Kingfisher Leadership News - January 2020

Kingfisher Leadership

1st January 2020

Kingfisher Leadership news The four-fold discipleship process from Acts 14:21-23

Go and make disciples‌ New Year is traditionally a time to take stock and to

"After preaching the Good News in form resolutions and goals for the coming year. What Derbe and making many disciples, better goal can a leader have than to become more Paul and Barnabas returned to strategic and serious about developing those around us into more effective disciples of Christ?

Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the The primary calling of a leader is to 'make believers. They encouraged disciples' (Matthew 28:19-20). a leader is not them to continue in the fundamentally appointed to ensure that faith, reminding them ministry is carried out, but to ensure that disciples are made. Looking at how Jesus that they must enter into The leader’s made disciples shows us that a large part of the Kingdom of God that process was directed, not at the formal through many role: to teaching of doctrine and theology, but at the tribulations. Paul and encourage informal, ongoing formation of godly Barnabas also appointed character. the elders in every church character of The Gospel of Luke highlights certain and prayed for them aspects of discipling that Jesus employed. with fasting, turning Christ in These included: them over to the care of those who the Lord, in whom they Formal teaching (4:16-30; 19:47-21:38; follow 6:20-49; 8:4-8;11:29-36; had come to trust." (Acts 14:26-35;20:9-18;8:10; 10:21-24 etc) 14:21-23) Confirming or strengthening the souls/ minds of the disciples (verse 22) Encouraging them to continue in the faith in spite of persecution (verse 22)

Modelling (6:29-35; 4:1-13; 11:1-4 etc) Establishing a serving community... Jesus, like all rabbis demanded that his disciples learned their lessons by rote (6:20-26). But serving others was much higher on Jesus' agenda for his disciples.

They were commissioned (5:10) and empowered for ministry, fi rst in Israel (9:1; 10:19) and then amongst all the nations (24:47-49)

Gathering believers into churches over which elders were appointed as teachers and spiritual guides (verse 23) Entrusting them to the Lord with prayer and fasting (verse 23)

1

Kingfisher Leadership

1st January 2016

Action and reflection. Jesus' disciples were called to 'catch people' (5:20). Like every Jewish male learning a trade, they were expected to observe and learn from working with Jesus.

They were apprentice-proclaimers of the kingdom, bearing testimony to Jesus.

This pattern is largely repeated throughout Acts as the method Paul and Barnabas employed to disciple people: They 'strengthened the souls of the disciples' and the church in the with, by teaching, warning and encouragement (Acts 15:36, 41; 16:5; 18:23; 20:1,2,30)

Demonstration. The news of what Jesus did spread widely (5:15) and many responded in amazement and gave prise to God (5:26; 7:16; 18:43). 19:37 records that. 'whole multitude' of disciples recognised God's power demonstrated in Jesus' miracles. Healing the demonpossessed was a prominent part of Jesus' ministry from the very beginning (4:31-36,41)

(‘strengthen': sterizo, which means to strengthen, set up, make firm, establish, support. So, discipling involves teaching be elements of the faith to new believers in order for them to understand , feel and be able to stand firm. Sterizo is about imparting beliefs, not merely at an intellectual level, but also at the level of feelings. )

Establishing the development of maturity.

Jesus was seeking to enable His disciples to develop to maturity and to learn to think for themselves. They had the potential to develop into 'good soil' by learning the word of God, holding onto it and bearing fruit (8:5-15).

Enlightenment came with Jesus' presence after the resurrection. The women 'remembered'. The eyes of the two me on the road to Emmaus 'were opened'. He appeared to the disciples in Jerusalem and 'he opened their minds' (24:8,31,45).

They encouraged people to longterm commitment to faith in Jesus.

The verb 'to encourage' (parakaleo) means 'to call someone to oneself ' or 'an admonishment to stand firm'.

Encouragement is not a formal teaching activity, but in Acts it happened informally, sometimes just through a person's presence , or by words, visits and letters (15:31,32; 16;40, 20:1,2). Encouragement equipped new converts to stand firmly in the faith and persevere in spite of suering or persecution, knowing Jesus' presence was with them.

Discipleship is NOT about forming a team to get the job done, or fulfil the ministry. Discipleship is about entering into a relationship with someone with the intention of participating in the formation of the character of Christ in that person. It is the central task of leadership, at the core of the Great Commission ("Go and make disciples of all nations..." ). Our role as leaders, therefore, is to make disciples, enabling the character of Christ to be formed in others. •

2

Come to receive a fresh touch from

Kingfisher Leadership

Discipling occurred within a community of faith. Probably, only Apollos was disciples alone (18:24-26). Those who committed themselves to belief in Jesus declared it publicly in baptism and then they and their households gathered into groups, united by their faith, belonging to one another. They met regularly and formed close, personal relationships with one another. Within these groups, leadership was important.

New believers were entrusted to His special keeping through fasting and prayer. In other words, their personal relationship with God was the most important aspect of their discipleship. Paul fasted and prayed for the churches he helped to establish, but he commended believers to god for his buried, teaching and care (20:32,36). Greater than all human relationships was their relationship with God. They went Paul's disciples...they we the disciples of Jesus Christ.

1st January 2016

Resources: Available from Sunday 26th January on the Kingfisher church YouTube channel and from kingfi sherfamily.org: Vision 2020 - our calling from God to take the Great Commission seriously. This is a call to action - it is not the Great Suggestion, it is our marching orders to Go, Make, Baptise, Teach.What does this mean for you and me in the year 2020 and beyond?

Keep up-to-date with developments around the world, from church building in the Philippines to church planting in India, from chicken rearing in Zimbabwe to the ministry of reconciliation in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by visiting the Kingfisherfamily Facebook page (if you ‘like’ the page you will receive automatic updates) or by visiting the website kingfisherfamily.org

And don’t forget to visit the website of the incredible Social Enterprise, Kingfisher Treasure Seekers, to get a taste of all that is happening in the world of Mental Health and enabling people to become the best version themselves. www.kftseekers.org.uk

3

Come to receive a fresh touch from