This article is an updated extract from my short book, Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC). The bite-sized piece below is roughly two percent of the book. This time we make a start on the third forgotten way.
Once we are growing as apprentices (disciples), we will quickly realize that there are other steps to be taken. We are not only to be apprentices, we’re also to make more apprentices. On the one hand this is about being mission minded (Matthew 28:19), a people who are always going out into the world. On the other hand it’s about being embedded in the culture around us, a people who are deeply involved (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
Mission is far more than just a church activity because it’s based on Father’s constant intention to mend and restore creation. We often try to attract or even cajole the world into coming to what we are doing, but Father sends us out. Drawing people in separates them from their culture and friends; to catch lots of fish we must put out to sea where the fish live, not just sit on the pier with a rod and line trying to hook them onto dry land.
Get stuck right in with the business of making disciples and growing in discipleship. (Acts 14:21-22) Don’t wait. Be active right from the start. Then reflect together, pray together and celebrate what Jesus is doing amongst you and around you. What went well? What might have been done better? What can you learn?
Discuss – Think about how you might share in a culture in order to reach
the people there. How fully present will you be among the people you want
to reach? Do you know who they are yet?
Doing it Jesus’ way
Be wary of reforming people, persuading them to wear different clothes, eat different food or change their customs, culture and language. This won’t reveal Christ to them! If you claim to represent Jesus, they will assume that he is like you. Jesus came to live among the ordinary people of Judea and Galilee and he expects us to live among the people around us and identify with them; this demands that we go deep, something Paul understood and practised (1 Corinthians 9:19–23). Jesus shows us how to do it, he ate with Pharisees and tax collectors. He was fully present. He came as a servant and he shared the good news. It’s completely astounding that the Almighty Creator of the universe lived as a man among the village folk of Galilee for thirty years – and nobody noticed! That shows us how deeply he involved himself in the local culture, he became invisible.
Jesus is our example for going out and going deep. These two activities work together so that the gospel (good news) and the church (the gospel people) become firmly embedded in the local community. Rapid expansion is not going to happen any other way. We need to understand that knowing Jesus more deeply will lead us into both going out (Luke 10:1-4) and going deep (Luke 10:5-7). That will affect what church looks like in the place where we live. If we let him, Jesus will take us first into mission and then into new church life, shaped as he wants it to be. And this will be different depending on whether we live in France or Fiji, inner city or village, or among the poor or rich.
Discuss or consider – Will you identify with people as you find them, or will you bring your own culture with you as if that, too, is part of the good news? Jesus came in weakness, he came to give up his life. Talk about what that might mean for you as you follow him.
Getting out there
Getting close to the people we want to connect with is something we can plan for. Living in the locality is a good start. Find out where people gather and go there regularly (Acts 16:13-16, Acts 17:17), if possible go in pairs or small groups. Cafes, sports clubs, pubs, the market place and local parks are all good places to choose. Use these places for your planning meetings and discussions. Walk your dog regularly and get to know the people you meet on the way, take books and study material to the library or a local cafe and read there. Join local clubs and societies that interest you. The more often you are in the same place at the same time the more likely you are to meet the same people and get to know them.
You will need to make space for this in a busy life. Good relationships grow informally over time so be available for that to happen. Stay longer to talk; be willing to go somewhere else when a friend needs help. Make time at weekends when most people relax; simplify and streamline your life to make this possible. reduce the time you spend planning and meeting as a group or church so that you can be more available in the local community.
Be creative and try as many new ideas as you can. A good way to start random conversations with people is to offer them something they don’t expect. Take a container of cupcakes to give away, or hot soup in the winter. Ask people to choose their favourite photo from a folder and then give it to them to take home. You’ll be surprised how open people can be when you do things like this. As you read the gospels, notice how Jesus engaged people.
Ask yourselves questions such as – Where do people gather? Where do they find meaning and identity? Where is the Lord already working? How can I join in? What does good news look like to these people? Think about the groups of people you are being called to reach. Make friends with local influencers and leaders, people who are spiritually open and have good reputations. Again, in the gospels, notice where Jesus went and who he talked with.
Discuss or consider – Talk about some ways you might go out taking love and good news with you. What groups of people do you think you might reach? Think of things that will work among those people. What would be good news for them? Write down these ideas so you can refer back to them later. Take time to pray about it before moving on with the next section.
See also:
Discipleship – Dave Gibbons, Verge
More sections of JDMC
Introduction – JDMC, what does it contain? – Using JDMC – how to approach it
Working together in six ways – Intro and Way 1 – Ways 2, 3 and 4 – Ways 5 and 6, six ways
Way One, Jesus at the centre – Jesus at centre 1 – Jesus at centre 2 – Jesus at centre 3
Way Two, Becoming disciples – Disciples 1 – Disciples 2 – Disciples 3
Way Three, Outward and integrated – OutAndInt1, OutAndInt2
Way Four, Gifts for building – GiftsForBuilding1, GiftsForBuilding2
Way Five, A living organism – LivingOrg1, LivingOrg2
More sections will appear here…
The work of the Spirit – Intro – Jesus, disciples, outward – Gifts, living, community, help
Other church leaders – Intro, bishops, elders – Deacons, pastors, priests
Last words – The end can also be the beginning
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Read the book
This was extracted from Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC), pages 21 and 22. Download the whole thing or read it online – GetJDMC.scilla.org.uk
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