Dear family
In our journey to understand Jesus’ way of disciple making, we discovered a few things worth mentioning again. I will do it in short statements. This is not the place to explain it, but I hope you will read it carefully and think it over in the light of your church/congregational experience.
- Jesus is not interested in the growth of your congregation – He is interested in Kingdom growth
- The essence and life of disciple making cannot be taught in a classroom, program or action of your congregation – it is a lifestyle to learn and to be practiced in ordinary life in all spheres of society
- Evangelism is not disciple making – it is part of disciple making. Disciple making is about the transformation of your will, thoughts, emotions, spirit, values, culture, society, etc. into the image of Jesus Christ in order to be like Christ, to do like Christ
- An environment in which a disciple making relationship starts very naturally, is often in engaging and addressing people’s needs
- Our tendency is to create a comfort zone for ourselves (look-alikes and think-alikes) to shelter us from the world and its influences. Jesus has a heart for the unreached, the lost and the marginalized (the uncomfortables) – He reached out to them! We are not supposed to live defensive, but offensive – with Jesus, on the go, to seek and save the lost.
- Most congregations have a ‘come here’-strategy – a ‘become like us’-strategy. Jesus taught a go-strategy. He was always on the go with His disciples. Jesus in us will urge us to be on the go.
- We are glad if we can add a few congregants (from other churches) or converts to our faith community each year. Jesus’ strategy and mathematics look different – He taught a strategy of multiplication = disciple making.
- Leadership in our congregations is mostly positional and hierarchical. This is not the leadership demonstrated by Jesus. Leadership according to Jesus and Paul is functional and is present as a gift to equip the believers for their works of service and to facilitate God’s presence among His people
- Every follower of Jesus is called to make disciples
- The best space where Jesus disciple His followers is in a small group where everyone participates, where everyone has a contribution to make, where Jesus can freely flow through everyone to everyone
- Jesus, our High Priest, is the best Teacher and He teaches perfect and directly through His Word and His Spirit to everyone seeking God’s will in the Bible. Everyone can hear Him first hand. There is no need for a human mediator. Jesus the only true mediator between God and man, is enough and able to transform lives via His Word
- The key to transformation is obedience. People will not change with more and more knowledge, but through obedience.
Please think this over. Please talk about the statements with your colleagues and friends. Is this mindset part of your makeup and practice in your congregation and life? Have you implemented this paradigm in your ministry and life? With what do you agree or disagree? What is difficult and why?
This is just part of the paradigm shift Kingfisher is sharing to our friends and family. Our message is not popular at all, but we have a specific calling to deliver this. We are excited about the growth in receptiveness to the message. As followers of Jesus we want to become like Him and to do the things He did. We must help each other. Please pray for us to continue sowing this seed and for more open hearts.
Blessings, greetings and love
dirk