OUR VISION

To help create an identifiable culture of intentional, personal disciple-making throughout the Church of New England.

“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.”

Dale Losch, crossworld.org

The Great Commission

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.”

What Works

What method of teaching will be most effective to correct the widespread ignorance of the implications and practice of The Great Commission ?

WE BELIEVE the concepts and practice of The Great Commission are best taught through disciple-makers who are:

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.

How To Do It

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. 

Important Terms

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.