Mark Greenwood
Vision 20/20: Making Disciples
Elim has identified its four missional priorities as a Movement, one of which is making disciples. We are called to plant the gospel of Jesus Christ in a relevant way in individual lives and communities, making life-long disciples. Mark Greenwood, Elim's National Evangelist, shares his thoughts on how we can make disciples.
We're committed to making and maturing fully devoted followers of Jesus.
Disciples who make other disciples, who live courageously and compassionately in every community, town and city across our nation and the nations of the world.
Imagine one church, one mission, one message. How exciting would that be?
Imagine if we were so gloriously consumed with the gospel that we had a fresh and renew belief about its power to transform society, transform individuals. Just imagine for one moment - the difference that that would make.
You can do evangelism without discipleship, but you can't do discipleship without evangelism. We have to do evangelism if we want to make new disciples. And here's the deal. In doing evangelism current Christians step into new areas of discipleship.
Imagine that moment when Jesus appears before the disciples in the Great Commission. And they bow down in worship, though the some of them doubted it says there in Matthew 28.
What did Jesus do at that moment? He didn't stick him on a course to renew their faith. He didn't send them on a course to deal with their doubts.
He said to them all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. So wherever you go. Not go but wherever. That's the more accurate translation.
He said, look, wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you and surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.
That verse is rightly applied when we're making disciples. It's a given that God is with us when we're making disciples.
How good is that for our own personal discipleship?
At the Elim Leaders Summit 2017, Chris Cartwright, Elim's General Superintendent shared more about the mission of Elim:
“Our mission is all about from now on making disciples.”
“Every one of us the same challenge. How do you make radical sold-out disciples of Jesus in this society? Not 20, 30, 50 years or a century ago. But right now!”
“That they are committed to maturity. They're not just attenders. They're not just a kind of pulpit fodder for us. They're not even just numbers for us to record.”
“They are radically sold out believers in Jesus Christ, who will pay the price in this generation to make him known. And they're going to be disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples.”
Wouldn't it be incredible if that there was this one mission, one church, with this one message, that caused us to leave our home every single day with the intention and the expectancy of finding something that was lost?
I guess the old paradigm would be would lead them to Christ and then would make them disciples. I would argue that part of the discipleship process is sharing our faith that we can begin to make disciples even before they become Christians.
Let me encourage you to say: Lord makes me more willing to look for those that don't know you. Help me to become a better disciple that my whole life is a life that is discipleship.
Help me to be consumed with this incredible Gospel message again. May ignite in me a fresh desire to reach those who don't know the Lord.
What are Elim’s big plans for 2019?
Elim has identified our four priorities as a Movement to be Making Disciples, Developing Leaders, Growing Churches and Reaching Nations.
Specifically for 2019, Chris Cartwright believes that 2019 will be a significant year for Elim of renewal, recommitment and realignment. Read his article here.
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