OUR VISION

“I have a dream … I dream of a world where disciple-making is a reality and not just an ideal; where disciples make disciples who make disciples and unleash the explosive power of spiritual multiplication.” ¹

A 2018 report on “Translating The Great Commission,” by The Barna Group and Seed Company, revealed that “more than half of U.S. churchgoers have not heard of The Great Commission. Even when presented with a list of passages, 37 percent didn’t recognize which well-known passage typically goes by this name.”  In addition, 25 percent who have heard of The Great Commission don’t know what it means.

One conclusion of the Barna / Seed Company report was this: “Ignorance of this term can be attributed to churches not teaching this concept enough anymore.”

A critical question is, what kind of teaching will be most effective to correct the widespread ignorance of the implications and practice of The Great Commission?

WE BELIEVE the most effective way to teach people the concepts and practice of The Great Commission is through people who are currently disciple-makers:

• Models who illustrate and demonstrate what a disciple of Jesus is through our lives;
• Advocates who speak, write, and urge people to live as intentional, personal disciple-makers;
• Catalysts who invite people to begin their own journey into disciple-making with us and personally train them to make other disciples also.

WE ARE a network of disciple-makers living in New England who are training men and women to live intentionally, and personally, as disciple-makers of Jesus Christ wherever we are.  We minister in a variety of churches throughout New England.

OUR VISION is to help create an identifiable culture of intentional, personal disciple-making throughout the Church of New England.

OUR PURPOSE is to train men and women to live intentionally, and personally, as disciple-makers of Jesus Christ so we will be models, advocates, and catalysts who reproduce other disciple-makers wherever God has placed us.

Since ministry terms such as “discipleship” and “evangelism” often mean different things to different people, the following terms are important to the purpose of our network.

• Disciple-maker: a person who leads other people into a relationship with Jesus and teaches them to obey all that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). This is a process over time that includes evangelism, discipleship, and making other disciples.  The word “make” is important.  Our purpose is not just personal discipleship (being in the process alone).  It is personal disciple-making.

• Intentional: purposeful, deliberate, preplanned, not by accident. Making disciples requires objectives and plans that disciple-makers initiate and fulfill in order to lead people into a relationship with Jesus and train them to obediently follow Jesus. Intentionality requires continuous initiating and follow-up.

• Personal: Every disciple of Jesus is an individual whom God draws to Himself personally. In turn, each believer has the personal responsibility to lead lost people into saving relationships with Christ and teach them to do all that Jesus commanded.  As a result, intentional disciple-making must be tailor-made to the needs of the individual disciple of Jesus.

• Reproduce: produce a copy or representation of. We are asking God to reproduce the life and mission of Jesus that is in us in another person.  (1 Corinthians 4:16-17; 2 Timothy 3:10-11)

The key to OUR MINISTRY STRATEGY is a network of disciple-makers who share the above vision and purpose, and who are eager to work and grow together to intentionally, and personally, make other disciple-makers wherever God has placed them. 

Each member of our network is ministering intentionally, personally, and regularly to help individuals develop the following characteristics:

• Intimacy with Jesus: a passion to know, love and become like Christ – Philippians 3:7-11
• The Lordship of Christ: surrender to His will – Luke 9:23
• Prayer and Faith: reliance on prayer and God’s promises – Colossians 4:2
• God’s Word: knowing, understanding, living, and teaching the Bible – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
• Community: authentic, loving relationships – Hebrews 10:23-25
• Influencing the Lost: living among spiritually lost people by words and actions – Luke 19:10
• Spiritual Reproduction: making disciples who make other disciples – 2 Timothy 2:1-2.

Our network members train men and women in these characteristics under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God so that those we disciple will grow into fruitful disciples of Jesus. 

Even though we all focus on the same characteristics, we are not leading people through a set, cookie-cutter curriculum.  Each disciple-maker uses ministry methods and tools that are best suited to the needs of the people they are discipling.  We spend time with those we are discipling in a variety of ways; we meet with them regularly (usually weekly or biweekly); we pray for them and with them; we model our walk with Christ for them in the midst of everyday life; and we teach them to apply the Bible in a variety of ways.  Ultimately our goal is to reproduce our lives spiritually to the point where they can make other disciples.

OUR QUESTION: What if you had a team of men and women in your church who lived intentionally, and personally, as disciple-makers of Jesus and they reproduced other disciple-makers?

Because the purpose of our network is to be models, advocates, and catalysts to create an identifiable culture of intentional, personal disciple-making in New England, WE ARE AVAILABLE to encourage and help anyone in the body of Christ in New England who shares Jesus’ passion to make disciples who make other disciples.

We understand that everyone is in a unique place along their journey with Jesus.  There is no “one size fits all” plan to develop reproducing disciples of Jesus.  However, we can help you evaluate where you are along the pathway toward making disciples of Jesus and help you identify your next steps.

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”

Matthew 28:18-20

1. Dale Losch, crossworld.org