Friday, August 24, 2018

The Disciple-Makers Inner Circles


     In my previous post I shared the new focus for 2018-2019, which is "Disciple-Making Starts at Home."  I introduced the new focus in the context of our overall purpose & vision, and particularly in the context of our 2020 vision.

     Here I take up the concept of the disciple-makers concentric circles and unpack it a little.  In particular I will share about the inner circles.

     Our purpose and vision go far and wide.  We want to make disciples among the nations.  In our 2020 vision we shared at Church in Conference back in March we said that we see 


CBC catalyzing and partnering with a network of multiplying congregations resulting in 65,000 new disciples in the RGV who transform their communities.

     That's a bold and audacious goal!  In fact it may seem a bit overwhelming or out of reach to the individual disciple-maker.  The fact remains, nevertheless, that the only way to even get close to that vision is for individual disciple-makers to be involved at personal, family and community levels.

     In other words, the big vision has to begin with the small every day rhythms of individual disciple-makers.  The multitudes will be reached by the individuals, families and disciple-making groups who reproduce themselves.

     As shown in my graphic above disciple-making begins with an individual who makes a commitment to Christ and who maintains a constant communion with Him.  Depending on the version of the Bible you read, Jesus refers to this as "abiding" or "remaining in Him" (John 15).  That's the "personal" (smallest) circle.

     The individual disciple-maker relates to a community of other disciple-makers who love each other.  Sometimes we refer to this using the Greek word "oikos."  Oikos means household.  In contemporary terms we might refer to it as an extended family.  For those who live with biological family or family by marriage (spouse, children/step-children, parents/step-parents, siblings/step-siblings, etc.), disciple-making includes them at the very core.

     Deuteronomy 6:4-9 marks the pattern for beginning the disciple-making process at home.  The larger mission of God gets accomplished when we start by discipling our children well.  It is in the context of everyday life that we live out and pass on our faith to our family.  Then as a family we live out God's call together.  Although there is a personal aspect to being a disciple-maker (abiding in Christ) disciple-making is not an individualistic affair.  It is a family affair by God's design.

     Furthermore, oikos as a household includes more than a nuclear family.  It is an extended family.  For some people extended family might include grandparents or grandchildren, uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces.  For others extended family includes a care giver, a household employee, a very close friend or a dear neighbor.  Those who live with biological family, those who live with others, and those who live alone can all be part of an oikos.  Being part of an extended family, biological or spiritual, is both the design for our spiritual growth and the design for mission.

     In John 15, Jesus tells us that he, as the true vine, is the source of life for those who are truly his disciples.  Fruitful disciples will,

(1) REMAIN (abide) in Him in loving fellowship (John 15:1-8);
(2) OBEY Him in a loving relationship (John 15:9-11); and
(3) LIVE His mission in loving COMMUNITY (John 15:12-17).

When we do this by faith God will produce fruit through us.

     This loving community is our extended family.  Potentially our ABF can become this extended family on mission.  Potentially our disciple-making group can become this extended family on mission.  Potentially a home group or house church can become an extended family on mission.  Regardless of what you call it the disciple-maker needs to be in a loving community that is obedient to the Great Commission.

     Thus, the multiplication movement begins with individual disciple makers remaining (abiding) in Christ on a personal level (first inner circle) and overflows with the disciple maker relating to a loving community (oikos) which will be on mission with God (second inner circle).  The huddle (the circle on the right) is a small group of disciple makers who encourage and keep each other accountable about the two inner circles.

     As we move into the 2018-2019 year you can evaluate your journey as a disciple maker.

     How are you remaining (abiding) in Christ?  How are you living in loving community (oikos)?  How is your ABF or disciple-making group or home group becoming an extended family?  How is your ABF or disciple-making group or home group living out the Great Commission?  Are you part of a huddle or small group of disciple makers who encourage and keep each other accountable about these two things above?

     In which of these areas would you like to see growth this year?  How will you pray for God to do the growth in your life?  With whom will you share this so they can encourage you and pray for you?

1 comment:

  1. I read youir blog today and I also heard an interview with Francis Chan talking about a very similar approach to the churchu. In fact, he has a book out called "Letters to the Church," which maybe you have read. But the thrust of it was to hopefully have a desire to be close to Jesus and to be part of a loving community. The aim was to look closely at what is being done in church and to see if it is truly biblical. Are we like the 1st century church. May God bless this vision for CBC and help us to deal with a distracting consumerism mentality.

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