Discipleship….

This is my first RCC blog so it seems appropriate to introduce myself. My name is John, I am one of the elders of RCC and will be coordinating our discipleship process. With that introduction out of the way…..

If you been to any of the home meetings at Vince’s house, you know that discipleship is going to be the centerpiece of the ministry of RCC. If you are new to RCC, you will very quickly learn the same thing. As we roll out, you will hear about assimilation, worship, conversation groups, service and other events and ministries, but discipleship is at the center of this.

You may ask, “Why is discipleship the center?” The answer is because this is how we grow into the life that Jesus has called us to. We know that Jesus came not to be an addition to the life that we have, but to give us a new life. A life that is full and abundant in the measurement of the Kingdom of Heaven. Worship, service, growth and all the other elements of the Christian life, are a natural outflow of the life discipleship. In other words, as we grow in our relationship with God, through discipleship, we naturally desire and seek the things of God in our life. We worship as an expression of gratitude, we serve because it is what we desire to do, and we love because God loved us so much that it overflows out us.

Discipleship is the vehicle that takes us from a starting point in our walk with God and puts us on the road towards the life He intends for us. It is a continual process and once you start, you don’t ever stop. If you are a part of RCC now, or in the future, you will go through the discipleship study; however, this is just a start, not the end. We will not say “OK, you are ‘discipled’, you are NOW a disciple… all done…. NEXT”.

Are you still with me? OK, good… The importance of all this really became clear to me this morning. I was reading through the booklet we will be giving to people as they come to Christ, as a starting point for discipleship. There is a ‘salvation’ prayer in the book and it contains the following statement ‘As best I know how and with your help, I want to live for you from this day forward.’ I read this and it hit me, how important discipleship is. ‘As best I know how….’? I think this statement unintentionally and single-handedly sums up the reason why so many people walk away from the Christian life.

Find out why I think this in part 2....