The New "In" Thing...

"Discipleship" is all the rage these days. It's a main catchword for church activity.

It's even the title of IOLBC's Beyond Ministry website: www.everydaydiscipleship.org and our family blog: www.discipleshipkitchen.blogspot.com

There is good reason for this. Jesus' followers are called "disciples." Jesus invites them to be "disciples." And Jesus commanded disciple reduplication. In fact, it is the one main command Jesus gives the disciples at the end of Matthew's gospel:

As you go about your lives, make disciples of all peoples...(Matt. 28:19)

Still, it can be a little concerning when it gets mixed up with American consumer-Facebook-media driven-"what's in" culture. Or a lot concerning. A recent article from Missio Alliance reflects this concern. The article questions the use of "discipleship" as some sort of fixer to ignite more excitement and participation in church. Discipleship is not to be a church program or a catchy idea to get those people who are not quite "in" on the church thing.

What are our ministries designed to achieve?

In their book, Right Here, Right Now: Everyday Mission for Everyday People, authors Alan Hirsch and Lance Ford make a very thoughtful statement:

"we are perfectly designed to achieve what we are currently achieving."

Interesting statement, isn't it? It begs us to look at what we are currently achieving in our ministries. Whether we're experiencing "success" in our ministries or not, taking this statement seriously might mean rethinking. It might mean "back to the drawing board." This is potentially a very tough question to face because of what it could tell us about our ministries and what we're not doing well.