I just read an article about youth ministry entitled "If You're not Making Disciples, what are you making?" Though the author's question is framed around youth ministry, his premise can be attached to the whole church.
If our church is not making disciples, what are we making? That is very interesting considering that our primary task as God's people is the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20)
The author asks some probing questions to help us think through the answer to his main question. They can be applied to the whole church as well. I'll change the word "students" to "church members" for the sake of our conversation.
1. Are we leading our [church members] to be legalists?
Are we cultivating in our churches people whose primary calling is to abide in Christ (John 15:1-8) seeing as how the Holy Spirit is the one who "produces" the fruit? Or, are we training our members to be "rule keepers" like the Pharisees?
2. Are we leading our [church members] to be lukewarm religionists?
Are we training our members to "go through the motions" of religion or are we cultivating their heart passion and devotion for Jesus to be lived out every moment of everyday?
3. Are we creating spiritual consumers?
Are we seeking to cultivate our church members' depth of devotion and obedience to Jesus, or are we more concerned about making sure everyone is happy with the performance on Sunday morning?
4. Are we, in a word, leading our [church members] away from Christ?
Are we more about cultivating our religiosity or about the great privilege and call of following Jesus daily and being transformed into his image by the Word through the Spirit?
The questions are the author's. These answers, at least in part, are some of my own thoughts.
Near the end of his article, he writes this: "You are shaping [church members'] faith. What are you shaping it to be?"
That is a good question for us all to consider because if we aren't making disciples, what are we making?
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