Blogging will be a bit light this week because I am attending the 1st session of ReTrain that is being held at Mars Hill Church Ballard. I will try to give some of each day’s highlights.
Day 1 Highlights
I am in the church planter cohort which is really cool cause I will get to hang out and learn with guys who are passionate about church planting. I am really looking forward to this, because this year will also be a year of forming a core group of leaders and people to be part of a church I am planting in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. It will be good to be able to bounce ideas and structures off these guys who are studying this stuff as well.
Bill Clem is the teacher for this class called Leader as Disciple. The first thing he asked us this morning was, “What is a Disciple?”. It seemed like an easy questions, until he started to break down how the New Testament uses the word disciple. In the end I think the conclusion was a disciple is someone who follows another for various reasons and at various commitment levels. This was huge, because it made us realize how much deeper Christ’s command to go to all the world to make disciples really is. It is not about conversions, or about getting a decision, but about 4 things.
1. Identify- being Christ image bearers
2. Worship -being Christ worshipers
3. Community- being a community of Christ worshipers
4. Mission- being a community of people who are on mission to share the love of Jesus.
These 4 aspects of what makes up the call to make disciples goes deeper, is harder and takes a lifetime. Not something that can be covered in a altar call, or a decision and prayer card signature.
We then heard from Scott Thomas, president of Acts 29. Scott talked about the need for leaders to be shepherded and cared for. He then exhorted us as future leaders or even current leaders to not find our identity in anything other than who we are in Christ.
Lunch was spent with the cohort meeting and hanging out with everybody. It was a great time and I am really stoked to be spending a year with the fellas in this cohort.
Mark Driscoll then spoke to us. He told us about some of the foundations of Acts 29. It was great, encouraging and only further excited me about working towards planting alongside this growing and passionate movement.
The day ended with a powerful time of worship through song with Tim Smith. I am not sure I have ever experienced such a Holy Spirit soaked time where men were broken and exalting Jesus with such joy and passion.
Looking forward to what day 2 has in store!
