Go And Make Disciples!

Deeann, Whitney and I have been overwhelmed by the loving care we see the members of this body share with one another here at Garden Ridge! When our family members come to visit, they all remark on the friendliness and spirit of joy they encounter as they worship and fellowship with the body here. It is uplifting and refreshing to the soul! It is a testimony to the Spirit of God working among His people to produce fruit. (Now don’t go letting this give you the big head!)

As a result of this type of love for one another and joy in worshiping the Lord we have seen God doing some powerful things all around us. 2008 has started off with awesome things happening as each week this year we have seen our church family grow. Thus far, in 2008, we have seen 5 new births into the Lord and 15 individuals express interest in being part of the church family here. (Let God receive the glory for this!) However, with this type of growth we need to consider how we will help people connect to the church family in ways that encourage spiritual maturation and empowerment so individuals are confident and equipped to put their talents and passions to work in ways that serve the Lord, one another, and our community.

The eldership and ministry staff have been meeting to try and organize a process for helping each member move forward in their spiritual growth so they become tools in God’s hand and ambassadors who can serve within His will, while also providing a witness that attracts many more to realize their need to live within a bond of covenant love with their Father in heaven. The goal is to make disciples—just as Jesus called His apostles to do as He prepared to ascend back to the Father. The task is to provide training, love, support, encouragement, empowerment, accountability and opportunity to grow in our understanding of God and His ways and to put our faith into practice in real ways that make an eternal difference. The process is multi-layered.

One of the things each member should realize is the importance of the various types of group encounters provided through the various classes, worship times and ministries at Garden Ridge each week. It would be ideal for each member to be involved in a time of worship with the whole church family; a time of more intensive Bible study (at least once a week); and a time of small group interaction to develop intimacy with others in the family and have accountability from some who really know what is going on in our lives each week. That is why there are Bible classes and Life Groups to participate in beyond the worship time we have together on Sunday. Each of these provides a dynamic for spiritual growth that the others cannot offer.

In addition to this, each of us must learn to exercise our faith by putting it to work in practical ways. Our talents and passions need to be employed in the work of the Kingdom so that our God is presented as real and His ways as truly beneficial in everyday living. A faith that does not work is useless (or barren—as the word James uses in James 2:20 also means) and we all know what Jesus did to the fig tree that was barren in Mark 11:13-14, don’t we? Putting our faith to work shows it is part of us and not just something we give lip service to. Our “religion” actually becomes a lifestyle; part of our character and personhood.

This is what Jesus was calling us to as He told His followers to “make disciples”. He wants us to follow Him, learn from Him, and draw others to Him as ambassadors of God, helping people see the reconciliation available to them in their relationship with God. He wants us to be intentional in the way we use our time, talents, resources and opportunities so we consistently grow in the ways of our Father in Heaven.

Most of us have already signed up for this—let the training and service continue!!!

-Scott