TMB

The Most Important Thing in Discipling

/ Guest Contributor

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It is not great talents God bless so much as great likeness to Jesus.  —Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-43)

When Christians think about discipling, they think about method, about how to—what topics to cover, how to organize them, how to cover each one, assignments, and time structure. But the apostle Paul didn’t think this way. He thought about following Jesus, imitating him so that people could see how to follow Jesus by watching his example and following him. Paul distilled it this way, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ,” and he repeated this consistently (1 Cor. 11:1)[a]

Missionary George Patterson loves to say, “People are apers. They are always aping someone.” Paul understood this. He knew believers would copy him. So he imitated Christ in all of life, doing everything to the glory of God,[b] and called his churches to imitate him just like he imitated Christ. His churches knew how to work hard and do quality work. Paul showed them. They knew how to serve customers well, how to handle the joys and struggles of work, how to suffer wrong with genuine contentment. Paul showed them. And they knew how to integrate work and ministry. Many were recipients. They saw as well as heard God’s grace through Paul.

So foremost in discipling is living and exhibiting godly discipleship. Accordingly, fervent, godly pastor Robert Murray McCheyne said, “It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus.”

When we see a Christian living some tough truth in Scripture like putting God’s kingdom first and hear how they think and respond, it is easy for us to do it. When I arrived at Johns Hopkins University as a new InterVarsity staff member, I ended up launching a new group. This made it easier to build new patterns. But the Christians were very intimidated by academic demands and by relativistic secularism. None of them believed that they could seek first the kingdom of God and all these things they needed would be added unto them. (Mt. 6:33) They did not believe that they could put God first and still be good students. And they did not believe that the gospel could transform people on campus. They had not seen this practiced in their youth groups. We faced a huge hurdle.

So I started a discipleship group which they committed to attend faithfully and to do whatever God showed us in the Bible. Then we began studying what God wanted us to do in personal Bible study and prayer, evangelism, working together, etc. Slowly, they began taking small steps of faith, stepping out into the “impossible.” God honored, and they took more steps. My faith and example helped and so did members’ examples as they shared stories. They began giving time to God’s agenda in their lives and they began reaching out.

Over the next two years, incredible growth occurred. They developed patterns of personal Bible study and prayer, of studying together and praying, of witnessing. And they discovered that still be good students. In fact, they became better students. They also saw that God did work in students’ hearts and they came to Christ!

The impact on new Christians on campus was amazing. They found it much easier to build these practices into their lives. When they first arrived they also did not believe these things were possible, but they saw Christians doing them and copied. The group quickly grew to 60 with nonbelievers steadily coming to Christ and believers being changed and following him.

Christians must see the truth lived to understand and do it. They cannot do what leaders teach but do not do. Actions negate words. When leaders teach something they don’t practice, they have not figured out how to do it in real life and cannot show others. They cannot pass on what they do not know. Instead, followers they copy what they see.

This explains much weakness in the church. We are attracted to method, technique, and organization. Many pastors talk about God’s great power to save people, but run a program powered by polished performance, trendy music, feel-good messages, and emotive group dynamics. Nonbelievers respond to the emotional pull rather than the convicting work of the Spirit. And Christians equate strong feelings in worship with genuine love for God even though their life does not match.

Leaders tell people to trust God because he is in control, but clearly worry about money or health or whatever. So their hearers do the same.  A friend has gone through a very tough time facing the risk of bankruptcy and losing property. She kept saying that she just put it in God’s hands and trusted him. Yet she worried so much that she lost weight and could not focus in her work. She was not able to rest in God in the midst of the threat. She was simply emulating others—worrying intensely while thinking she wasn’t because she kept saying, “I’m just putting it in God’s hands.”

Nothing can substitute for likeness to Christ. Only by living example can people see the reality of Christ’s teaching, believe it is possible, understand how, and do it. Christ-likeness is more caught than taught.

I have seen wonderful examples. I remember a speaker during a Spiritual Emphasis Week at Bible school who radiated joy in God as he opened Scripture. He awakened in me deeper longings to pursue God. I also knew someone in high school who lived in such enjoyment of God that friends would stop and ask him what caused such joy and peace in him.

I learned how to dig out what the Bible is saying with questioning, diligence, and carefulness from Christians who showed me and opened it to me. I’ve learned more of relating to, loving, and moving nonbelievers toward Christ through the example and teaching of Ruth Siemens and Ari Rocklin. John Alexander, President of IVCF, powerfully reinforced the absolute priority of godliness in leadership. Over and over he said, “Godliness comes first.

[a] 1 Cor. 4:16; 1 Th. 1:6; 2 Th. 3:7, 9; Phil. 3:17; Of imitating other examples: 1 Th. 2:14; The writer of Hebrews uses this idea in 6:12 and 13:7. Example and model are used similarly in Phil. 3:17; 1 Th. 1:7; 1 Tim. 1:16, 4:12; Tit. 2:7

[b] 1 Cor. 10:31

BAM in a Box

/ Phill

Business as mission is growing in popularity as an approach for outreach around the world. Many practitioners are looking for ways to produce more businesses that will also take God’s love and the gospel to the needy. Lately, they have been looking to franchises as a way to develop business faster, easier, and with a greater chance of success.

The idea of being able to take a known concept that is working and multiply it is attractive and shows some promise. The Business as Mission Think Tank Franchising Committee has been studying models for rapid replication and recently issued their report. They analyzed the state of the knowledge, proposed guidelines, and recommended resources on the “how-to” for would be BAM practitioners.

This article highlights key findings.

Many people getting into Business as Mission are missionaries, often with little business experience/skills, who recognize the opportunity in business as a way for reaching their communities. For them a franchise is like a boxed product that comes with a proven successful model, training, resources and systems to help secure success. The built-in processes provide safeguards to help the less experienced avoid foolish mistakes and failure.

These advantages are desirable not only for the would-be BAMpreneur but for missions agencies and others in the business community looking to multiply BAM opportunities. While the franchise can help business people avoid problems, it is not a cure-all for success. Business aptitude and skills are required, to varying degrees, for all who would enter the world of BAM. Agencies sometimes overlook this fact as was observed in the report, “While agencies will go to great lengths to make sure that people are prepared missionally, they discount the skill set required to do business.”

Building a successful franchise is more difficult than it appears. Few proven BAM franchising models exist. BAM franchising has a lot of work to do to build the necessary expertise.

The report lists a number of best practices, which lead to success, and worst practices which lead to failure. These are worth studying but there is not time in this article to enumerate them. Follow the link at the end to the full report for more information.

A few findings stand out in the report:

1. “Some of the businesses in the profiles had leadership teams where some of the people focused on the business and some on the ‘ministry.’ This divided approach to management and leadership eventually causes tension and can negatively impact the business morale, health, and financial success.”

2. Those looking to get into franchise business need to seriously equip themselves with the necessary skills and expertise.

3. Every BAM business needs to develop a list of success criteria and measure themselves against it as they build the business plan and begin to execute it.

4. Running a BAM operation is complex and requires preparation and strong commitment. One must have the conviction that God is calling you to such an endeavor.

5. There seems to be no shortage of people who want to be experts, advisors, and consultants. What is most needed are people willing to go and be “feet on the ground.” “We need people who are fully equipped and willing to go and invest time and money to start such businesses.”

It seems that the committee was looking to create franchises out of existing BAM companies. One area not explored in the report which may have value is to start with existing “secular” franchises. There are literally thousands of them with varying levels of expense, regulation, and complexity. Many have already developed assessment tools to identify the best fit between the entrepreneur and their business model. Could any of these franchises and tools be adapted by BAM practitioners?

Franchising has many advantages, but also challenges. The BAM Franchise group has created a number of tools and guidelines to help get started.

Of Giants and Men

/ Phill

“Sometimes people of faith do not understand that with the spirit of the Lord you are not the underdog.”

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Inspiration can be found in the most unexpected places. Out-of-the box thinker Malcolm Gladwell known for books like the Tipping Point and Blink was interviewing to promote his latest book, David and Goliath. The short video was filled with surprises.

Who would imagine a staff writer for the New Yorker magazine writing about a 3000 years old Biblical account. But then he is an out-of-the-box person.

His purpose was to study situations where the powerless came up against the powerful and the dynamic for handling the encounter. Along the way he was surprised by his findings. There are many parallels in modern social interaction where the lessons learned can be applied.

Gladwell takes a fresh look at a familiar old story and concludes we may have got it all wrong all these years. He digs deep investigating the history and culture surrounding the combat.

The story is told as if David was a long shot to come out on top in the conflict. However, when one understands the power of the weapons in David’s favor the scales tip. He should have been seen as the favorite.

Gladwell discovers from the story of David and other historical accounts that the weak have three weapons they can use when confronting challenges – faith, courage, and determination. These turn out to be powerful enough to overcome their foes. Of the three weapons, Gladwell discovers that the most powerful is one’s faith. One “cannot read the story without coming away with a renewed appreciation for the power faith gives people.”

He then looks at other examples in the human annals to draw some surprising conclusions.

Tentmakers and Business as Mission practitioners will take heart as they re-visit the story of the weak confronting overwhelming odds. When giant obstacles come your way, take heart. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

He recently recorded a TED talk where he tells the story of David and Goliath as he understands it after his research. The reader will learn new facts about that combat and have a new appreciation for the narrative in Scripture.

This last clip from his interview while promoting his book reveals how through his research he has been drawn back to the roots of his faith. (7 minutes)

Malcolm Gladwell’s book David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants is currently #3 on the New York Times non-fiction book list.

First ever GO Equipped! course in Sweden

/ Steinar Opheim

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For the first time ever the GO Equipped Tentmaking course will be run in Sweden later this month. Swedish leaders believe this can be the starting point of a Swedish tentmaking movement.

“Several churches and organizations are speaking about tentmaking, and some of the leaders will attend the course to learn more. Afterwards we will sit down and discuss how we can work together to promote tentmaking in Sweden,” says Stefan Rizell. He is the mission leader at Smyrnakyrkan, in downtown Göteborg, and the primus motor behind the tentmaking course that will run from October 30th through November 3rd.

“I attended the GO Equipped course in Bergen in May this year and the teaching went beyond my expectations. Now I am looking forward to seeing many people from Sweden experience the same teaching,” Rizell says.

He is sure that the course can benefit all Christians, whether they are thinking of going to another culture or planning to stay at home.

“The central part of the course deals with how we can, in a natural and loving way, make Jesus known to the people around us in our everyday lives. It is very important that we help everyone in our congregations see themselves as God’s representatives where they are.  At the same time, the course focuses on cross-cultural ministry. In our globalized world, tentmakers can bring the gospel to places where traditional missionaries usually do not have access,” says Rizell.

2 Hour FREE Info Seminar
before the course

If you are undecided on whether you should attend the full course, there is a free 2 hour information seminar on Wednesday 30 October at 18:30 at Smyrna Church in Göteborg. at Tentmaking Sweden