"Evangelism or Discipleship" (Bobby Harrington and Bill Hull)

TITLE: Evangelism or Discipleship: Can They Effectively Work Together?
AUTHOR: Bobby Harrington and Bill Hull
PUBLISHER: Exponential Resources, 2014.

[Free ebook available here.]

Every Church ought to do evangelism. Every Church also needs to be doing discipleship. The question is: Are they two activities? According to pastors and authors Bobby Harrington and Bill Hull, they are one and the same thing. Evangelism is not simply about "being in the world" and divorced from Church work and activities. Neither is discipleship about inner programs. Both complement each other in the fulfilling of God's mission. In fact, people have tended to see the areas of evangelism and discipleship as two separate things done by two separate people of different callings. Harrington and Hull puts "evangelism" as front-end of discipleship while helping believers mature is the "back-end." One cannot do discipleship independent of evangelism, and vice versa.

For the authors, discipleship is defined: "as trusting God’s presence as we intentionally enter into the lives of others to guide them to trust and follow Jesus and obey all his teachings."It is not a program but a movement toward maturity. It is about connecting with believers to encourage reproduction of disciples toward Christlikeness. It is learning to be accountable to one another.

Simply put, the key message of this book is that: "Disciples have a mission, and the mission is to reach people. Evangelism necessitates disciples who have matured to the point of reproduction. Discipleship includes evangelism, and evangelism is a part of discipleship."

After describing the relationship between discipleship and evangelism, the authors describes a disciple-making church that is characterized by:

1. Building relationships with people
2. Teaching the Word
3. Reproduction of disciples

All believers are to be equipped through discipleship. All disciples live out their calling through evangelism. If church is for discipleship, then discipleship is for the world. Sometimes I feel that Christians through the ages have become too fixated on seeing evangelism and discipleship as two different things. Evangelism is to reach non-Christians while Discipleship is to reach Christians; or Evangelism is to do with external activities while Discipleship is all about internal stuff. Many Churches even have separate ministries and staff to do the different thrusts. I know of some that even hired "Outreach Pastors" or "Discipleship Pastors." This book aims to do away with all the unhelpful dichotomy. On a practical scale, if we separate the two, we tend to leave all the evangelism and outreach stuff to the evangelism ministry, and discipleship to the discipleship ministry. By doing that, are we not betraying our own calling to "make disciples of all nations" not just our inner groups? All for discipleship and discipleship for all. Disciples for evangelism and evangelism for all disciples. This picture is fuller and more complete.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Exponential.org without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Enough Already" (Emily Lawyer)

TITLE: Enough Already
AUTHOR: Emily Lawyer
PUBLISHER: Exponential Resources, 2013.

[Free ebook available here.]

In order to make disciples, one needs to learn what it means to be a disciple. In our achievement oriented world, we have a tendency to want things done as fast and as efficient as possible. Sometimes, when we buy a new household device, we rush to use the item without really reading the instruction manuals. Some manufacturers have understood this mentality well by inserting a "READ ME FIRST!" leaflet with minimal instructions, often with pictures to help people read and pay attention to important steps to take prior to using the item. For disciples of Christ, it is tempting to want to jump in quickly to do something about discipleship. In doing so, we may miss out the essence of what discipleship actually means. Essentially, it takes a disciple to make disciples. One of the best and most potent resources in our hands is the Bible. We have our Bibles, available in both print as well as electronic editions. We have a lot of different Bible translations, many of which are designed to help readers of all ages and all contexts to read and to understand. The key challenge in a busy environment is whether we are reading it well in the first place.

This short ebook resource is written by an author whose crisis of faith a few years ago becomes a springboard from which she gets rejuvenated with Bible reading. At that time, she was a staff member at a Church of people whose hearts seemed to be "partially full" with the gospel. She learns that serving actively does not necessarily means that disciples are growing passionately. Many are simply content with being told they are saved. Some think that giving more in service means they are growing well as disciples. Lawyer's path toward a more contemplative start to discipleship begins with Brother Lawrence's Practicing the Presence of God. Do quiet time together. Learn to read Scripture with a focused internalization. This book is a summary of her attempt to help us do discipleship through the cultivation of a quiet and contemplative heart on Scripture.

The first part of the book explains the reasons for a quiet environment and a focused heart. In one word, it is "Relationship." The author learns first-hand how difficult it is to practice silence in a world of frantic activities. Indeed, how addicted modern people are to activity and hyperactivity. For Lawyer, it takes physical ailments to force her to slow down and start her path of recovery from activity-addiction. It draws her toward the Bible. It reminds her that it is one thing to learn the Bible from other people. It is much more powerful to be directly taught by God through the Bible. We cannot simply read the Bible as if it is something we can use to get things done according to our own time and agenda. Reading the Bible for what it is requires us to adopt a humble heart to let God speak or not speak according to His time. One gem in this section is this:

"Change is the byproduct, not the goal. Relationship is the goal."

We do not read the Bible simply in search of something to do, or some activity to plan for. We read the Bible in pursuit of the knowledge of a Person. It is one thing to read the Word of God. It is yet another to know the God of the Word.

The second part of the book is written for people who currently has a vocational ministry desiring to practice the presence of God in their daily work or activities. In three steps, Lawyer shares with us what is needed to cultivate a posture of independence from activities toward dependence on God. 

1. Pray asking God to guide our reading and what we need to hear;
2. Select the Scripture
3. Read silently the Scripture, asking ourselves what it tells us about God.

The goal is to help us appreciate the Person of God. This activity can also be done in a group environment. Lawyer recommends an optimum number from 5-8, who are committed to meeting regularly. Such Bible sessions are to be limited to not more than an hour each time. 

I find the title of the book rather curious. What exactly is the author expressing enough of? I suppose the author is fed up with any more addictions to activities and busyness that seem to go nowhere. Enough of tasks. Enough of projects. Enough of noisy activities that will never satisfy. Instead, embark upon the path of relationship building. For discipleship is about patterning one another's relationships to God's image. When that happens, we will say "enough!" to the world of activities, and cry out "More!" to the Word of God and the Person of Christ.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Exponential.org resources without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Be the Church" (Caesar Kalinowski and Seth McBee)

TITLE: Be the Church
AUTHOR: Caesar Kalinowski and Seth McBee
PUBLISHER: Exponential Resources, 2013.

[Free ebook available here.]

There is a popular saying that a picture speaks a thousand words. Indeed that is true in many ways. Whether we are talking about concepts, ideas, or plans, the moment we can put them into pictures, more people can connect, especially in an increasingly visually stimulated culture. The book has this one central goal: Making it clear and simple the two most important callings for the Church: Discipleship and Mission. This is what the Church exists for. This is what the Church lives for. Such is the convictions of the authors that they have decided to put these important ideas into 10 pictures. They have kindly made it free for download here. One of them includes Seth McBee's Napkin Theology. Let me make a few comments about the ten pictures.

The first is about Church being a people of God, not a building of bricks. This is something that is often missed in our everyday language. "I am going to Church. Are you going to Church?" Statements like these will give hearers the impression that Church is basically a place for people to gather. No. Theologically speaking, Church is not an institution. It is a living organism. Our language needs to change to reflect what is biblical and accurate. Church is about a people of God coming together. The authors draw out clearly that when the people are gathered together, they become witnesses far and wide.

The second drawing talks about the identity of the Church. Based upon the identity of God as Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), the authors make a parallel to Father as "Family," Son as "Servant," and Spirit as "Missionary." On a modal sense, it is very understandable. It reveals the identity of God through the works being done. Unfortunately, I think it is overly reductionistic, especially on the Personhood of God. God is God, and He cannot be defined simply on the basis of what he can do.

The third drawing is about the purpose of the Gospel. Disciples will make disciples to fill the earth with God's glory. It shows us that Church is not about growing one place or organization. It is about expanding as wide as possible with God's kingdom in mind. The word "exponential" clearly fits the description.

The fourth drawing shows readers the four pillars of discipleship: Bible study, Social Justice, Evangelism, and Fellowship. Unfortunately, it does not explicitly mention spirituality of prayer, worship, praise, meditation, etc.

The fifth drawing again uses a tri-circle Venn diagram to talk about Head, Hearts, and Hands in how to make disciples. The head is about learning; the heart about believing; the hands about experiencing. It is an easy to remember image and will help readers avoid lopsided emphasis on any one area.

The sixth drawing has Christ at the center of all of our lives. I like this because it runs against the oft-glorified idea of "balance." Far too often, I have heard people arguing for a balanced life between work and family; friends and Church; time management; busyness and leisure; and so on. So much so that it seems life is about balance as a final objective. No. For the Christian, Christ is at the center of all.

The seventh drawing is a mission focused on. Called "Gospel communities on Mission," it highlights mission as the #1 priority in being a gospel community. This is what the missional movement is all about: becoming gospel communities everywhere we go; anywhere we can; and influencing everyone we meet.

The eighth drawing compares and contrasts the place of "small groups" versus "missional communities." The former tends to be inward looking while the latter is outward looking. For growth purposes, especially numerical, the authors are right. Churches must learn to be outward looking. Yet, I have a small reservation. What about spiritual growth? Surely, there is also a need for groups requiring soul care and inner nourishment. For every harvesting of the field, there need to be planting, watering, fertilizing, etc.

The ninth drawing looks and compares "proactive mission" with "reactive mission." It is thought provoking and challenges Church leaders to think about and the re-think their own mission strategies. I agree that it is better to be intentional about our mission rather than to scramble when we are asked to do mission.

Finally, the tenth is a realistic look at a "Missional Community Growth Chart." I loved it. Christian discipleship is not one nice bold line drawn neatly upward. It comprises of ups and downs, messy-like meanderings as we search for what is best.

What I like most about the book is that it not only puts ideas into pictures, it spurs conversations. That way, it is not a book that puts concepts cast in stone, but becomes like invitations to discuss and to work on what is most appropriate for each community.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Exponential.org, GCM Initiatives, and VergeNetworks resources without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"The Gospel Disciple" (David Putman)

TITLE: The Gospel Disciple
AUTHOR: David Putman
PUBLISHER: Exponential Resources, 2012.

[Free ebook available here.]

This ebook seeks to answer three fundamental questions.

1. What is the Gospel?
2. What is a Disciple?
3. What is the Church?

Beginning with a frantic phone call from a Church leader in Haiti, to help disciple the workers there, Putman starts to wonder about the rediscovery of the gospel mission not just in his own Church, but the American Church context. The big problem he identifies is this. Belief is one thing. Be willing to follow and put that into action is another. Thus, the order in answering the three questions become very significant.

A) The Gospel

This announcement of good news need to be RE-discovered. The gospel is not something earned but given. It is redeemed in Christ. We are saved by grace. It also renews us. We grow when the truth of the gospel transforms us. When the gospel is written into the hearts of people, we will be excited to tell our story, our testimony, and our lives of these three things: How we are redeemed in Christ; how the Spirit continues to restore us; and how we ourselves can be agents of restoration for others. Being a gospel disciple is about sharing this journey with others.

B) The Disciple

Our mission as gospel disciples is to make disciples. That is also the mission of the Church. It is not a program. It is a way of life to become the disciple that you want others to become. In other words, live by example. Live like Christ. Live for Christ. This calls for a constantly renewed focus to learn, to live, to loge, and to lift up the Name of Christ. Just like the saying: "Hurt people hurt people. Loved people love people." We need to let our mission for God flow out of God's love for us.

C) The Church

The third question is about living together as a community of Christ. The body of Christ is the Church, and not the institutional structures that many of us have come to refer the Church as. It calls for prayer for one another in the faith. It calls for caring for the least of the people. It calls for planting the gospel, just like Christ. For Putman, to be a "Gospel Disciple" means building the Church around the disciples, instead of building disciples around the Church. Let the Church be the strengthener of the relationships. Build a gospel community and link up with other gospel communities. Here are some of the suggestions in "rediscovering Church."

• "Re-discovering church is less about gathering and more about scattering."
• "Re-discovering church involves shifting power from the center to the edges."
• "Re-discovering church involves hitting the reset button."

In other words, let the Church be one that is more concerned about reaching out, about touching outside, instead of worried about inner church life and about internal concerns. Let the Church empower others who are serving people at the edges. Let the Church constantly be renewed, and not try to keep things status quo.

The instructions are short and sharp, and will be useful for Church leaders, planters, and laypersons to read and apply straightaway. The pointers can also be good conversational starters.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Exponential.org resources without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Discover Your Mission Now"

TITLE: Discover Your Mission Now
AUTHOR: Dave Ferguson
PUBLISHER: Exponential Resources, 2012.

[Free ebook available here.]

Each of us has a mission. Every Church is called to a mission. The trouble is, have we forgotten it? Are we totally clueless about what mission we have? When in doubt, check back with Jesus. This is the prescription that Ferguson has for us.

First, we discover what is the mission of Jesus. Second, we look at five ways (missional practices) in which Jesus accomplishes this mission. As followers of Christ, we are to do no less. Using the story of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well as a launching pad, Ferguson highlights the 3Rs of discovering the mission of Jesus.

A) The Mission of Jesus

First, there is the REACH aspect where Jesus sets off purposefully to reach out to those who are far away from God. Just like the way Jesus reaches out to the woman, so too we are to reach out to our neighbours and friends.

Second, there is RESTORE. Jesus restores the woman's life, and urges her to sin no more. God's love is so deep and wide that He cares for the down and out, the outcasts, and the most marginalized people on earth. We are to be channels of God's grace.

Third, there is the REPRODUCE element. Note how excited the woman was when she goes to share of her encounter with the rest of the folks in the town. One good deed deserves another. One great act of kindness leads to another.

All these three elements are applicable to both Church as well as the individual.

B) Discovering Our Mission (BLESS)

Five steps are given.

1. B = Begin with Prayer
2. L = Listen
3. E = Eat
4. S = Serve
5. S = Story

All significant spiritual work must begin with prayer. Prayer is the window of relationship for man to meet with God, and for God to empower man to serve better. If we fail to pray, we are set for failure for we are then going forth in our own strength rather than God's.

Before we can bless the world, we need to be able to discern the needs of the world. Listening is a key activity. Prayer prepares the person to listen better.

Eating is essentially about opportunities to build relationships with people over a meal. In our busy world, while many people claim to lack time, opportunities are there for meal times.

Serving people from where we are is also an opportunity to bless our neighbourhood.

Finally, share the story of God and our testimony.

Ferguson ends the book with a challenge. Are we going to be people who "Read and Regret" or are we going to be people who "Read and Repeat?" Hopefully, in discovering our mission through BLESS, we learn to do the latter more and more.

The steps to discover our mission is very simple and practical.  Go and make disciples of all nations, and BLESS them.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Exponential.org resources without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Measuring the Orchard" (Geoff Surratt)

Measuring the Orchard: Changing the scorecard of church growth
AUTHOR: Geoff Surratt
PUBLISHER: Exponential Resources, 2013.

[Free ebook available here.]

How do we measure Church growth? What are the measurements of success, if there is such a thing? Written when the author was pastor of Church planting at Saddleback Church, the book begins with napkins, fellowship talks, that birth exciting ideas about what church is and how success is measured. Having experienced the roller coaster ride of ups and downs, from small church to mega-church, he begins to question basic assumptions that many people tend to adopt without much questioning. The main culprit is the uncritical acceptance of numerical growth as the key measurement of success. The key to the book is to recognize that every Church has its own seasons of growth. Stop emphasizing the tree and look instead at the orchard from which the tree can flourish and help other vegetation flourish. How can an individual Church growth within the context of a larger kingdom vision?

Using the image of a tree and an orchard, Surratt tells the story of how two men began the same way, but reap different results as their methods change. The first man, Stanley, had a roaring harvest, which led to multi-year on year growth. Due to the astronomical growth, he becomes distracted and starts to spend more time doing conferences, giving speeches, writing books, and promoting methodologies. The second man, Ted, prefers to stay on course on producing apples rather than diversify into other things. The difference between the two men is this. Stanley focused on just growing great trees. Ted focused on cultivating an orchard. Stanley concentrated on one big church. Ted looked at the land area, grew fruit trees, and concentrated on growing good fruit trees. The work of a farmer involves not just planting, watering, or cultivating the fruits, it includes the work of ensuring the health of the land and trees.

Surratt then shows readers the five stages of any Church.

1. Birth: "Who are we?" (Question of Identity);
2. Child: "Is it sustainable?" (Goal: Survival)
3. Adult: "Are we making mature disciples?" (Goal: Maturity)
4. Parent: "Are we preparing for healthy multiplication" (Goal: Reproduction)
5. Grandparent: "How can we bless another Church?" (Goal: Mentoring)
6. Senior Citizen: "How long can we survive?" (Goal: Legacy)
7. Death/Reborn: 

These five stages between birth and death represent the basic growth stages, and the leadership expectations summarised as follows.

The four final tips leave readers an opportunity to do some homework. The scorecard of success is essentially making sure that we do the following.

• Begin with the orchard in mind
• Act your age
• Think multiplication at every stage
• Assess your orchard leadership

Simple principles but with very practical applications. I like the book's brevity and clarity in putting forth a vision for implementation. The main issue I have is the seeming lack of nuances in the various stages. What about the different contexts surrounding every stage? What about the types of people within each congregation? Are there any more specific tools and resources to enable leaders to use more quickly? These are not addressed adequately. Having said that, I think the idea is not to furnish details but to provide a thinking paradigm forward. I recommend this book highly for your Church and leaders.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Exponential.org resources without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Grow" (Winfield Bevins)

TITLE: GROW - Reproducing Through Organic Discipleship
AUTHOR: Winfield Bevins
PUBLISHER: Exponential Resources, 2013.

[Free ebook available here.]

One of the ways to measure Church growth is in through their initiatives in planting Churches. Have they planted a church in the past ten years or are they content with just maintaining their size? Maybe, there are leaders who are passionate about growth but adopt strategies that look good on others but inappropriate for itself? Perhaps, there are leaders who are so concerned about growth strategies that they begin with management techniques that look more worldly than anything the Bible has to say.

The gist of this book is to avoid all the worldliness or inappropriate growth strategies that the world has to offer. Instead, the author argues that church growth must begin with the gospel, and grow "organically." Disciples need to grow naturally. Bevins defines  discipleship as follows: "Discipleship is an organic process of helping others become and continue to be disciples of Jesus Christ."

Seven things are evident in this.

1. Discipleship is about transformation into Christlikeness more and more;
2. Christian discipleship involves every dimension of life.
3. Christian discipleship is progressive, and true disciples are always growing.
4. Christian discipleship is not a Do-It-Yourself endeavor but a Spirit-led movement
5. Christian discipleship exists to help one another in the community of Christ
6. Christian discipleship automatically reproduces
7. Christian discipleship is centered in the life of the local church.

Bevins helpfully describes some of the problems faced by churches in America in their discipleship or the lack of discipleship. Three roadblocks are mentioned. First, there is the challenge of the "radically unchurched" who find that true spirituality no longer exists in churches but elsewhere. Worse, churches are denying this and choosing to continue more of the same, leading to a disconnect between the seekers and the church-goers. Second, many churches have unwittingly substituted evangelism for discipleship. They prefer "conversion" instead of making disciples. The point is, both evangelism and discipleship are to be emphasized. Third, the notion of institutionalization continues to prevent churches from making disciples. Bevins observes that "many of the great revivals of the past began as disciple making movements; however, over time they became secular institutions."

Thankfully, Bevins does not leave us helpless with the problems and the challenges. Bevins proposes four ways in which churches can grow and make disciples. First, the key is the gospel, which must be the central focus from beginning to end. A gospel-centered discipleship is Christ-focused, grace-filled, and aligned in hope toward the God of glory. It trusts God to guide churches toward the goal of reaching the world for Christ. The second aspect is the mission and the living out of the mission. God is a missionary God. The Church exists for the purpose of mission. He suggests the following shifts first broached by Ed Stetzer.

• From programs to processes 
• From demographics to discernment 
• From models to missions 
• From attractional to incarnational 
• From uniformity to diversity 
• From professional to passionate 
• From seating to sending 
• From decisions to disciples 
• From additional to exponential 
•  From monuments to movements.

Third, making disciples is about building communities. Any discipleship movement must be done within the context of an authentic Christian community. We are made for fellowship, not solitary confinement. We need to be connected to the vine of Christ, and lead others to do the same. Community groups are the way to go. Through community, we can serve and grow.

Four, making disciples is about reproducing men and women after God's heart in Christ. Note how Jesus selects his disciples, be associated even with the least, set them apart for the work of God, impart his authority, demonstrate, delegate, and empower the disciples to do God's work. 

My Thoughts

This little booklet is clear and concise and will serve the church leader well. It reminds us all over again, that making disciples is the key role churches are to adopt, with Christ and the gospel as the center of focus. The problem with many churches is that they are not exactly sure what is the mission of the church in the first place. Without clarity about the goal and identity of the Church, they can easily be swayed by strange ideas of the world and adopt worldly techniques that fail to promote the cause of Christ. Worse, it keeps the church stagnated and powerless against the darkness and evil of the world. God has given the world the Church to stand up for the faith and to be the mission for the world.

Thankfully, Bevins has given us one important resource for us to take appropriate steps toward disciple making. After all, all great revivals and movements come about whenever churches shift their focus away from programs and toward disciple making. May this be the prayer and thrust of churches all over.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Exponential.org resources without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Say No to Discipleship" (Jason C. Dukes)

TITLE: SAY NO TO DISCIPLESHIP?!?
AUTHOR: Jason C. Dukes
PUBLISHER: Exponential Resources, 2013.

[Free ebook available here.]

This book has a provocative title, that should grab attention. It's primary message stresses on the need to focus more on "making disciples" and less on the theoretical or analytical aspect of "discipleship." Five shifts are suggested.

1. From gospel as "presentation" to gospel as "presence."
   This moves anyone from using the gospel as a tract. The gospel is more than just a message to be sent to the head. It is meant to be a lifestyle, a participating presence, to allow the gospel to be part of the person sharing it, to the person receiving it, and for each other to walk together learning it.
2. From Learned to Learner
   Recalling that the Greek word for disciple is "to learn," Dukes reminds us that to be a disciple means to learn more and more about the gospel. It is easy to accumulate knowledge without being changed on the inside. It is more important to keep learning of God, instead of simply content to remain on the learned front.
3. From "Feed Me" to "Feed Others"
   This is a plea for disciples to look more to the interests of others rather than themselves. Discipleship is not about a self-learning kind of a program or concept for one to feed oneself. It is about serving one another in Christ.
4. From "one is singular" to "one is plural"
   This is a reminder that the community aspect is the essence of a discipleship community. When we make disciples, we are essentially saying that we need one another. This is getting more important in a society that is increasingly individualistic.
5. From "live for God" to "live with God."
   There is a need to shift away from me-first to God-always. Sometimes, people like to claim they "live for God" as a facade for putting their own lives and needs as priorities. Living with God will move us away from such self-centered attitudes.  

I enjoyed the book's description of the shifts needed to move away from mere "discipleship" to "make disciples." Some people may say these are purely semantics. Others may even say that we need both. The truth is, many people learn best when they see contrasts. Do not read the book with any negative ideas on "discipleship" per se. That is not the author's intent. What the author has done is to bring readers back to a proper understanding of what true discipleship is all about. It is about making disciples.


Rating: 4.5 stars of 5

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Exponential.org resources without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.