Is It Enough To Just Teach The Bible?
Our fellowship has some good strengths. I took a survey. Most of the people say that we are strong in: Teaching, Worship and Fellowship. Those are really good things.
We are weak in Leadership, Discipleship and Serving/Evangelism. That’s bad.
My biggest lesson of 09 is: “Invest in your strengths”. We are going to invest in our strength of Teaching, to be more intentional about discipleship, in order to raise up more leaders, who will in turn enable us to be a serving church again. Why? I want to serve better. -I’m starting, by giving the Bible the boot. (well, in part) I’ve been teaching the Bible for 10 years 2-3 times a week. I’m beginning to challenge my ingrained notions of Calvary Chapel idealism. It’s been a hard conclusion to come to… but I’m there. Teaching the Bible isn’t Enough.
I want to serve better. To do that, I’m going to stop teaching the Bible… (gasp) – in part. This plan does include an opportunity for me to invest more richly in the verse by verse expositions that will continue on Sunday mornings. Any Souther California CC cop who stops in for a Sunday morning judgment visit will indeed, still find us teaching verse by verse.
Have I mentioned that I want to serve better? I’ve concluded, that teaching the Bible does not equal discipleship. I have learned in the Bible that I am called to make disciples. Teaching the Bible does produce a few self-made disciple types… but these are few and far between. I would wager that many of us who are in ministry right now are probably the ’self-made’ disciple types. I am. No one really discipled me (that is, with purpose and intent).
Our midweeks are going to change. Instead of telling folks: “This is the Bible. This is what it means. This is how you should apply it to your life. Ok Goodbye!”, we are going to be more intentional about leading folks through the maze of discovering how to receive, infuse and live the perpetual goodness of Biblical truth. We’re going to start out with two levels of discipleship. Everyone who goes through the first level, can then, move onto the next level. For those who complete the next level, I am goin to be developing more in-depth studies based on the 10 topics that we will be covering in 2nd level.
I’m going to be infusing a quarterly family night to emphasize the need for rich fellowship. I’m going to spring occassional ’service’ opportunities… where, instead of having a class, we are all goin to work together to fill food boxes for the poor, or write letters to prisoners, or fill out invitations to the Christmas Eve service.. or.. whatever-
We used to have a strong core of leaders. We also planted 6 churches. Now we’re not that impressive. We don’t get out in the community but once a month. We need to raise up leaders. We’re goin to do this by not teaching the Bible (as much). Please pray that we see fruit.
October 23, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Chad, I love the fact that you are thinking through everything. Youre not re-inventing the wheel but you are clearly waiting on the Lord to see what direction He may be taking you into. I think that is a good lesson for all of us…we have to be lead by the Spirit.
Lets talk on the phone again sometime.
Blessings!
October 23, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Have you been talking to my pastor? It seems that we are starting a discipleship series on Wed nite instead of verse by verse. I’m encouraged at the recognition of needing the body to be active and focused at being the salt of the earth. I think that that is what Jesus wants us to be. It just doesn’t happen by osmosis. Even if there are a few ’self made disciples’, the majority of believers, need deliberate and functional teaching about our service to the Kingdom. I love your direction! Keep us posted as to how the Lord honors this!
October 23, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Pretty cool thoughts. It has been fun to follow you on FB and your blog. I came up totally CC, but have been growing in the same direction, so our journeys kind of parallel one anothers. I am a card carrying, knuckle dragging modernist who loves VBV and deductive preaching. I attend Liberty Seminary and have really benefited from learning about the current postmodern culture and how to communicate effectively. (I also attend and serve a super postmodern congregation, so that helps!) LBTS was the last place I figured I would see that, but they are cutting edge and it has opened my eyes and expanded my horizons as I have embraced stuff like inductive preaching and things other than VBV. That having been said, I will never give up the Word as the center and focus of my ministry the way that some have as they have gone too far. Not exactly the same as what you are going through, but I feel the same way about things as I get older and learn more.
October 26, 2009 at 1:44 pm
This has been something that I have been pondering for awhile lately. Chad always has a gift in putting thoughts into writing.
Our church has quite a few brand new Christians who come on Sunday mornings only. The verse by verse has been good, but there are so many basic things they are not learning. So I am considering doing topical on Sunday mornings at 10:45 for our community worship service. We also started a 9:30 Bible Survey class for those who who desire to get deeper in the Word as well as a mid week, home group women’s and men’s Bible studies for deeper study as well.
This is something I have been praying about.