In today’s episode, Glen Underhill and Craig Etheredge dive into the seven core convictions that are essential to creating a disciple-making church, helping to develop a “Jesus-Centered” philosophy of ministry. We’ll explore how Jesus’ reliance on the spirit and his approach to disciple-making serves as a perfect model for us today. Our speakers emphasize the significance of prayerful dependence on the spirit for personal and leadership growth as well as the crucial phases of discipleship—from engaging spiritual explorers to multiplying followers.
Tune in as we discuss the challenges in implementing these principles and how self-evaluation often misleads us. We’ll navigate through the core convictions essential for any disciple-making ministry, including the belief that people grow best on a spiritual pathway and multiplication is a measure of effective ministry. You’ll hear about how disciple-making churches are planted from other disciple-making churches and how maintaining dedication to core convictions drives ministry outcomes.
We also highlight the concept that spiritual maturity is measured by one’s lifestyle and fruitfulness, aligning our actions with the Great Commission. Join us and be inspired to deepen your commitment to Jesus’ way of ministry, and don’t miss a special book recommendation, “His Way Still Works” by Pastor Craig, as a further resource for your journey. Use the code: HISWAY20 when you purchase the book to get a special discount.
Whether you’re a pastor, church leader, or passionate disciple-maker, this episode is packed with insights to support and challenge you in your mission. Let’s get started!
Overview:
- 00:00 Partnering with discipleFIRST to empower church discipleship.
- 03:10 Focus on Jesus centric philosophy of ministry.
- 08:45 Staying on course in ministry through priorities.
- 11:05 Follow Jesus’ example to develop and multiply.
- 14:06 Strive to live like Jesus, seek change.
- 17:18 Unclear definition of disciple leads to problems.
- 20:09 Jesus is the saving and reigning king.
- 25:56 Dependence on the spirit in life.
- 29:49 Emphasizing the necessity of evaluating and adjusting strategies.
- 32:58 Jesus driven to multiply movement, prepare disciples.
- 36:40 Jesus’s work described and its significance.
- 39:29 Jesus intended disciple-making, prevailing, multiplying churches.
- 41:58 Evaluating ministries, measuring progress, and setting goals.
- 44:52 Coupon for 20% off Pastor Craig’s book.
Discussion Questions:
- How can leaders cultivate a deeper dependence on the spirit for empowerment, guidance, and encouragement, as modeled by Jesus and the disciples?
- What are some practical steps leaders can take to integrate this into their daily lives and ministry?
- Reflecting on the phases of growth and discipleship as mentioned in the episode, how did Jesus engage with spiritual explorers differently from connected believers or growing disciples?
- What criteria should be used to evaluate spiritual growth and effectiveness in discipleship instead?
- How do these convictions—people growing best on a pathway and multiplication as a measure of effective ministry—shape the way a church approaches disciple-making?
- What are some common challenges churches face when trying to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of disciple-making principles? How can these challenges be addressed?
- How can the principle of multiplication, as discussed in this episode, be practically applied at the individual, group, church, and network levels?
- Why is having a Jesus-centered philosophy of ministry crucial for disciple-making leaders, and how can this philosophy help in making critical decisions?
- How can leaders ensure that their teaching and discipleship efforts consistently reflect this focus?
- Discuss how core convictions provide a framework for evaluating ministries, measuring progress, and focusing on specific areas for improvement within a church.
