Simple Discipleship – Where To Start

Jesus said; “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations (ethne).” This is our mandate known as the Great Commission. He went on to describe how that is done; “baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Is that what we have done? If we have done discipleship at all, what do we do, and where do we start?

I have reviewed discipleship materials over the years, some good and some miss the mark altogether. What is usually missing is the part of making disciples that Jesus describes as “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Most discipleship is focused on what the believer needs to do. It becomes a list of tasks that the believer must do in order to be a growing disciple. As the believer progresses, he is then given a list of skills to learn to be an effective servant in the church, many times referred to as ministry skills. This leads to several problems that hinder growth and a healthy relationship with their heavenly Father.

When you disciple an individual focusing mainly on the development ministry skills, that disciple certainly knows what to do in service to the Lord. That is not where we should start; it is insufficient and builds the wrong foundation in the life of the disciple of Jesus. Instead, when you disciple an individual by using the daily life lesson the Lord brings to them in life, that disciple knows how to have a relationship with God and live life as a citizen of the Kingdom of God. This is where you should start and build from there.

The problem with skill based discipleship is that the Church is filled with people whose value is determined by what they do rather than who they are. Their identity is determined by a position in ministry rather than their position in Christ. Therefore you have a highly skilled church that has very little interaction with God and are susceptible to moral failure, chronic disappointment, and an inflated ego that serves self (“my ministry”) rather than others. The idea of a life based on the gospel of the Kingdom is considered to idealistic and unattainable.

The solution is to make disciples through relationships rather than academics; using their life experiences, tragedies, and victories of life. Life itself would serve as the lessons and the curriculum would be provided by searching the scriptures and determining what the Lord says regarding what is happening from day to day. By teaching the disciple to relate their situations to the Word of God and in the context of the gospel of the Kingdom, the disciple’s relationship to the Lord grows deeper and they are able to withstand life in this fallen world in victory and be an example of a disciple of Jesus.

Merely teaching skills such as how to pray, read the bible, conduct a bible study, and even to the level of skills required in most local church positions robs the disciple of the foundation needed to maintain a real relationship with the Lord. It causes whatever relationship that is developed with Jesus to be based on being a servant of God rather than a friend and child of God.

Training and preparing disciples in ministry skills is important and should not be neglected, but it should never be considered the goal of discipleship. Discipleship’s goal is to transform our lives so that we are like Jesus, imitators of Him, obedient to Him. This must be in the area of how we live, our character and how we respond to life and apply the truth of His Word to those situations. Therefore we must be able to hear the voice of our Lord.

Another mistake is creating a dependency on curriculum and other materials to make disciples or to be a disciple. There are thousands of workbooks, manuals, study guides that have been developed for the purpose of discipleship. Though the content of many of these books are sound and worth reading they can never replace the opportunity to fellowship with the Lord firsthand and go to his word and hear him speak to you and teach you his ways. When we depend on curriculum, the believer becomes dependent on external sources for guidance and teaching rather than developing the hearing ear that knows the voice of his shepherd. This is imperative to the new disciple and cannot be put off to a future time.

In discussing discipleship with leaders in the context of simple church, I am usually asked; “What curriculum do you use?” When I state that we do not use any curriculum except the Bible and the life of the believer I usually get that glazed over look of puzzlement. I usually remind them that the new believers in the book of Acts had no Navigators booklets, no Master Life, no Kay Arthur, and no Bill Bright; but they still made disciples! Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for all of these resources. All we need is a kitchen table, or couch or a local eating establishment and we are ready to grow together as we discuss our lives together and draw from the truths in God’s Word.

So what do we do? Start with the basics. What someone gives their life to the Lord – believe it! What I mean is, believe that the Lord is now over their life and what happens is the Lord’s. He IS governing their life and that life IS their schooling. By using the curriculum of their life and the resource that gives life – the Word of God, they have a foundation that can withstand whatever comes their way. Not only that, I doesn’t cost a cent! You don’t need to buy books, furnish a classroom, build and education wing or hire a professional Bible teacher. It is that simple.

Now let’s get started! Go and make disciples!

 

The Davis Report – December 2009

Dear Friends and Partners,                                                   December, 2009

It has been a while since I sent out a newsletter – please forgive me for being so late! We have had an eventful last few months. A trip to India and an opportunity to teach a class on missions and much more. Thank you for your prayers and financial support. We continue to walk by faith as we are led by the Lord’s provision.

INDIA TRIP

This past month I had the opportunity travel to India (New Delhi) and attend the “Global House Church Summit” as well as a three day training on making disciples and planting churches rapidly. I was so encouraged by what I witnessed.

Over 200 leaders from 40 nations gathered to discuss the significance of the worldwide house church movement. Throughout the summit there were reports of how these discipling communities were multiplying and bringing change to their regions.

It was reported that there are now over 10,000 house churches in Europe, 10,000 in Australia and 6,000 in New Zealand. In the USA there are up to 12 million who attend house churches. In Bangladesh and India it was discovered that house churches have become the largest Christian movement. In Myanmar over 6,000 house churches have been started in less than five years in just one movement. The reports continued from Africa, South America and of course the phenomenal growth of the church in China. The Kingdom of God is truly expanding and the “glory of the Lord is covering the earth as the waters cover the sea!”

Dr. V.C. one of the main conveners of the summit brought these encouraging words; “It is not about setting up house based worship communities alone . . . many house churches are beginning to change not only the spiritual climate, but begin to model the wholistic life in the Kingdom of God at the village level, demonstrating Gods ability to restore families, health and even heal the land.” He added; “For example, constant prayer walking and breaking of curses placed on the land has, in a number of areas resulted in unprecedented harvests and other agricultural breakthroughs, thus demonstrating tangibly the blessing by which God is able and willing to upgrade and empower everyday life.” Truly, what is happening has more to do with transformation of communities that a mere method of doing church or conducting meetings.

Many participants in the summit agreed with the assessment that the house church movement is growing up. She is now making becoming fully involved in the Great Commission to disciple all people groups in the world. There was also a continued emphasis on being focused on the Kingdom of God rather than the organizations of men. There was a clear challenge to finish the task (Matthew 24:14) and take the gospel to the unreached and make disciples. As a result, the summit agreed to take more initiative to reach the world by working together and seeing multiplication of discipling communities happen in all nations.

MISSIONS CLASS

Immediately after my trip to India I stopped over in St. Joseph’s, Michigan and taught a group of students at Master’s Commission where our son-in-law serves as director. We then stayed through Thanksgiving where the rest of the family joined me and we had a great time with our daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren. It we a great Thanksgiving! (see picture of the family)

THANK YOU

I thank you for your prayers and financial support. Those who have supported financially have provided funds so that I could take my recent trip to India as well as trips planned in the future. You support also allows me to continue to devote my time to missional projects here where we live such as the development of an aquaponics prototype in Hampton Roads, a community center in our neighborhood and helping to mobilize simple churches to reach the nations. Although our support is much less than previous years, the Lord has been faithful and provided all that we need.

God Bless You & Merry Christmas!!

Don & Jeannie

 

Developing a Local Simple/Organic/House Church Network

In Hampton Roads, Virginia we have been seeing the Lord establish a network of Simple Churches. We recently updated the website and extended an invitation for others to join. Here is what was communicated:

New Addition to the HRSCN Website

One of the greatest needs within the body of Christ is communication, community and fellowship. In other words the genuine practice of koinonia. That is why we have added a tool to the HRSCN website for you and those you know involved in simple/organic/house church life. We have added a relational network page to the website (Ning) to help us bridge that gap. In no way does this fulfill real koinonia – but it’s a start. Take a few minutes and see how we can link together in order to bring the gospel of the Kingdom to our region in a greater measure!

Why does Hampton Roads Network need a Relational Site?

1. Not to establish a hierarchy – BUT to create a venue to see relationships established that will cultivate genuine Christian community in our region.
2. Not to promote any personalities or organizations – BUT to see what our Lord Jesus is doing in our midst as we encourage one another and watch HIM build his Church.
3. To provide a safe place where we can dialogue, network, partner and provoke one another to good works.
4. To get to know one another and see who else is on this journey of simple church.

This addition to the website will allow for us to connect in the same way that many of you do on Facebook, but focusing strictly on the region of Hampton Roads and simple church life and mission.

Take a few moments and visit the website at http://www.hrscn.org and check out the Network Relationship page (at http://hamptonroadssimplechurchnetwork.ning.com ).

Here is how this site can be a blessing:

• Forums – This part of the site is provided to allow us to dialogue around specific issues. It is not for carnal debate, but Christ like discussion. Be sure to honor one another.
• Events – You can list any events here that pertain to the needs of the network.
• Groups – This is a tool for specific groups within the network to chat, discuss issues in a forum, make comments etc. This would be a great place to post what is happening in your group. It is also a tool to focus on specific areas of interests that is wider than the scope of a discussion forum.
• Map – See where the simple church meeting places are in Hampton Roads.
• Blog – Write a blog to the network and post it here for all to read.
• Videos and Photos – post what would be of interest to the network.

When you go to the site, you can explore what’s there, but if you want to participate you will need to sign up.

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A Reminder of Who Hampton Roads Simple Church Network is:

• Hampton Roads Simple Church Network is a network of simple, organic, house churches in the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia.
• There is nothing to join, there are no dues to pay, and there is no personality to submit to but Christ. It is a simple voluntary relationship with one another expressed from congregation to congregation.
• We are inclusive of all followers of Jesus Christ, who proclaim Him as their God, their King, and their Lord. Our only written creed is the Bible.
• We are diverse from many different denominational and historical backgrounds.
• We have no centralized governing body, but recognize the relationship we all have with one another being submitted to one another under Christ.
• We welcome the gifts the Lord has given the church to equip her to do the works of the ministry (apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers) but do not see them as positions within a hierarchy but servants functioning in their gifting.
• We have no clergy/laity divide, but honor the priesthood of every believer and their personal responsibility to grow in Christ.
• We stay connected through our voluntary relationships with one another and serve, love and minister to one another based upon those relationships.
• We desire to cooperate with other expressions of church in our region without being exclusive or judgmental, but expressing our love for one another in unity and truth.
• We desire to serve our community in unity in order to bring about transformation, renewal and demonstrate the kingdom of God.

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Hope to see you on the network!

What are you doing in your region to facilitate koinonia in the Body of Christ?

God Bless,

Don

 

Others May, But You Cannot

I pastor friend of mine Rob Edwards has a blog and posted this old tract. I used to carry it around in my wallet to remind my of the type of relationship the Lord wants me to have with him as well as to “keep me in line.” So I thought I would share it with you:

Others May, But You Cannot:

If God has called you to be truly like Jesus in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility. He will put on you such demands of obedience that you will not be allowed to follow other people or measure yourself by other Christians. At times, He will let other people do things which He will not let you do.

Other Christians who seem to be very religious and useful may push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot. If you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others may boast of themselves, their work, their successes, their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing. If you begin to do so, He will lead you into a deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others may be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or may have a legacy left to them, or may have luxuries, but God may supply you only on a day-to-day basis, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence on Him and His unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hidden in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory which can only be produced in the shade.

God may let others be great, but keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him and get the credit, but He may make you work and toil without knowing how much you are doing. Then, to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work which you have done; this to teach you the message of the Cross, humility, and something of the value of being cloaked with His nature.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, and with a jealous love rebuke you for careless words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with His own, and that He may not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you. But if you absolutely give yourself to be His child, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and let other people say and do many things that you cannot.

Settle it forever; you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit. He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue or chaining your hand or closing your eyes in ways that He does not seem to use with others. However, know this great secret of the Kingdom: When you are so completely possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven, the high calling of God.

Rev. G. D. Watson
1845-1924

The Lord is Good!

Talk to you soon – Don

 

A Project to Provide Food and Money

Imagine a way to feed the poor, do business in needy areas around the world, provide fresh fish and vegetables in orphanages around the world as well as a source of income for the orphanage. While serving them, you begin to make disciples! Jeannie and I along with some other folks who work with me here at Strategic Church Network are seriously looking at starting up an Aquaponics project for just those reasons mentioned above.

What is Aquaponics? To put is simply, it is the merging of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (growing vegetables in water rather than soil.) This process has proven to be a tremendous tool on the mission field as well as a viable business model for providing income.

For more information go to the House2Harvest Network site on the Aquaponics group – http://house2harvest.ning.com/group/aquaponics You can also do a Google search and get a tons of information.

Our plan of action is as follows -

First:

1.      Get some funding so that we can . . .

2.      Learn the how to build, maintain and function as a viable food source and business by going to some of the training offered here in the USA.

3.      Build some prototypes and get some hands on experience.

Second:

1.      Take it to the nations and serve the poor.

2.      Partner with orphanages so that they can have a food source and income source.

3.      Provide a business model for needy areas as well as simple church folks around the world.

4.      Using this tool to enter the lives of thousands of people in order to make disciples.

If we act on this now, by the end of this year we could begin to set up Aquaponics farms in some of the most needy areas of the world!

If you would like to partner with me on this endeavor, give me a call, drop me a note. If you have any questions, let’s talk! This is a tremendous tool to help the poor and reach people groups in some of the most difficult parts of the world.

 

Let’s Just Have a Conversation

I just watched the movie “The Big Kahuna” (2000) starring Danny DeVito and Kevin Spacey; which was very entertaining. It’s about 3 salesman off on a sales trip to market their product, two are veterans and one is a young believer.  There is a quote from the movie the struck me as very interesting. it takes place towards the end of the movie when these three characters have a conflict over what is valuable, who is good and who can be trusted. The older salesman played by DeVito challegnes the young Christians judgement of the harsh, blunt older salesman (Spacey) who is greatly offended by the beleivers position. DeVito’s character says:

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling Jesus or Buddha or civil rights or ‘How to Make Money in Real Estate With No Money Down’. That doesn’t make you a human being; it makes you a marketing rep. If you want to talk to somebody honestly, as a human being, ask him about his kids. Find out what his dreams are – just to find out, for no other reason. Because as soon as you lay your hands on a conversation to steer it, it’s not a conversation anymore; it’s a pitch. And you’re not a human being; you’re a marketing rep.”

What do you think? What can we learn from this observation? How many times have we found ourselves entering a conversation for the purpose of our agenda and end being “a pitch man” for our cause?

I am trying to be a person who can have a conversation becuase I want to know what the other person says – not because I want to tell them something, or “sell” them something. Lord help me listen.

 

Fast Times on Earth

We live in a changing world – it is changing faster than we can imagine. I recently updated our House2Harvest Network site and added a social networking site to attempt to keep up with the times. To illustrate this – take a look at this presentation called “Did You Know 3.0.” This changes the way we think, know and understand. Imagine, there is not a piece of information out there (unless it is hidden from the public – and even then it may be available) that you cannot access in less than a few minutes via Google, Wikipedia etc.

Here are a few videos that explain it all better than me. As you watch these short videos, consider how it is changing your life, relationships, business and ministry. What adjustments do you need to make in what you do on a daily basis?

Something to think about! Enjoy the videos . . .

Did You Know 3.0:

Did you know 2.0

What do you think?

 

Being a Revolutionary Without Causing Sectarianism

One of the things I am hoping to accomplish this year is the ability to communicate what I am passionate about without causing division. It seems that when I start talking to folks about the revolution at hand I get several possible responses; eyes glaze over with the possible concern that I am from another planet, hearty agreement that is really an appeasement, tearful acknowledgement of the struggle at hand dreaming about how things could really be, an aha moment that cause them to join the cause and finally the angry response that considers you to be a heretic at best, or lost your salvation at worst.

The revolution I am referring to (if you have read any of my previous blogs you would know) is the work of Jesus in the midst of His people today that has nothing to do with a Sunday (or any day for that matter) meeting. But it is in regards to what He is doing through His Body all the time as we function as His church serving in His Kingdom in the midst of our lives. Now certainly this will effect what happens when we do gather whether it is in mega-churches, neighborhood churches or house churches, and there is much to be said about the avoidance of temple based worship. The form is not really the issue, the issue is the heart. It is Christ’s body being at work in our communities as so aptly described in the book “The Tangible Kingdom.” I think that is where I get into trouble. When I begin to talk about a revolutionary change within the Church, I seem to be critical of those sacred cows that we all have held dear one time or another in our life as Christians. So if your livelihood, identity and purpose is tied up in conducting a weekly meeting, I guess this talk of an organic, simple church revolution can be threatening.

This revolution falls into many facets of expression and categories. Fortunately there are a plethora of books being written to define what God is doing from “The Tangible Kingdom” by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay,  to Revolution by George Barna, to Reimagining Church by Frank Viola – not to mention Pagan Christianity by Viola & Barna, Organic Church by Neil Cole or The Forgotten Ways by Allen Hirsch.  And this is just the tip of the iceberg! All these books and others are a must read for those who are wanting to be challenged to join the ranks of these revolutionaries. But what do we do with what we have read?

Therein is my struggle. I can become critical, or I can become constructive, or I can just crawl into a hole with a few other discontents and wait it out. The best thing I can do is love the Bride of Christ regardless of her condition, recognize who she is in this sectarian context we live in, and be a prophetic example. Help me Lord!

Hopefully those who hear me will not think I am judging their motives. How in the world will I know their motives anyway! In fact, I would say that most of those who are in some capacity of leadership in the Church that are serving the old institutional sectarian system are doing so with very honorable motives and wanting to give the Lord all they have and all they can be. Plus, those in the congregations are there because that is all they know so to be discontent or a “change agent” would be seen as rebellious. It’s a tough spot.

So maybe you can join me this year to not strut around as if our understanding and practical application of truth is superior to others, but serve those who are under the guidance of the same Holy Spirit, but just not where I am. You know, I don’t like it when my motives are judged wrongly – let’s be careful not to do the same. There are many of those in Christ whose love for the Lord is unquestionable though they serve in a system that is far from what God intended. Let’s find out how we can serve one another graciously and with gentleness as we search daily for the will of the Lord and follow His will with all our might.

 

Naturally Being Supernatural

Have you ever thought about what is would be like to walk through life raising the dead, healing the sick, casting out demons – you know be just like Jesus? Well if you are like me, you would love to be just like that, but for some reason it just doesn’t quite happen that way. (Please don’t write me and tell me why you think it doesn’t!)

My point is that we can have such an impact on those around us without having lightening bolts shoot out from our hands. In fact, I believe that our fruit comes from when our spirituality is woven within the fabric of every day life. Many call this being incarnational. We CAN be like Jesus if we just love our spouses, love our children, not kick the dog, honor our employers, love our neighbors, encourage the downtrodden and simply enjoy the details of the mundane times of life and still be walk in the Spirit.

If we can only “touch heaven” by experiencing something spiritually new, or spiritually sentimental, then we have missed the point of walking with Jesus or living an incarnational life. The Holy Spirit is our comforter all the time. In fact, prayer is an all the time experience as we pray without ceasing. Or to put it plainly, talking to God, and listening to Him all the time is more of a prayer life than spending an hour a day filling a slot in some prayer program and meeting some religious requirement!

I am constantly being corrected by the Lord to stop seeking after the ecstatic experiences in order to hear him, and see him at work, but to look for him in the mundane, and in the midst of real life experiences and events. Simply by walking with Jesus where I live, and where my friends and neighbors live I will see his hand at work in a far greater way then attending a healing meeting or worship service.

Recently I read in Hugh Halter’s blog entitled “What is Incarnational Community” (author of “The Tangible Kingdom”) where he lists several things that reveal if we are incarnational. Take a few moments to jump over to Hugh Halter’s blog and see what he has to say – it will let you know that being a disciple of Jesus is not complicated and you can be one as you go about living life.

It is so freeing to just live life and see God work in the midst of what he has for us every day.

 

What to do with the New Year?

What a Christmas! We had all four of our daughters and their kids together. We hope you had a Merry Christmas and that your New Year will a good one. Even in these uncertain times, we can have peace and joy in Jesus and the fellowship that we have with one another.

Here we are all together on our front porch:

Our Family Christmas 2008

Are Your Ready to Be A Blessing Where You Live?

This coming year may prove to be a challenge for many. It will be a great opportunity to become true friends with those in your neighborhood whom you have never really met. There is an Indonesian proverb that says something like this:

“It’s better to be hungry and with friends than alone and fed.”

As times get tough here are a few suggestions that will help you be a blessing where you live:

• Get to know your neighbor – ask them how they are doing in these changing times and pray for them.
• Open your home for folks in your neighborhood to get together to see what the common needs are and see how you can help one another.
• Coordinate opportunities to assist those in your neighborhood who may be suffering due to hard times, job loss etc. Don’t wait for the government to do it! Let’s truly reveal the love of Jesus to those in need.
• Set up a time to gather believers that live in your neighborhood together in your home to pray and seek the Lord’s will during these coming hard times.
• Be a source of hope in times of trouble. Be ready to share your relationship with Jesus with others as times get hard.

May you have a great New Year!