the foundry college-age ministry

Why Discipleship?

Our vision

At Magnolia Avenue Baptist Church we lead people to become authentic followers of Jesus Christ. To do this we create steps for members to help them move forward in their maturing process. In everything we we ask, “Does this promote more authentic faith in Jesus?” We also believe maturity happens best when Christians focus on biblical principals.  We focus on five important principles we find in God’s word.

Our purpose

One of the five principals is Discipleship.  We focus upon Discipleship because it is permeates every aspect of Christian living.  Generally in Christian theology, discipleship is a term used to refer to a disciple’s transformation from some other worldview and practice of life into that of Jesus Christ.  Note the Apostle Paul’s description of this process, that the disciple “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) Therefore a disciple is not simply an accumulator of information or one who merely changes moral behavior in regard to the teachings of Jesus Christ, but seeks a fundamental shift toward the ethics of Jesus Christ in every way.  Martin Luther called on Christians to be “little Christs.”

One of the signs of this transformation is reproduction, or evangelism.  Ubiquitous throughout Christianity is the practice of evangelization, making new disciples. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, when calling his earliest disciples Simon (Peter) and Andrew , he says to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Then, at the very end of his ministry Jesus institutes the Great Commission, commanding all present to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20a). Jesus has incorporated this practice into the very definition of being a disciple and experiencing discipleship.

Our target audience

Given the ethical focus of discipleship, members of discipleship groups are not usually looking for more teaching on theology, but a living example of theology.  We target those who are currently attending worship services on a consistent basis.  For these men and women, the next step requires the application of these weekly sermons to daily life. This step requires members to be in at atmosphere where the living out of Christian ethics is the focus. To assist in this process, Discipleship Groups are designed to bring the specific struggles of specific persons to the forefront on a weekly basis.

The Program

Prayer

When many people think about changing the way they pray, they think about changing methods of prayer.  Our methods of prayer are not what we need to learn; we must learn to refine the content of our prayers.  Many of us focus on health, prosperity in jobs, education, relationships, etc. in prayer.  Others seek direction for specific areas of life.  But that is not what the apostles pray about.  Take Paul for example.  You do not read about him praying for himself – he constantly prays for others.  In relation to himself, he only asks others to pray for him.  Reading the gospels, we tend to focus on the prayers Jesus prays for himself, but these are relatively few.  We must learn to pray for the things God is concerned about – the spiritual unity, active love, and enduring faithfulness of the church.  These are the things we will be praying for each other.

Accountability

Our groups will move on to accountability.  This time is for reviewing the action plans the group came up with at the end of the last meeting.  Key Ingredients to building accountability are trust and trustworthiness.  If either of these are broken, accountability breaks down too.  In order to maintain trust and trustworthiness, we commit to each other these things:
1. We require and embody truth of ourselves and our group members,
2. We require and embody confidentiality with our group members’ private matters,
3. We require and embody warmth, empathy, and respect toward ourselves and our group members.
With these three things the road to accountability is paved.

Coaching

Our groups end with coaching.  During this time, the standards of living are reviewed from the week’s sermon.  After reviewing the truths, the group tells each other how they plan to implement specific biblical practices in their daily lives.  The group then offers support in whatever way it can give it.  The purpose of this last segment is to identify areas of growth, make plans to improve, and empower each other to follow through on our good intentions.  In short, we come up with a test, and help each other pass it.

Conclusion
These elements sum up what community is all about: selfless prayer, selfless honesty, and selfless service for another.  If you are looking for true community, you are going to have to work for it.  We have faith in God, that he has built into you what you need to succeed in your Christian life!  We are 100% behind you, beside you, and when you need it, in front of you leading.  Join us – you’ll be glad you did!