It’s as Simple as That.
What does it take to see someone move from a non-committed relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, to a committed relationship with him? What does it take to see that person then continue in the process of transformation to becoming a lifelong believer and Lord-listener? What does it take to see that person then raise a community up around him/her and start the process over again?
Our evangelistic efforts traditionally have taken people to an intital point of commitment. We have virtually no healthy skills or history with the lifelong, arduous process of "discipling" (in fact that word more often than not incites suspicion and doubt on account of the only people who have even attempted forms of discipleship have been "cults"). And we are really treading on new turf when we start to think that the average Christian (if with the Holy Spirit there is such a thing as "average") could begin guiding a community him/herself.
However, if we do not have answers to these questions, then we are doomed to repeat the mistakes we have made for much of Christendom: "WE will help THEM know the Lord."…*time passes*… "WE have done so much! Look at what we're doing for THEM!"…*more time passes*… "WE are in way over our heads! WE need to bring more 'stable' Christians into our midst to help with the instable converts who are floating out and back into the fallen world."
We will never see spiritual healing as long as we think we are the doctors.
I am learning to pray daily that the Lord of the Harvest would "raise up workers for his harvest field". I believe now that it is through the lifelong art of following God, and showing others the way is the basic process of discipling. It's about being in a community in pursuit of God, and in time, calling new communities to follow down new paths so that they in turn can begin their own communities of Godly-pursuit.
How do we see a continent touched by vibrant communities in desperate pursuit of the Lord? If the process is not self-sustainable, and replicatable, we are wasting our time with foolish methods that will be lost in the translation.
Simply follow God, and invite others to follow with you, and teaching them to invite still more.
Simple church: It's as simple as that.
Simple church: It's as messy as that.
