Articles for tag: Discipling

October 26, 2016

Vine-Ripened Disciples

By Jim Tune When I was a boy, my dad and I grew a vegetable garden together every summer. Our tomatoes were amazing. Grown in nutrient-rich soil, staked, and ripened to deep-red, sunshine-infused perfection, it was love at first bite! Our tomatoes were never perfectly round or uniform in shape. Sometimes they were so ripe they would spontaneously split during the 30-yard stroll from garden to kitchen. There”s something about a homegrown, sun-ripened tomato. Bite into one and you can taste the sunshine as the juices burst into your mouth””a delicious surge of flavor tantalizing your taste buds. Years ago

August 28, 2015

Michael C. Mack

Family & Relationships Marriage

Make Your Marriage Ministry Proactive

By Michael C. Mack How is your church helping married couples before they get into crisis mode? Lindy Lowry, founder of MarriedPeople (www.marriedpeople.org), says she”s found that while every church spends time and resources on helping marriages, efforts are mainly reactive rather than proactive (see the chart of her findings). Lowry has found five steps beneficial in developing a proactive marriage ministry: 1. Begin with the end in mind. What is the purpose of marriage? To reflect the relationship between Christ and his church (Ephesians 5:32). The purpose of your strategy should match that. 2. Empower and equip leaders. In

June 28, 2015

Michael C. Mack

Church & Ministry Church Leadership Eldership

Best Practices for Elders Discipling Younger Men

By Michael C. Mack QUESTION: We, as elders, are looking at discipling some of the younger men. Can you suggest some of the best programs or curriculum?Â ANSWERS: “Start an authentic personal relationship with them. If this doesn”t happen, nothing else will. I work in corporate America, in addition to my roles in the church. I have seen in both entities efforts to “˜assign” mentors, and this just doesn”t work. You have to have a relationship with someone before you can mentor them.” “”Michael Fountain, elder, Minerva (Ohio) First Christian Church “My most fruitful times of discipleship have been very

May 17, 2011

Megan Gariss

Theology & Bible Bible Study

More than Teacups . . . a Plea for Biblical Literacy

Megan Gariss urges older Christians to help younger believers move beyond spiritual dependency by teaching them how to study Scripture, discover truth, and walk faithfully with God.

May 16, 2011

Tom May

Church & Ministry Teaching

Adult Education and the Challenge to Make Disciples

Tom May explores how churches can improve adult education through stronger priorities, planning, marketing, relevance, quality, and innovation in order to teach toward genuine discipleship.