Practicing Christian Leadership, Student Workbook, SW11

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P R A C T I C I N G C H R I S T I A N L E A D E R S H I P

Effective Christian Education: Incorporating, Parenting, and Discipling

Segment 2: Parenting and Discipling in the Church

Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

Spiritual parenthood is the art of nurturing and protecting new and growing believers in the context of the local church. Our objective for this segment, Effective Christian Education: Parenting and Discipling in the Church , is to enable you to see that: • Practicing Christian leaders are called to build up the Church as they exercise spiritual parenthood of new and immature believers in the body of Christ. • This parent is neither lording it over new believers nor controlling them, but equipping them through example and teaching to live as mature, fruit-bearing disciples of Christ. • All efforts toward equipping and parenting are for the purpose of maturing the members of the body of Christ, and not for the purpose of the control by the leader or teacher. • Paul used the metaphor of spiritual parenthood to describe his relationship both to individuals and churches under the care of his ministry. In same way a parent cares for a child, so Paul nurtured new believers in the faith through his personal correspondence with them, his personal intercession for them, his personal example, his instruction, and the representatives he sent to them. • In the same way the Apostles raised up spiritual children through faithful care and nurture, so the Lord is calling us to take personal responsibility for the care, feeding, and protection of new and growing believers under our care, using the same insights and practices as the Apostles.

Summary of Segment 2

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