Discipleship. Incarnation. Evangelism. Verge.

© 2013 Dushan Hanuska, Flickr | CC-BY-SA | via Wylio

OK, there’s a lot here from Verge’s “Disciplemaking Blueprint” course that I’m finally getting around to online — and leading a small group in some of the themes. I’ve gotten to a point of the reading that I can’t help but shouting (at least in my head) “AMEN.” I believe this. I really believe this. But I’m having so much trouble putting it into practice. That’s the struggle.

I feel like more of a theologian than a practitioner. But I want to be a practitioner for the sake of the church.

So, here’s today’s awesome quote:

So, effective disciplemakers have a framework for incarnational mission – they intuitively understand that disciplemaking is incarnational mission. So they make disciples like the 1st Century Apostles did, not extracting people from their context and relationships by making them busy with Christian programs and activities, but coming alongside and helping them to apply the gospel in the context of their relationships.

Effective disciplemakers engage in the ministry of presence, and live in incarnational community. They have a community of disciplemakers around them to help them live out a life of effective disciplemaking. And so they are always discovering new ways to sustain that incarnational community

Effective disciplemakers are not enamored with “what’s next” but count the cost to commit to the long-term. They are willing to stay among a people, neighborhood or community long enough to know their stories, their pain, their frustrations, and their dreams. Effective disciplemakers are willing to die among a people if necessary in order for them to know the gospel.

I need to work harder at the relationships. I need to spend more time with those outside of my family. I even need to spend more time with people that are already attending worship. I need to connect more. While I believe in the incarnational nature of ministry, I fear that I’m not practicing it. I need to put that one foot forward and begin walking with others more closely.