You see, no one took the opportunity to spend time and energy pouring into their lives the ways of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. There is a lack of knowledge and “where there is no vision the people perish” (Proverbs 28:19). Too many of us have gone to church, but never began to engage in God’s Kingdom work…we were just simply another heartbeat with ears, sitting in a seat on a Sunday morning…and some with no real connection or vision to what God wants from us have lost interest all together, leave and dont come back.

A Disciple is defined as “someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another.” Are we teaching our people to spread the good news of Jesus Christ effectively?

“How do you close the back door?” was the overarching question that my group did a study on. How do you keep, retain, and engage people in ministry in our churches? How do you produce disciple makers? Because that is what Jesus has called us to do (Matthew 28:19-20) …not just converts…not just raising your hand at the end of a sermon, but a disciple.  We found that a lot of churches dont have an intentional plan for discipleship…and really didnt have an answer to that question.

Do you have any thoughts on it?

“Have we done true evangelism if we have not done discipleship?”

I think the answer to that is no. Christ called us to make disciples (Matt 28:19). The depth of Christ’s statement in that verse of scripture is often left in the shallow understanding and action pertaining to it by leaders in the church being slow to learn and satisfied with the elementary truths of the Gospel (Hebrews 5:11-12).

Certainly we are to rejoice over someone asking the forgiveness of sins! But we are not just to share part of the Gospel with them. The forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ is the beginning of a lifelong journey of metamorphosis, in becoming more like Him. That happens in the context of one on one teaching. Small groups. That discipleship.

“The Church,” should be a people who are in the business of making disciple makers, because Christ has called us to make disciples.  That’s how we will grow The Church. Build the Kingdom. What are you doing to fulfill that?

I welcome you to share your comments and how you are fulfilling this call.