All right! You’re a disciple maker who wants to help equip and mobilize disciples.
But you know you could be more effective, too.
Maybe you struggle to see results in the lives of those who should be bearing fruit by now.
I understand! I grew up going to small churches where the majority of the members had the mindset that the pastor was supposed to do everything.
The pastor was my dad, so you can believe that those unrealistic expectations affected our family!
Growing up, I saw how my dad handled faithlessness and fruitlessness in the church. How he didn’t let it get to him. How he focused on the handful of people who “got it”.
As a church planter in New York City, I experience the same thing. We sometimes get visitors who come to be served and not to serve.
There are some people who just aren’t going to change, but I’ve discovered a few things we can begin implementing right now that will be helpful in our desire to mobilize disciples:
- Focus on the fruitful. Maybe it’s just one or two people in your church. That’s okay. Just get started. Meet regularly with a handful of people. Or, better yet, go out and share the gospel together with these brothers or sisters.
- Make space for spectators. Even Jesus had spectators. Some just wanted a free handout, they didn’t want to follow Him. You will always have people in your ministry who are spectators. So let them watch! Allow space for the Holy Spirit to change them overtime as they watch the fruit growing in your life and in the faithful few.
- Keep casting the net. Your church members need to be nurtured, but more importantly, they need to see an example of a faithful witness. I would argue the spiritual needs of the lost are far greater than the physical needs of the saved. The church is on a mission to reach the people who are not in the church. Shouldn’t that be your primary responsibility as well?
I’ve got a lot of helpful articles queued up and ready to send over the next few months to help you make disciple-making disciples. Please open those emails and take action! You can unsubscribe anytime if you find they are no longer helpful. But as long as you’re getting them, might as well get as much out of them as you can.
Can’t wait to see what God does through your leadership!
But before we take another step, answer this question:
In the comment box below, please share what kind of help you need to see in the upcoming emails from me as you labor to mobilize disciples through your ministry. What kinds of topics would you love to see me go in depth with?