Over the past few weeks we have been meeting with the
Pastor/disciples with whom we worked in 2012. Instead of meeting for individual
coaching and encouragement, we decided to meet in small groups according to the
village in which they live and minister.
We hear delightful stories regarding their experiences in
disciple-making. It is interesting to see how God works in each individual,
within their own gifts, context, and denomination; but the results are
astoundingly similar. Disciples of Jesus Christ are being raised up, growing in
maturity with evident fruit!
In our meeting this week with the Katesh-village
discipleship group, each of the 6 leaders who attended happily reported that
they are faithfully discipling others! In fact, each reported 10-12 new
disciples being actively trained--all within 6 months of our last visit! We asked what they thought was responsible
for this strong, rapid growth.
- Several cited that their group's efforts in Bible study and teaching have been more fruitful when they began their class time in prayer: inviting the very Author of the Word to be present, inviting the Holy Spirit to lead the class into true understanding, and then listening in prayer.
- Others reported that they have been infused with passion for true discipleship. Then gaining practical skills, they were prepared to approach discipleship as Jesus did it; they were excited to learn how to study the Word of God for themselves, instead of simply receiving it from other "experts;" and they were spurred on by the personal coaching and encouragement from the AIM team last fall.
As each one shared the fruit of the work of the Spirit in
their own groups, the disciples were encouraged to see how God is clearly
working in this village. The conversation alone was a "shot in the arm"
for them to continue, but it also prompted them to consider meeting regularly
together to pray, worship, and study the Word of God.
We shared with them the perspective that it is God who has
called each of them to this particular village; and helped them to see God
clearly at work in the reports from pastor-disciples in the room. They began to
see that HE is actively transforming this community, even through them! We also
left them with a challenge: what would happen if they were to become
spiritually-strategic by coordinating themselves and their “next generation
disciples" under the leadership of the Holy Spirit? In essence, if they
can expand their perspective to no longer see themselves and their disciples as
stand-alone groups, but rather united together for exponential spiritual impact
in their community....what, indeed, could
God do?
