DISCIPLESHIP
From the outset of his public proclamation of the arrival of God’s Kingdom, Jesus began inviting individuals to ‘tag along’ – to ‘follow’ him – and to see what he was up to. Later on (Mark 3), from a largish group of supporters (‘roadies’?) he selected 12 to be trainee leaders – to live and learn together what ‘Kingdom work’ would involve. He chose 12 to show symbolically that he was re-launching the international mission for world ‘blessing’ that God had set up with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (who had 12 sons) centuries before. The 12 Jesus chose - - and what a mixed bag! - were to be his ‘family base’ for God’s ‘Kingdom movement’. And, like the training groups that Rabbis and prophets gathered around them, these men were called together for special training. Jesus almost seemed on purpose to put together the kind of ‘mix’ that would be inconceivable anywhere else – background and temperament – the impetuous, the calculating, the trusting, the doubting, the ambitious.
But by living together with Jesus, they would learn the ‘family values’ of the Kingdom – as well as sort out their ideas, conquer immaturity, develop confidence, and release gifts. This is what we are trying to do with our Discipleship groups at CBC. We too are a ‘work in progress’!
The Gospels disclose to us that living as a group with Jesus prioritizes 5 major family values – the things we learn with Him as Head of our family - how to: Relate to God (prayer, worship), Think about God around His Word (learning, understanding), Care for each other (supporting, encouraging), Work with God in the world (using gifts, and developing teamwork), Share our faith (witnessing and inviting others).
Discipleship, therefore (learning together) is Jesus’ policy for ‘trainee’ Christians – those personally invited by God’s Spirit to ‘belong to Jesus’ and ‘to be sent forth into action’ (see Mark 3:13-16). It is our concern at CBC that all our ‘church members’ either belong to or link with a group – so that we can “grow up together into Christ who is the Head” (see Eph. 4:15-17).
As for winning new disciples, CBC places itself under the Great Commission of Matthew 28:16-20 – with the obligation to “go into all the world and make disciples of all races, baptising them in the three-fold Name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all I have commanded you.”
We believe that Jesus wants us to follow his example and encourage all of our groups at CBC to express the ‘family values’ we mentioned above: spend time in worship and prayer, Bible reflection, sharing our own needs, praying for others, and for outreach contacts.
We are not commissioned to make converts (or Baptists!) but DISCIPLES for Jesus. And the first steps toward that, we discover, is to make contact with some ‘new’ people (whom God made and loves). Maybe we already know them. And then – with no strings attached - to make friends. If we have ‘the real disease’ (C.S.Lewis), somebody will catch it – unless we wear a face mask!
From the outset of his public proclamation of the arrival of God’s Kingdom, Jesus began inviting individuals to ‘tag along’ – to ‘follow’ him – and to see what he was up to. Later on (Mark 3), from a largish group of supporters (‘roadies’?) he selected 12 to be trainee leaders – to live and learn together what ‘Kingdom work’ would involve. He chose 12 to show symbolically that he was re-launching the international mission for world ‘blessing’ that God had set up with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (who had 12 sons) centuries before. The 12 Jesus chose - - and what a mixed bag! - were to be his ‘family base’ for God’s ‘Kingdom movement’. And, like the training groups that Rabbis and prophets gathered around them, these men were called together for special training. Jesus almost seemed on purpose to put together the kind of ‘mix’ that would be inconceivable anywhere else – background and temperament – the impetuous, the calculating, the trusting, the doubting, the ambitious.
But by living together with Jesus, they would learn the ‘family values’ of the Kingdom – as well as sort out their ideas, conquer immaturity, develop confidence, and release gifts. This is what we are trying to do with our Discipleship groups at CBC. We too are a ‘work in progress’!
The Gospels disclose to us that living as a group with Jesus prioritizes 5 major family values – the things we learn with Him as Head of our family - how to: Relate to God (prayer, worship), Think about God around His Word (learning, understanding), Care for each other (supporting, encouraging), Work with God in the world (using gifts, and developing teamwork), Share our faith (witnessing and inviting others).
Discipleship, therefore (learning together) is Jesus’ policy for ‘trainee’ Christians – those personally invited by God’s Spirit to ‘belong to Jesus’ and ‘to be sent forth into action’ (see Mark 3:13-16). It is our concern at CBC that all our ‘church members’ either belong to or link with a group – so that we can “grow up together into Christ who is the Head” (see Eph. 4:15-17).
As for winning new disciples, CBC places itself under the Great Commission of Matthew 28:16-20 – with the obligation to “go into all the world and make disciples of all races, baptising them in the three-fold Name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all I have commanded you.”
We believe that Jesus wants us to follow his example and encourage all of our groups at CBC to express the ‘family values’ we mentioned above: spend time in worship and prayer, Bible reflection, sharing our own needs, praying for others, and for outreach contacts.
We are not commissioned to make converts (or Baptists!) but DISCIPLES for Jesus. And the first steps toward that, we discover, is to make contact with some ‘new’ people (whom God made and loves). Maybe we already know them. And then – with no strings attached - to make friends. If we have ‘the real disease’ (C.S.Lewis), somebody will catch it – unless we wear a face mask!