Recently in Discipleship Strategies Category

Dennis Pethers, author of More to Life, shares the background of "The Rooftop" experience to help people receive a fresh vision of God's heart for the lost. Dennis writes:

"The church in North America is at a crossroads. New generations of people no longer attend church as their parents and grandparents did. The number of people who don't know Jesus or recognize that they should know Him is growing.

"As this new reality increases and spreads throughout North America, many churches experience the growing awareness of the crisis that is looming. This crisis is often described in terms of fewer people attending church.

"But what if that is not the crisis? What if the real crisis is that those who attend church are not sharing the gospel with those who aren't? What if we saw the crisis as an opportunity?

"The Rooftop is an initiative to help churches face this new reality and grasp the opportunity to encourage a new culture of faith sharing. And it begins with an encounter with God."

For three video segments go to:

http://vimeo.com/album/1806390

For more information go to Lifeway.com/TheRooftop

Use this 36-page booklet with your planning team to develop your church's strategy for intentional discipleship. This was first published in 2008. I'm posting it here to make it available for those who need a tool like this for planning their disciple-making strategy.

July 25-28 I'll be leading the discipleship track for 4Groups at Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina. My plenary session will focus on discipling toward maturity in keeping with Paul's goal of presenting "everyone mature in Christ" (Col. 1:28). My breakout sessions will include: (1) Growing Disciples Who Pray, Care, and Share; (2) Launching a Men's Discipleship Ministry with Courageous (the movie); and (3) Mastering the Challenge of Multiplication in Disciple Making.

Other leaders include Allan Taylor (Sunday School Groups), Bill Donahue (Small Groups), and Dennis Pethers (Evangelism Groups). Chris Adams will be training women's ministry leaders.

Listen to this invitation from Dennis Pethers (author of More to Life)

An Invitation To 4Groups from Dennis Pethers from BiblicalSolutionsFor on Vimeo.

Will you join me at Ridgecrest? For registration call 1-800-588-7222 or go to www.lifeway.com/event/361

The first 200 registrants receive: Building Biblical Community DVD Leader Kit: Celebrate. Learn. Love. Serve. by Bill Donahue and Steve Gladen.

Through the Transformational Church research we've found that "Prayerful Dependence" is almost a universal characteristic of churches that see transformation in lives, their church, and their community. Prayerful dependence describes more than just a church that has a variety of prayer activities or even a prayer ministry. Recently I heard Phil Miglioratti, founder of the National Pastors' Prayer Network, talk about moving a church from a church that prays to being a praying church where prayer permeates everything they do. I asked Phil to share a summary of that presentation in this video. Let's join together with Jesus in praying that God will transform our churches into houses of prayer for the nations, where "prayerful dependence" would describe our prayer culture and lead to transformation!

For more helps from Phil go to nppn.org

The Christian's life can be compared to a PVC pipe. God wants us connected to Him and available so His Living Water flows through us to impact the people we are connected to through our relationships.To function effectively:

1. We need the relationship with the Lord to be right.

2. We need our lives cleansed of all the impurities that could clog our "pipe."

3. We need to reconcile and forgive so no broken relationship would hinder the free flow of God's love and life through us.

The Goal of Discipleship: Christlikeness from Claude V King on Vimeo.

The goal of discipleship is Christlikeness. Disciple making guides people to be transformed in Christlikeness so they think and act like Christ. God is transforming us ...

Vacation Bible School Follow-up from Claude V King on Vimeo.

At LifeWay today, we've got close to 1,500 people being trained and introduced to the Vacation Bible School Emphasis for 2010. Through the years, VBS has been one of the most effective evangelistic outreaches that many of our churches conduct. Yet many leaders have sensed that our follow-up with prospects has been inadequate. We have the opportunity of reaching these children and also their entire families. But this opportunity requires a very intentional effort.

I've invited Mike Smith to challenge you to consider the importance of follow-up for the children who attend Vacation Bible School this summer. This year select a Follow-up director and enlist a team to help him or her. Prepare and conduct an intentional plan to connect with the prospects you identify through VBS. Chapter 4 and the CD-ROM of VBS 2010 Administrative Guide for Directors provide ideas for immediate follow-up through phone calls, letters, and doorstep visits to reach out to the children and families God has entrusted to your church as prospects.

Let's reach out to the "Brookes" who visit our churches for the first time this summer!

Christ-Centered Following from Claude V King on Vimeo.

Three approaches to following Christ are common today.

1. The human-centered approach like that of the Sadducees uses human reasoning and personal experience as the primary guiding principles.

2. The Scripture-centered approach like that of the Pharisees is a legalistic practice of religion without a vibrant relationship to the Lord.

3. A Christ-centered approach to following includes a diligent study of the Scriptures plus taking the next step into a personal relationship with Christ where the Holy Spirit guides the application of Scripture to a real and genuine Christian discipleship.

Which of these three is your primary approach to following Christ? Which is most common in your church?

The Discipleship Reserve Corps from Claude V King on Vimeo.

Does your church need additional leaders to help make fully devoted followers of Christ among your membership? Then call up the "Discipleship Reserve Corps." Seek out and identify people who have been equipped in the past through such discipleship processes as MasterLife by Avery Willis.

Who are the members in your church who have already been equipped to help others grow in their walk with the Lord. I'd suggest you look for...

The Christian Reserve Corps from Claude V King on Vimeo.

Do you know Christians who only joined the "reserve corps" and have no interest in active duty?

Many people have joined the church and see it as the "Christian Reserve Corps." They just want a reserved place in heaven, but they are not interested in active duty or service. Yet, the call to follow Christ is a call to active duty. The Christian is called to be on mission with Christ. Christianity is not a spectator sport. God intends for everyone to be an active member of the body of Christ.

As we help believers come to a first love for Christ, they will choose to obey Him and joyfully serve Him. On Monday, I will speak to the need to call the "Discipleship Reserve Corps" to active duty as well.