Daniel Kruis

Wow.  Praise the Lord.  I am humbled by your response.  Yes, prayer is the key---the only place we can come into unity with the Spirit.    

I am assuming this is Whatcom County, WA--or Bellingham--A beautiful place for the spirit of God to move.

First Richard,

The Greek phrase used in Ephesians 4:2 is spoudazonteV threin thn enothta tou

pneumatoV en tw sundesmw thV eirhnhV. The word  “spoudazontes” is an imperative participle used to urge passionate action,  the word  denotes an attitude or orientation toward doing something passionately, eagerly—like boiling pot of water.   So the challenge from Paul to our responsive human souls, is to “eagerly, and passionately  keep or secure the  and also preserve the “bond of peace”.   

While you are  right Richard that we are “one” and that this one-ness is something that is simply true of us as believers, never-the-less we are being challenged to eagerly and passionately secure the entata, the oneness of the spirit and the bond of peace. 

In this case the best way to confess the Belhar confession article 3.  Is to encourage all of our pastors and churches to be engaged in city or region reaching efforts in their neck of the woods.  When we  confess—homologeo­—it is implied that there is a homogeneity between our words, and our actions.  Such a confession should be made by all CRC churches and lived out in their communities.

This pursuit of unity is pro-activity.  Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven advances rapidly when  violent individuals—(read proactive individuals)  pro-actively pursue the kingdom.    Jesus didn’t wait for the kingdom to come to him--he more than anyone was ready to initiate action that would bring His kingdom and his Father’s will into the world. 

(Yes to the Appliachian Dawn question---that is precisely what I am suggesting we CRC pastors and churches passionately pursue. )

Thank you for your response Bev.   Makes me want to take a SELAH  (pause and wonder)

"unless to agree how can they walk together"  "unless  we pray together how can we agree".

First, let me say that I agree whole heartedly with Jack DeVries about role of disciple-making in the creation of leaders.  As Paul said to Timothy, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the things you have seen in me teach to realiable men, so that they may teach others.  Every pastor should be living this teaching.   From the beginning of pastoral ministry I set out to disciple various individuals--always trying to have a personal, face-to-face regular impact on 12 individuals. There is nothing in my ministry that has had a greater impact than this commitment to always be discipling a handful of men and women on a regular basis.  

I once noted a CRC pastor who requested prayer for his spiritual great grandchildren.  As I began to pastor, I asked God to give me spiritual great-grandchildren.  He has given them to me in bunches.  Many of the people I have discipled have become pastors, and pastors of pastors multiplied several fold.  God is indeed good.

On the missing qualities in your list for leadership I would add.  1) An ability to listen  to God and follow his lead, 2) An ability to listen to the hearts and desires of those who are following, 3)  An understanding of authority and an ability to live under authority.

The strategy that will always grow the church is disciple-making and leadership development.  In the CRC we generally ignore seriouus lay leadership development. Our CRC paradigm of an educated, seminary trained clergy-- restricts us, so we don't grow.  

We ignore the teaching of Paul in Ephesians 4:11-16 as if it meant nothing.  Paul said that Jesus gave leadership gifts to men--to the church.  Some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers."  Jesus gave these leadership gifts to every Christian community.   We pretend that he gave only the office of pastor (and evangelist--a non-seminary trained pastor).   If we as a church really tried to understand  these gifted roles and at the local level tried to discover who these gifted people are and bring them to full exxpression in the church's life---the passage says the result will be growth.  Let's receive all the gifts that Jesus gave to the chuch.  

Finally, In Reformed churches we acknowledge, and equip elders and deacons, but we fill the slots to meet the needs of our council or consistory chairs and stop.  The NT idea of leadership development was always expansive.  Keep training all the potential elders, and disciple them one-on-one and then the church will grow.  We could use 20 shepherding elders in every church not just six.

Below is a suggested path to TRAINING LEADERS using Ephesians 4:11-16 :

1)      Pastor of the congregation take a Sunday morning off and have someone else preach.

2)      Sit near the back of the church and note the names of the 12-15-25 people to invite to a special training for leaders.   

3)      Jot next to each name whether you think their gift is prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher.   All believers have within them a portion of  the 4 giftings, as the H.S. has approtioned.  These areas of giftedness can be nurtured and grown.

4)      Invite everyone via the bulletin.  But Invite personally, each individual on your list.

5)      At the first meeting do a teaching on Ephesians 1:11 and explain the use of each area of giftedness.  Include overview of the elder and deacon leaders, and acknowledge the role of program and ministry leaders—intend to spend time training them as well.

6)      Here is a brief suggestion of the essential nature of each of these gifted leadership types.

a.       Apostle:  Is a person who has a broader ministry than just a local congregation.  A person to whom God has given cities and regions to encourage the church.  We have them by other names Superintendent, District supervisors, Bishop-- the different names often cause us confusion to the real task of an apostle--to  pastor and encourage other pastors and ministry leaders. 

b.      Prophet: Is  a person who spends time in prayer—listening to God.   Their intercession  for specific people of leads them to speak words of  “strengthening, encouragement, and comfort—(I Cor 14:3).  Prophetic  insight may be spoken more broadly at times to the whole congregation.

c.       Evangelist- A person who has a passion for lost people, and invites them to hear the voice of Jesus and follow him.”  Billy Graham was an evangelist, but most people with this gift carry out their calling in a one-on-one relationship that leads to disciple-making (but we don’t often equip or train these lower key evangelists).

d.      Pastor,  A shepherd of a flock of believers, one who knows and cares for the sheep in the body—small group leaders, pastoral elders fulfill this function.  To really fulfill this call one must learn how to personal disciple/mentor other leaders and believers, and understand the stages of disciple ship found in I Thes. 2:7-13

e.      Teacher:  A person who helps other people understand and apply God’s word to their lives.  We do not open up enough opportunities for this role to function.  A body of 200 believers will easily have 30-40 people strong with this gift.  Teaching points should be created to expand the use of this gift.

7)      As leaders determine their area of giftedness from the 4 leader ship types,  a short series of 3 sessions  should be taught on each gift.  As a person defines their specific gifting, help them develop it so that it flows into ministry.   Each participant should be set up with a mentor.

8)      The art of disciple making should be integrated into the training for each gifting.  Discipling like Paul (see I Thes 2:7-13), or Jesus  has the greatest long term potential for bringing light to a lost world (see II Tim 2:1-2).

Michael,  I have been a "disciple-making pastor" for 25 years.  It has been the most explosive part of my ministry.  Over 10,000 people have been directly, and indirectly affected by this "organic" multiplying ministry.  Pastors and "apostolic leaders have been raised up."   Disciplemaking is often engaged as an effort to make better disciples, more committed, intense, dedicated followers---Far less often has it been taught about Disciple-making--as a method of growing through teaching,  My materical focuses on the Apostlic methods of Paul, John and Peter.  IThes 2:7-13; II Tim 2:1-2; I Jn 2:7-10; and II Peter 1:3-8;    The apostles knew about stages of a disciples growth toward maturity----baby, child, brother, parent, elder, pastor, apostle.  

Just wondering if your material focuses on this reproductive aspect of disciplemaking?