Discipleship is soul-formation by the power of Christ. It is the art of equipping people to follow Jesus and become like him. It is the American church’s most urgent need.
For many decades, churches have excelled at converting people to Christ. If a person gets saved, we imagine, the rest of her problems will solve themselves. Just “pray the prayer” and your whole life will change.
But real conversion is not that simple. The sharp decline of Christian faith in recent years is not a result of cultural change, political upheaval, or Covid. Churches have not put in the time shoulder-to-shoulder to show people how to walk with God. Many can say the right words, but few know the right steps.
BG’s focus on discipleship will take a number of forms.
You can meet with me at 11:15 am for the next three Sundays to consider this urgent priority. I will introduce you to some different perspectives on how people are formed spiritually. In particular, I’ll give you an overview of You Are What You Love by James K. A. Smith, a challenging book about the spiritual power of habits.
The parenting class, resuming in February, is an ongoing way to help shape BG’s approach to discipleship. We aren’t just discussing our own families, but how to parent together as a church. We are studying how God forms a person’s identity in our fallen world, in particular how he forms us as male and female in Christ.
We are shaping how BG will disciple children and youth.
A new discipleship committee will start this year. Its first task is to state the principles that will guide BG’s work in spiritual formation. We will study You Are What You Love closely, not to follow everything Smith says, but to grapple with the issues he raises.
By July, Lord willing, BG will begin putting all this work into practice for the 2024-25 academic year. Please be in prayer. Reflect on the importance of discipleship in your own habits. And be present at BG to participate in this urgent task.
Pastor Matt Raley, Office Information:
607-277-3333, Ext 226, Matt@bg.org
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