Over my lifetime, I have observed that we as the Church in Australia have only on occasion become a “movement” – that is, where we have begun to multiply so that we see believers not only maturing but leading others to Christ and then disciplining them to do the same thing. This is what we need going forward. But the key to being a movement lies in discipleship. And, in my opinion, in discipleship only.
In my book “The Genius in the Kingdom: How Discipleship Impacts Church Planting” I write:
“The age we live in now has changed, and we live at a time when the world around us is post-Christian in its attitudes and pre-Christian in its understanding.32 Yet, a disciple-making culture can produce people who are wise about the age in which they live and who engage fully with those around them in Gospel-based storying. These are those who will be committed to the right strategy going forward and who will provide the momentum for Church planting in 21st-century Australia. Disciple-making needs to be a process that is led by those who are instinctive themselves in the way of Jesus and who are also able to read the patterns of life in the world around them and to live the way of Jesus amongst those patterns and in doing so become the best advance notice of the Kingdom of God.”
My conviction is that disciples will establish new faith communities – lots of them. Planting is currently treated as a task for experts. I suggest that we think of it as a task for disciples.
Peace
Colin
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