are encouraged in the same way.

The Ugly

In the last week, God has put an incredible burden on my heart for those who are far away from God. I have stayed awake at night thinking about all the people around us who don't know Jesus. People who are lost, and destined to spend eternity apart from God. God loves each and everyone of them so much that he sent his Son Jesus to die for them. As I prayed about this God overwhelmed me with an ugly truth. Most Christians (myself included) are distracted from this reality and are focused on themselves. We often love our church because it makes us feel good, or because it helps our kids, or because it has something we like. We focus on our needs and church shop and become consumers who forget that the whole thing is about Jesus dying on the cross to save people. Jesus didn't die on the cross so that we could have a better life. Jesus died to save people from hell, and the ugly part is we often lost sight of this because we just want a better life for us or our children. God challenged me again this week that it's all about sharing the good news of Jesus with people who need his love and forgiveness. On Tuesday, I had lunch with a friend who is Hindu. We compared and contrasted the messages of Hinduism and Jesus. As we sat in Chili's reading Ephesians 2:8-10 together the power of God's grace overwhelmed me. So many people need to know that we don't go to heaven by trying hard to be good. We have a relationship with God because of what Jesus did for us on the cross! The ugly truth is that many Christians (including me) don't talk about that much because we are focused on using God and/or church to make our lives better.

People Who "Live the Word!"

Steve Caler and I were talking yesterday about how important it is for us to be grounded in the Bible as a church family. We talked about how the goal is for us to "Live the Word" each day. It's not enough to know the word. God wants us to live it each day.

As I prayed this morning, God reminded me of some of the wonderful people he has brought to our New Song family who live the word. Often these people don't get much visible recognition, so I thought I'd share some of their stories here. I'd also like to encourage you to give them a hug and say thank you the next time you see them! They are "Living the Word" each week at New Song so that we can reach people for Jesus!

Jaime Derrick & our Set-Up/Tear Down Crew

These are the unseen early workers at our church. Every Sunday, a group of people including Jaime Derrick, Carl Dobbs, Dave Titus, Doug Swystun, Matt Lavezzo, Joel Benson, Joe Tilchen, Duane Faitel, Greg Bridgestock, and Prashant David get up early and show up at the High School at about 7:15 AM to set-up for church. They spend about 45 minutes getting everything in place (towing trailers, setting up signs, sound, kids rooms, chairs, etc.) so that we can have church that morning. After church people like Kingsley Chigbu, Keith Haro, and Ben Brown help tear everything down so that we can all go to lunch by 12:15 PM! Through their unseen efforts we are able to be a healthy church that never stops growing. Thank you for living the word!

Ministry Leadership Team (MLT)

Dennis Wycoff, Brent Christierson, & Rick Kraemer spend several hours each month praying for our church and helping us stay on mission. In this unseen role they often counsel people, solve problems, and make sure that we are looking towards the future of what God is doing at New Song. They have been a huge encouragement to me as they hold me accountable and give me wisdom and direction about church life. Thank you for living the word!

Children's Ministry Team

Each Sunday my kids love running into their Sunday school class to be encouraged and taught about Jesus' love for them. Thank you to each and every Children's Ministry volunteer, you are sacrificing and encouraging our kids in a way that makes a difference for eternity. Many of the lessons that you are teaching our kids will stick with them for life. The seeds that you are planting will grow into their salvation for eternity. Thank you for living the word!

Mike & Terri Murray

Have you ever wondered who puts up our banner signs on the corner of Iron Point and Prairie City Road? It's usually Mike Murray. Mike lives nearby and has been putting up the signs for a long time now. Mike & Terri both have served in our children's ministry, life groups, and countless other ways over the last few years. Thank you for living the word!

Joanna Thomas

Joanna Thomas has picked up the lead in our hospitality area. Every Sunday she coordinates our hospitality, ushers, greeters, food & drinks. Joanna came out our church last year and was baptized. Now, she is faithful in welcoming others who are new to New Song. Thank you for living the word!

Joe & Grace Rich

This summer my kid's got to be a part of Kid's Camp. It was the highlight of their summer and a huge success. A big reason for that is the upfront work that Joe & Grace put into it. I can't think of anyone else who sacrifices more than Joe when the kids make Nachos, Cinammon Rolls, etc. on his head! Throughout the year Joe & Grace are faithful in serving our kids and tweens. Thank you for all that you do as you live the word!

Bob Chipman and the Worship Team

In recent months, Bob Chipman and our Worship Team have jumped in with both feet to make our singing time on Sunday mornings a huge success. They put in lots of hours to make Sunday mornings a special time of connecting with God. Andrea Hamburg, Stefanie Bergmann, and Brad Miller are taking lead roles and we have a huge number of people who use their musical talents to play and sing for the Lord. Thank you for living the word!

Community Outreach

As I think of community outreach Joe Tilchen and Travis Smith come to mind. Both are involved in commpassion outreach ministries to our community. Joe coordinates our church serving meals to those in need at Powerhouse Ministries, and Travis goes into Folsom prison (along with James Villa) to lead Bible studies there. Most of the guys Travis works with are in for life, so we are truly caring for those who need Jesus. Thanks to everyone who provides meals and serves those in need through our church. Thank you for living the word!

Don Tello & The Media Team

Each Sunday, you see the results of Don's hard work though you may not be aware of it! Don and our media team put together the slides for our songs and anything that goes on to the screen. They invest time each week to make sure the slides are correct and are presented in sync with the worship team. This is actually pretty hard to do. I know because I've tried to fill in before and it was a disaster. Thank you for living the word!

Our Communications Team

Each week we produce bulletins, our enewsletter, web site up dates, etc. There is a great team of people in place to coordinate all of that activity. Some of the people invovled are Arlene Hoggard, Debbie Zsoka, Martha Flannigan, Barabara Dobbs, Samantha Tello, and Melba Derrick. Each plays a small role in putting out a big product each week. Through their organizational skills and hard work each week we get to hear what's happening at New Song! Thank you for living the word!

Matt & Betsy Lavezzo

Matt and Betsy have served in countless ways since the beginning of the church. Betsy leads a Life Group and has done the unseen job of inputting our data for years. Betsy updates your phone numbers, email addresses, and anything else that you write on your Connection Cards each week. Matt is now coordinating our handy man ministry and serving faithfully on our set-up team. Thank you for living the word!

Jon & Lori Harrison

John & Lori serve our church faithfully in several unseen roles. In addition to leading a Life Group they work as service coordinators during our church services on Sunday mornings. Both John & lori have also faithfully done set-up and tear down for years with John usually pulling one of our trailers. Thank you for living the word!

These are just a few of the people who sacrifice regularly for the cause of Christ here in Folsom. James 1:22 says, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." These people are an example to me of those who consistently "Live the Word" like James describes. Thank you to all of you for being a blessing and a gift to our church family! Because of your hard work people are being saved and lives are being changed for eternity!

Willow Creek Leadership Summit

Today, I attended the Willow Creek Leadership Summit with about ten other people from our church. Here are a couple of quick thoughts about what I am learning from the faculty at the conference...

Bill Hybels - Bill Hybel's opened the conference by talking about how to make decisions as a church leader. He started by outlining a four step process including asking, "Does the Bible say anything about this?" and "Is the Spirit prompting me to do something?" Bill also added the idea that each of us should write down the axioms, slogans, and principles that guide our decision making. I was especially encouraged by his axiom, "This is church!" as a guide to remind me that my role is to invest in people and love them one at a time. When I meet with someone for lunch to encourage them, pray with them about their concerns, and meet their needs in Jesus' name I am living out the axiom - This is church!

Gary Haugen - Gary is from the International Justice Mission and if you are not familiar with that group go to their web site now (www.ijm.org) and check out the incredibly ministry that they have in helping children around the world escape slavery and child prostitution. Gary shared that there are 27 million people in slavery and 2 million children in child prostitution right now around the world. I was shocked!!! Gary shared about God's passion for justice and how God is calling us to do something to stop the oppression of children around the world. Rick and Becky Kraemer met Gary while they were in Cambodia last month and saw first hand their work in stopping child sex traffic there. Seriously, check out the web site now, especially the press center section.

Wendy Kopp - Wendy's story was very inspirational. Fifteen years ago she began a non-profit group that recruits college students from top universities to teach in inner city schools for two years after graduating. Through this process they are making a radical difference in the education system in our country. Pretty cool stuff! You can read more about it here www.teachforamerica.org

John Burke - John Burke, a pastor from Colorado did a great job talking about removing the cultural barriers that keep people from experiencing God's grace. John talked about how the two biggest questions people are asking before they are open to hearing the Gospel are, "How do you feel about gay people?" and "What do you think about other religions?" I read his book, "No Perfect People Allowed," a couple of years ago where he answers these questions and explains that people want the truthful answers, but presented in a loving way. I am thinking these two questions might be great to talk about in an upcoming sermon. Let me know if you agree?

Efrem Smith - The highlight of the afternoon was listening to Efrem Smith, an inner city pastor from Minnesota. I believe that Efrem gave a prophetic challenge from God about how churches in America must intentionally become multiculutral. Efrem's talk helped me realize how often we unintentionally separate churches into categories (Black Churches, Asian Churches, Suburban Churches, etc.). Efrem challenged us to follow God's model and present a model of heaven by intentionally crossing racial and socio-economic boundaries. At the same time, I thought Efrem gave one of the funniest sermons I have ever heard. I love to laugh and Efrem's message definitely gave me a boost. I was laughing so hard I almost started crying. You can learn more about Efrem Smith and the other speakers at the conference here...

http://www.willowcreek.com/events/leadership/2008/speaker-EfremSmith.html