Below are 20 nuggets from our time at training in Virginia prior to coming to the field. Many of these are direct quotes while some include our reflections after pressing into the different subjects that were presented. Because mission is the gas that the church runs on, we hope that these "lessons learned" will be helpful to you and your church wherever you might be. We were immensely blessed by our seven weeks on campus and are grateful to each of the people that made this such an encouraging time of equipping for our family.
GOSPEL
1. GRAND-NARRATIVE. “The greatest tool for mobilizing churches to engage in God’s mission in the world is the meta-narrative of Scripture. When churches see how the entirety of Scripture points to God’s mission in the world and realize that they have an opportunity to be a part of His work among the nations, they’ll be inspired to go. Once they see God’s glory amongst the nations as a part of the meta-narrative, they’ll want to play their part.” -Mark Stevens
2. THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL. There are a plethora of noble humanitarian, social, economic, etc. efforts taking place around the world. According to a long-term statistical study conducted by Robert Woodberry, however, there is one effort that has brought far more lasting change in countries around the world than any other: the proclamation of the Gospel. Woodberry’s research finds that, “where Protestant missionaries had a significant historical presence, those countries on average are now more economically developed … have comparatively better health, lower infant mortality, lower corruption, greater literacy, higher educational attainment (especially for women), and more robust membership in non-governmental associations” (summary statement taken from The Truth About Missionaries (tifwe.org); original article can be found here, The Missionary Roots of Liberal Democracy).
3. THE SIMPLE GOSPEL. It is the simple gospel that has the power to transform lives. Keep it simple! Research has shown that the conveyance of the gospel is significantly inhibited when people try to "put the mask on" to develop a relationship for the purpose of sharing the gospel and then later "take the mask off” to actually share the gospel. Don't be so culturally sensitive that you end up living out a gospel that is void of power to transform. Culture must inform us. It can not drive us.
4. HOW CAN WE BE UNITED? "When the Great Commission is not the lead topic of conversation in the SBC, other topics will divide us." -Dr. Chitwood
5. OWN YOUR GEOGRAPHY. God has put you where you are for a reason. Don't be the reason that someone never hears the gospel. Engage your zip code with the good news. You must actively—not passively—pursue those around you. In the next twenty years, we can influence those who will reach the ends of the earth.
6. CALLING. "Go where you are needed most unless God has made it abundantly clear why you should stay where you are needed far less." -Zane Pratt
"Go where you are needed most unless God has made it abundantly clear why you should stay where you are needed far less." -Zane Pratt
DISCIPLE
7. LACKING. “One of the pitfalls of larger churches is that discipleship and accountability are not happening. Without accountability, discipleship (the transformation of a person into Christ’s likeness) can not occur. We have gotten so comfortable with the veneer that we wear that nobody actually knows us at a level where they can hold us accountable. To truly disciple someone, you have to show up and be a part of their life. Discipleship is not a foray into a Bible study or small group once a week and then you're done. You're sharing not only your words. You're sharing your life (1 Th 2:8). You're not teaching content. You're training people.”
"To truly disciple someone, you have to show up and be a part of their life. Discipleship is not a foray into a Bible study or small group once a week and then you're done. You're sharing not only your words. You're sharing your life (1 Th 2:8). You're not teaching content. You're training people.”
8. FOUR ASPECTS. “There were 4 aspects of what it meant to be a disciple in Jesus’s day: (1) student; (2) companion and follower; (3) apprentice; (4) reflector. You could tell who a disciple’s teacher (rabbi) was not simply by what they taught, but how they taught ... their mannerisms and the way that they spoke. You need to be meeting with your disciples at least weekly. You don’t have to use a system or a workbook or a program. You must center your discipleship on the Word.”
"You could tell who a disciple’s teacher (rabbi) was not simply by what they taught, but how they taught ... their mannerisms and the way that they spoke."
9. FIVE WAYS THAT JESUS DEFINES HIS DISCIPLES
Radical. Luke 14:25-33 - A disciple of Jesus radically treasures Jesus above everything and everyone else.
Dependent. John 8:31-32; John 15:1-11 - A disciple of Jesus abides in and depends upon Jesus's Word.
Sacrificial. John 13:34-35 - A disciple of Jesus sacrificially loves others like Jesus.
Fruitful. John 15:5-8 - A disciple of Jesus bears fruit for Jesus.
Missional. Matthew 28:18-20 - A disciple of Jesus longs for God to be glorified in every nation and works toward that end.
10. TRANSFORMATIONAL VERSUS INFORMATIONAL DISCIPLESHIP: HEAD, HEART, HANDS. Problem. Most of what constitutes discipleship in America focuses on a transfer of information to a person rather than the transformation of a person. This imbalance is not simply dangerous, but harmful. While knowledge is a critical aspect of discipleship (John 8:31-32; Rom 12:2), discipleship that is biblical aims at transformation in every facet of life, not just one (mind, heart, will, affections, relationships, and purpose). We must no longer relegate being and doing to matters of secondary importance. We must resist the subconscious idea that obedience is an optional add-on. Solution. Practically speaking, two things need to occur. First, we must figure out ways to get brothers and sisters into relationships with other brothers and sisters where transparency (confession of sin) and accountability (follow-up on that confession) are actually occurring. Second, we must delegate a portion of our time to following-up on how the group or person has applied and shared the old information they received from the previous meeting before sharing new information. Biblical discipleship is transformational. It transforms the head, the heart, and the hands. Know. Be. Do.
Most of what constitutes discipleship in America focuses on a transfer of information to the person rather than the transformation of the person. This imbalance is not simply neutral. It's dangerous. We must no longer relegate being and doing to matters of secondary importance. We must resist the subconscious idea that obedience is an optional add-on.
CHURCH
11. TOWARDS A METRIC: It is part of the human condition to maximize the value of our strengths and minimize the importance of our weaknesses. The same is true when we think and speak about our church. Because our underlying prejudices and preferences can so easily distort reality, we find that it necessary to (1) identify how God defines a healthy church in His Word so that we can then (2) set a goal for what we are aiming at and (3) establish an objective metric to understand where we actually are on that continuum and (4) identify specific areas for where we need to grow to become a biblically healthy church. We have adapted this metric, How Healthy is My Church?, from one of our files at training as a good starting point towards an objective metric based God's Word. This is a document that we hope to continue to refine in the future.
12. THE PREDICTABILITY OF GROWTH AND DECLINE. Historically, when the members of a church grasp the biblical reality that they are a “priesthood of believers” and are actively engaged in the ministry itself, and the leaders of the church recognize that their biblical function is to “equip the saints for the work of ministry,” the church has grown (1 Pet 2:1-10; Eph 4:12). When the members of the church lose this sense of the "priesthood of all believers" and relegate the work of the ministry “to the paid professionals,” the church inevitably will begin to decline. Therefore, every disciple in the church must embrace their God ordained, biblical role among the “priesthood of believer’s” ... members and leaders alike.
13. DEEP OR WIDE? “We go deep and wide at the same time. When I first started as a missionary, I thought you could only do one or the other. I struggled with this for years (I came from seminary and thought you could only go deep). What we see in Acts and the Epistles is that Paul went deep and wide at the same time. As soon as I realized that you we need to do both, I was so much better off. The sooner you can get this, the better off you’ll be.” -Mark Stevens
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
14. A BATTLE … REALLY? Do we live our lives like there is a spiritual battle happening around us? At the end of the day, the belief that we most often functionally live from is the belief that, "if you work hard, you'll be successful."
"At the end of the day, the belief that we most often functionally live from is the belief that, "if you work hard, you'll be successful."
15. WHY WE SIN AND HOW WE CAN STOP
WHY DO WE SIN? | HOW CAN WE STOP? |
We don't know truth. We don't trust God. We give into our desires. | Know truth. Trust God. Surrender our desires to God. |
16. SATAN’S TACTICS AND OUR VICTORY Satan wants to:
Rob us from the best that God wants for us.
Make us think we still have personal rights.
Make us think that time and possessions our ours.
Emphasize the self-life that is controlled by the flesh ... "My rights, my entitlements, what is right for ME, those are the temptations of Satan. The self-life is controlled by Satan and the flesh."
17. VICTORY. The basis for victory is our love for Jesus Christ. The most effective deterrent to the allure of the world is to have a heart that is desperate for God. (These last two nuggets were compiled from sessions taught by Clyde Meador).
"The basis for victory is our love for Jesus Christ. The most effective deterrent to the allure of the world is to have a heart that is desperate for God."
18. ON HOLINESS. Don't take your holiness lightly. Set a non-negotiable for your time with the Lord. You have all you need to do and accomplish what He wants to do through you.
19. TWO ELEMENTS. There are two critical elements for success and longevity on the mission field: (1) thinking of others; (2) an attitude of gratitude.
20. DEFINING SUCCESS. Faithfulness is success. Faithfulness is defined as (1) working hard, (2) working smart, and (3) trusting God with the results.
תגובות