The Lausanne Global Conversation is on the World Wide Open Network
Author: UGmission
Date: 31.05.2010
Location: New Delhi | India
Duration: 3 years
Category: Scripture Engagement, Orality, Unreached People Groups
Discipleship Series for Sustaining CPMs in Oral Context
Great Commission becomes great Omission if Disciple making process is abrupt. We as a Mission Organization soon realized this, as Lord called for our attention towards this most critical issue. As our Mission Statement states that “United Gospel Mission exists to fulfill the great commission in a tangible way, as a direct response to the scriptural mandate of Lord Jesus Christ, by Training, Sending, Equipping, and supporting the body of Christ at grass-root level to Plant indigenous, self supportive churches among the ethnic groups of North India, via Evangelistic and charity works”, We are sold out to see Biblical Discipleship happening via all our Church Planting efforts.
Though I was involved in extensive Pastoral Trainings across North India for last few years, I’m yet to come across a CP Mission that follows Chronological Discipleship Process to sustain their CPM’s among literate or non literate context. What I observed is that Cell Groups/House Churches/Cottage meetings are at the mercy of Preachers who speak abruptly or randomly taking gospel from simplicity to complexity.
Week after week, month after month and in some cases this has been the way for years. To that matter, even I’m guilty of doing same in the past. Now that Lord opened my eyes I see my Ignorance. I can’t afford to waste any more time but to develop a Series of Discipleship Lessons to be used for the Churches we Plant (Assemblies of Good News) in the context of both literate and non literate cultures.
Why Discipleship Series?
Jesus taught His disciples hundreds of beliefs, behaviors, habits and characters traits. To make the kind of disciple He commanded us to make, we must teach our disciples every one of those as well. When such a list is given to a disciple maker, it seems so long that it is overwhelming… it seems impossible. However if the same material is sub-organized into distinct series, and sequential lessons that can be taught by a disciple maker through a process, this makes the task simple and reproducible.
I have exactly done the same, in my efforts of developing the Discipleship Series. In contrast to Conceptual (random) learning, I have adopted Sequential learning process, which is closer to Jesus’ style of training. It is indispensable when you want to rain a person to accomplish a process or to understand any logical points build on one another. Sequential learning requires the learner to embrace concepts in a given order, to learn the first concept before the second, the second before the third and so on. Learning from Bill Hull’ book titled New Century Disciple maker, where he mentions Jesus’ sequential training process, I have tried to develop our own Series of lessons keeping Oral Cultures in context.
What about Content of these Disciple Series? :
This is Self Explanatory (Goes long with SIU’s Circular Process of Church Planting)
COME & SEE (Believe): New Life Series (Consists 14 lessons with Stories & Memory verses)
FOLLOW ME (Learn): Victory Life Series (Consists 30 lessons with Stories & Memory verses)
BE WITH ME (Lead & Serve): Witness Life Series (Consists 50 lessons with stories & memory verses)
REMAIN IN ME (Life time of Service): Leadership Series (Consists 60 lessons with Stories, memory verses
Come and See is Phase –I, where strangers become seekers, and then believers this other wise is called as Sowing & Watering. We have developed 14 basic lessons, called as New Life Series, which can be shared via stories. At this stage we see the following distinctive characteristic traits in a believer.
Follow me is Phase-II, Where believers become disciples (learners), this other wise is called as Harvesting. We have developed 30 lessons, called as Victory Life Series aimed to make him live victoriously for Christ. At this stage we see the following distinctive characteristic traits in a learning disciple
Be with me is Phase-III, where learning disciples become strong disciples, this is otherwise called as Discipleship. We have developed 50 lessons, called as Witness Life Series aimed to make him fishers of men. At this stage we see the following distinctive characteristic traits in a learning disciple
Remain in Me is Phase-IV, where a disciple grows intentionally towards maturity of life time, this otherwise can be called as Training. We have developed 60 lessons under title Leadership Series aimed to train the trainers. At this stage we see the following distinctive characteristic traits in a learning disciple
Lets us not assume that Disciple making is a two/three year process of filling in the blanks or completing set of curriculum books. It is life time process of filling in holes in life. It is never finished but always intentional lasting till we reach heaven. Our effort in developing the above Series is just to help in making intentional Disciples of Christ as He wanted us to make.
Here’s what I could offer someone serving in the same capacity or location:
Keywords: church discipleship, reaching the unreached, oral cultures, church planting, indian church, gospel to nonliterates
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