Yesterday I posted the first of three blogs about our mission at Graceland.  Just so I’m clear Graceland exist to be disciples, making disciples to change our world.  After being disciples we feel it’s our responsiblity to make disciples. 

As disciples of Christ we are called to make disciples.  At the end of his life, Jesus instructed his followers as they go, make disciples of all nations (Matt 28.18-20).  Discipleship as a journey means bringing people closer and closer to Christ.   It begins with a person accepting Christ, then loving Him, then loving His family, then to grow in Christ, then to serve Christ, and then to share Christ.  We don’t believe spiritual maturity is arrived through sermons but through practice.  Jesus had a process by which He took people from no faith to deep disciples.  The very first words of Jesus to His disciples are “Come and See.”  That is the entry point for faith.  There is no commitment level, simply be near and watch.  But Jesus never left them there.  Jesus took His disciples from the “Come and See” to “Come and Die.”  Discipleship is sequential, systematic, and processed.  Graceland is a church committed to seeing that people go from “Come and See” to “Come and Die.” We also recognize the need for combination.  People learn in different ways, so learning spaces need to be built and freedom given for natural discipleship.

These learning spaces are referred to as Spiritual Growth Environments. It’s widely debated the extent to which we are shaped by our gene pool (G) and/or our environment (E).  In light of the gospel and the process Graceland adopts for discipleship we suggest we are a mix of both our uniqueness and our surroundings.  So we will apply this theory to the spiritual growth at Graceland.

G x E = Spiritual Growth

G = (a mix of our “made in His image” + “being transformed into the image of Christ through the power of the Spirit”)

E = (our communities; disciplines; growth coaching; practices; spaces)

We understand we can not do much about “G” but we can do a lot about “E“.  So we will create spaces for spiritual growth, promote community within and outside church, practice and illuminate spiritual disciplines, and value growth coaching through Life Group Leaders.

I would love to read some feedback on discipleship.  What ideas do you have?  How are people discipled in your church? What others spaces would you include?  What experience could be considered?