I’ve been really fascinated with a conversation happening between Kevin Watson and John Meunier regarding measuring effectiveness in ministry. Here are the basic premises for the discussion: Numerical growth is one way to measure effectiveness and faithfulness. Faithfulness and effectiveness do not always result in numerical growth. Drawing a crowd is not the same thing as … Continue reading »
Tagged with Discipleship …
Methodist Discipleship
My friend Kevin Watson has a great series starting over at his blog, Deeply Committed. He’s looking at one of the tools John Wesley used to spark revival and renewal in the Church, the Methodist Class Meeting. You won’t want to miss his insights, which he puts in accessible yet informative language – typical Watsonian … Continue reading »
Making Disciples: Assembly Line or Environmentalist
As United Methodists we’re given the task of Making Disciples of Jesus Christ. Much has been said about this statement, but in my reading I haven’t seen much made of the word “making.” Today, I was part of a terrific conversation regarding discipleship within our local congregation, and I realized something. The word “making” assumes … Continue reading »
Great Questions, Commentary Guides, & Ministry Thoughts
Every now and then I like to share really helpful posts and thoughts that I come across, and today is one of those days. Scot McKnight is one of my favorite biblical scholars. He is very sharp without being inaccessible, and he is a clear communicator. In my line of work, these are the kind … Continue reading »
Denominations and Discipleship
One of my favorite bloggers within the United Methodist fold is Andrew Thompson over at Gen-X Rising. He has written a fantastic post on denominations and specifically United Methodism that every leader in the United Methodist Church should read, whether they agree with it or not.
A Blueprint for Discipleship
If you are interested in the unique gifts Methodism and the Wesleyan tradition has to offer the world, then you’ll definitely want to pick up Kevin Watson’s A Blueprint for Discipleship: Wesley’s General Rules as a Guide for Christian Living. He does a great job of offering a simple yet challenging description of Wesley’s General … Continue reading »
Servant Walk Update
As some of you know, I’ve been working on a video curriculum since I’ve been the Minister of Discipleship at Church of the Servant. Each week, since I can’t teach more than one class at a time, I film a short video teaching on the scripture that Robert uses in the main service. On Wednesdays … Continue reading »
Minister of Discipleship
My official title is “Minister of Discipleship,” and when I share this with friends, family, and colleagues I am often asked, “So what do you do?” I try to explain by saying I’m sort of like a teaching pastor crossed with a missions pastor. As a staff, we are reading Len Sweet’s Aquachurch 2.0: Piloting … Continue reading »
Mega-misconceptions
Over the years I have often heard about the virtues of small churches. On top of that, over the years I’ve experienced the virtues of small churches! I am deeply indebted in my faith to the small churches I’ve attended and helped lead as a pastor. Often, with appreciation for smaller congregations, megachurches get a … Continue reading »
