Helping Christians Grow to Maturity

Discipleship is often understood in terms of training in the spiritual disciplines and developing one’s personal relationship with God. However, though these things are vital building blocks, is there more to discipleship? In her book "Total Truth," Nancy Pearcey talks about what is necessary to prepare young believers to live for Christ in this world. She states that “it is not enough to teach young believers how to have a personal quiet time.... A religion that avoids the intellectual task and retreats to the therapeutic realm of personal relationships and feelings will not survive in today’s spiritual battlefield.” If the mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ and this critique is correct, then how exactly ought we to be redefining the mission of leaders? This session provides opportunity for dialogue and discussion on this vital issue by exploring the question raised by Ephesians 4:11ff – what does it mean practically to equip God’s people to serve Christ in this world? How can we see young people cross the sacred / secular divide and be equipped with the “whole of the Gospel for the whole of the person for the whole of life?"