What Discipleship Looks Like, And How It Leads to Evangelism

So today we got some hard news.  A dear long-time saint of the church has been in a rehabilitation facility for too long.  This morning, her daughter had a stroke.  We don't know much about prognosis, but we will pray nonetheless.
I went to visit the church member in the rehab facility.  I was told a fellow who is helping to lead a visitation ministry had been sitting with her.  When I arrived, I saw two other women there, comforting her.  They left, and after a little while a couple from the church came in, to be there and bring the comfort of Christian fellowship.
My eyes welled up with tears as I prayed.  I was telling someone recently that I have never been more humbled in my life than to be the pastor at Morehead United Methodist Church.  Humbled from the standpoint that it is so gloriously clear that none of what goes on here is due to me.  I just get to be the pastor of a group of people who love each other so much that they will go down the road, some to be with the mother, others in the hospital in Lexington with the daughter.
Johnny (our 14 year old son) went with me.  I told him, "You just saw the Church.  That's what we are inviting people to, a real life with real people who love each other, and organize going to the nursing home so the mother doesn't have to be alone."  They do it not because they have to, but because the Spirit of Jesus is alive in them, and they have great love for Him and His people.
Normally, it seems that evangelism is an invitation to discipleship.  But sometimes, seeing discipleship is an evangelical invitation to the Gospel life.
But please do not just depend on good works, or setting a good example.  Invite people to the saved life!  More important than not being alone in a time of difficulty in this life, more important than being rescued from trouble in this life, is to not be alone at the Judgment, and to know that God has your whole life in His hands.  He has secured your temporary life and your eternal life, if you have faith in Him!  (1 Tim 1:12)
May our church keep loving Jesus and each other!

And Another Thing

A few months ago, maybe it was as far back as Spring, Asbury Seminary and our New Church Development Team hosted a Church Planters Roundtable.  There was a guy there, Chris Backert, who gave a great presentation on the recent history of church planting, current trends, and likely future developments.  Our core team snagged some time with him, picking his brain.  His basic advice to us was first, make Kentucky the most attractive place to plant a church; let planters know that we are invested in them and their success.  Second, become the best you can be in rural church planting.  He said that not only because Kentucky is a rural state, but also because it is a new frontier.  He pointed out that everyone tries to plant in cities and large towns.  But no one is planting in the countryside.  As far as an emerging trend, it is a clear one.

Ha ha!  Here we are planting a church in Menifee County, and feeling called and being blessed with people to do more and go farther south and east.  But it is really hard to find any advice or resources... it's so new, planting in a rural context, that we are writing the book as we go.

But then... at dinner in a Mexican Restaurant in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho... I sit next to Phil Claycomb, a pastor from Texas who is in the learning group I am a part of this year.  What does he do?  He runs a church planting network that recruits, trains, and equips church planters for towns under 3,000 in population.  I asked him, "So how did you get into that?"

Because he plants churches in Texas and Oklahoma, where there are lots of small towns.  And over dinner, he was gracious enough to share what they do.

So like I said, 350,000 churches in America.  Who knows how many pastors.  12 of us in a learning group.  And two of them intersect directly with what Mike and I are up to.

The Lord couldn't speak much more clearly.

Small World

I was in Post Falls, Idaho last week at a cool church, Real Life Ministries.  They are a large church, 6,000 + on Sundays, built on discipleship groups.  I am in my second go-round of an Exponential Learning Community-- small groups who get together at high-functioning, discipleship-oriented churches to learn.  I am pretty pumped to be able to take Mike Adams with me.  We will go to two more churches over the next 6 months, in Kansas City and Tacoma.

Anyway, what was really cool: when I introduced myself to some other pastors who just arrived, one guys asks me if I know where Frenchburg, KY is.  His church has been sending mission teams there but has had a hard time getting churches in the area to partner with. Ha ha.  I said, let me introduce you to Mike Adams, the pastor of our church plant in Frenchburg!

Seriously... how do you leave Morehead for Idaho and have a guy ask about Frenchburg?

Maybe the Holy Spirit!  What a divine appointment!