Biblical Texts on Discipleship
Biblical Texts on Discipleship
A sampling of applicable texts:
“The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and some teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.” Read more »
Lay Speakers and Christian Educators
Lay Speakers and Christian Educators
by Diana L. Hynson
Serving in the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference (some years ago), I helped teach our district lay speaking courses, meeting highly motivated, gifted, effective, and faithful leaders in their local churches, district, and conference. As a result of their lay speaking experience, many of our “grads” experienced a call to ordained ministry and went into seminary or the local pastor track to serve as pastoral leaders in the local church. For years, as I saw them at conference, they would make a special effort to thank me for my part in their call. It has been marvelously gratifying to know that my small effort linked with God’s call for this area of ministry. Read more »
Learning Centers: Self-Directed Learning Through Active Involvement
Learning Centers: Self-Directed Learning Through Active Involvement
by Janet Westlake
Imagine a Sunday school classroom. At one table, children are working on a mural that illustrates the Bible story. At another table, children are looking up Bible verses to complete a puzzle. In a quiet corner, a boy is reading a Bible storybook. Occasionally he refers to a Bible atlas. Meanwhile, the teacher answers a question one of the children had about the video of the day’s Bible story. These people are actively involved in exploring the Christian faith through learning centers. Read more »
Invitation and Discipleship
Invitation and Discipleship
by Shirley F. Clement
Macy had been a member of a church in her childhood, but she had drifted away. She was facing several life crises and began to participate in worship when a friend, LaN
ell, invited Macy to go with her. One morning when they met to go into worship, LaNell excitedly talked to Macy about the Sunday school class she had just come from. LaNell’s excitement and information about the class made Macy think the class would be the kind of small-group experience she would both enjoy and find helpful. Macy became an active participant in the class where she felt she could explore her Christian faith and ask questions without being judged.
A couple of months later, Macy invited LaNell to sit with her and her family when she joined church. Macy had not only become a member,
she had joined a journey of faith and discipleship.
Team Teaching: A Partnership That Works!
Team Teaching: A Partnership That Works!
by N. Lynne Westfield
The adage “two heads are better than one” is intriguing. The literal interpretation of this saying seems obvious — a task done adequately by one soul is done better, finer, by two souls. By sharing the joy, dividing the labor, and pooling the resources, an enterprise shared by two or more people in partnership will be greatly improved over the enterprise of just one individual. Partnership will bring improvement. Read more »








