Ministry of Discipleship
Discipleship is the process by which an individual—a disciple—goes through the daily task of transforming his/her life in resemblance to Christ’s life.
This Ministry has existed ever since the founding of IBNE; with the help of Pastor Jim Mehl and his wife Katy, discipleship has consisted in ONE on ONE sessions, as well as small group sessions.
IBNE’s congregation is characterized by its member’s growth, but not just in a numerical sense, but rather by the spiritual thirst in each of the members that drives them to pursue spiritual growth.
Some disciples might see this spiritual growth as unnecessary and optional. But spiritual growth is an essential part of life; right after birth, the doctor looks for signs of life in the newborn: our growth starts with the first cry.
Paul wanted this growth for the churches he addressed in his letters, as well as Peter, who motivated the exiled Christians by saying: “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1Pet. 2:2)
The true spiritual growth experienced in discipleship is not only focused in learning more bible verses or expanding our knowledge in the Scriptures, but it is centered in shaping ourselves to the image of Jesus Christ, Christian concept of dying to our “I”. Our church grounds its teachings in 16 lessons, which begin with lesson 1: “Salvation” and end with lesson 16: “Christ’s Court”. However, it’s not just about giving and receiving information; in order to successfully complete discipleship, five goals must be met.
What are these five goals?
- Establish the disciple in the Word of God. What does this mean? That the disciple must view the word of God as the final authority in his/her life. There is nothing in the disciple’s life where God’s word is absent, and when God’s word speaks it must be regarded as the Truth. This is the goal that must be transmitted to the disciple. Why? Because God’s word is power.
- Establish the disciple in communion with other Christians. This goal is key to the normal growth and development of a disciple. If we fail to strengthen the relationship between the disciple and the rest of the congregation, then we have nothing but someone that warms up the church’s chairs. This goal is important because communication between the disciple (new believer) and his/her brothers and sisters in Christ create a favorable atmosphere for the disciple to substitute his past life with a new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-18).
- Establish the disciple in the local church. The purpose for this goal is for the disciple to identify himself with God’s body, with the church God has established. When we say ‘church’ we don’t mean the building or a specific denomination, we refer to a group of saved individuals that God has called to serve in a specific place. What we’re aiming for is for the disciple to feel that the church is his home, where he is loved and that he feels encouraged to serve, knowing this is place for him to hone his skills and do the ministry’s work.
- Establish the disciple in the Ministry of Word. Here the disciple starts to understand the necessity of using his vocation as support in his service for the Lord. The purpose is to produce workers for Christ, with the right motives, prepared to witness, for each of them to in likeness to the image of God. Each disciple must know that his/her works will be judged in God’s court, which is why they must be actively involved in any activity taking place in the different ministries. The disciple must know that his witness involves: his condition before knowing Christ, his encounter with God leading to his salvation and his present condition in relation to God.
- Establish the disciple in the Gospel. The disciple must be aware that this is a command from God (Mat. 28: 19-20). Jesus called His disciples to carry out a very specific task: to become fishers of men. The discipleship’s task is not over until the disciple is actively witnessing to others; he must learn how to share the message of salvation and allow the Holy Spirit to take control of his actions. He must learn that witnessing is a 24/7 task (2 Tim. 4:2), it can take place at work, home, school, with neighbors, anywhere. In John 15:16, Jesus as teacher was not comfortable with His disciples just listening to His teachings; He expected from them transformed and fruitful lives. For this specific task He had chosen them, it wasn’t the disciples who chose Jesus, but Jesus who chose His disciples.
This biblical discipleship is not just a program, it’s a 16-step process with the goal to last a life-time and transmit onto others. In the first semester, 15 people have started receiving their lessons in discipleship I. The purpose is not to complete all 16 stages of discipleship within a specific time period, but to learn and practice the five goals. Each person advances through this discipleship using different techniques and at their own pace; not everyone learns with the same methods, what matters the most is for each individual to start living their lives in accordance with the lessons taught in discipleship.
The ministry has 35 teachers to carry on the lessons of discipleship; it’s divided between men and women, and each teacher has been prepared for the task by taking a seminar called “How To Teach Discipleship”.
In the month of November, individuals who have completed all of their discipleship are awarded a diploma at a graduating ceremony.
This Ministry also stays in touch with other churches interested in beginning discipleship in their own congregations. We give conferences to these churches and help them follow the necessary steps to establish a discipleship ministry, teach it and have prosperous spiritual growth in their congregation. We want to show them the task of multiplication God gave to us, Christians, when He said “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations” (Mat. 28: 19-20). This is a command that Jesus, as the principal teacher, gives to the rest of us in order to work in other people’s lives. If any local church is interested in this biblical discipleship they can learn more about it by contacting Pastor Jim Mehl through the address shown on the screen, or calling the phone numbers given in the website.
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