Introduction

Our challenge, at this stage of our growth together as a body of believers, is to evaluate our traditional ideas of doing church in light of the Jesus model in Scripture of building people. How we choose will determine our destiny in the 21st century.

It is no secret that the current generation of believers in our culture does not have the same level of commitment and sacrifice that marked our forefathers’ generation! It is also common knowledge that the financial base for regular contributors has been shrinking for decades. The majority of funds for mission activities now comes from those who are over 50 years of age.

If our goal is to build mature, committed disciples in every Pentecostal Holiness Church, some things will have to change. What are some of our churches' priorities, and where do they stand?

• Worship is important, but how can we worship a God we don't know anything about?
• Our goal in evangelism is to tell others about Jesus Christ, yet how can we unless we are trained?
• The call for missions outreach is not disputed, but why, without training, would our people make a sacrifice to serve God?
• In building stronger families, the need to rely on the Lord is key, but do we know Him?
• The commitment of our time, talents, and treasure is an indication of both what is important and what guides our lives. Where do we find the help?
  

We believe that discipleship is the key to effective ministry in our church. Nothing we can do has more potential to change our world than “Making Disciples.”

"The pathway to ministry leads through the Gateway of Discipleship."

Refocusing Our Priorities

For the IPHC to become a disciple-making body, we must be willing to embrace some new ways of doing ministry.

Role of Pastor and Leaders
As pastors and leaders we need to reevaluate our understanding of the role of clergy and staff. If the church is to become a discipling body, the pastor and church leaders must be intentional in equipping and empowering saints to
minister. Thankfully, our fellowship is making the shift to the Ephesians 4:10-11 model for the church. More and more pastors see their role as equipping the saints for ministry.

Leadership must focus on the long-term vision of “making disciples” rather than the short-term goal of “running the church.” Empowered lay pastors are
becoming the primary form of church leadership.

Evangelism vs. Discipleship
We can no longer be content only to evangelize; evangelism is not discipleship. Much of what is called “evangelism” is quite different from effective “disciple-
making.” Evangelism may even inhibit the Great Commission's command to “make disciples.”

Recently, on the Web site of Easum, Bandy & Associates, a member posted the following message to William Easum:

Dear Bill:
My sense is that it's around these bottom-line issues that most of us still feel overwhelmed and still struggle. It feels to me like we should be taking our discussions on this forum to a new, apostolic level of application. Let's get efficient. Let's identify some effective, practical strategies that get straight to the heart of these questions:

1. What is a sold-out disciple of Jesus Christ?
2. How do I become one?
3. How do I help others become one?
-- Leo

On the pages that follow, we will try to answer Leo’s three questions.

Disciple 3

Disciple 3 is the focus for the 2004-2005 Making Disciples emphasis and is the next phase of our decade-long focus on Reaching People. This guide has been designed around three sections to help local church leaders capture and
implement the scriptural challenge to make disciples:

• Mapping the Journey. What is discipleship? What does Scripture say about making disciples? How did Jesus make disciples? How can I make disciples?
• Beginning the Journey. Three practical steps to follow to get you
  started on your own discipleship journey. Step One: Develop a Prayer Strategy; Step Two: Focus the Church; Step Three: Use the Jesus Model.
• A Lifelong Journey. Repeat the process each year, and bring new people along on the journey.

The purpose of this guide is to challenge every minister and member of the IPHC to take a fresh look at what's important to our success. It is designed to help initiate a process in your church that will lead to a new and refreshing way of fulfilling the Great Commission.