Church PLANT Manual

Session 3: Nurture and Transition • 67

Seminar 7 Effective Discipling 1

While evangelism and incorporating new believers into the family of God are good measures of initial growth and effectiveness, numerical growth can be deceptive in terms of calculating spiritual growth. Many church planters become consumed with the numbers game and can quickly fall into guilt and shame when blinded my numeric comparisons with other churches. Church planters should always keep in mind that numeric growth is not necessarily an indicator of discipleship. This is a lesson many church planters have learned the hard way. As difficult as it may be to read, evangelism is not the end of the work of the church. It is merely the beginning. The truest work of the church in responding to the Great Commission of our Lord is to make disciples. Therefore, you will need a strategy for making disciples within the church. The following outline is offered to help your team—and the church as you equip them later—to understand the heart and rhythms of discipleship. I. The Great Commission, the Kingdom of God, and the Church of Jesus Christ A. The Great Commission, Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:8; John 20:21 1. The authority of Jesus Christ 2. The mandate to go into all nations, make disciples, and baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

1 Adapted from a seminar by Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis in Ripe for Harvest , pp. 359-367.