Get Ready, Get Set, GROW

It is a well agreed to statement that recognizing that you have a problem is a first step in solving it. So our church leaders here in Bolivia, after examining the church's direction and activities for the last number of years, have come to the conclusion that we have a problem as a church that needs to be addressed. We have become careless in our response to the Great Commission to make disciples. It is not that we have quit planting churches, it is not that we have quit presenting the gospel to lost people, it is not that we have quit seeing new converts come to our churches. But we have become careless in our making disciples. It is one thing to have a convert, it is quite another thing to make a disciple out of him. (Now that might be an interesting discussion - can you be a convert without being a disciple?) And so our church leadership is taking steps to try and help us to address the problem. The church is embarking on a three year emphasis of Renewing our Commitment to the Great Commission. As a first step in this renewal, the church is conducting regional seminars across the denomination to teach about how to structure discipleship within the local church. This past weekend the Santa Cruz/Cochabamba seminar was held here in Santa Cruz. The guest speaker, a Bolivian regional coordinator for Campus Crusade for Christ, did a very good job of examining what is necessary to make disciples.

The first night's topic was using the tools that God has given for discipleship.

At the end all the participants received certificates.

Those in attendance were very receptive to what was being presented. The next step in the process is to begin to form discipleship groups within each local church. While not a program as such, the national church is preparing some models for how to do that and suggest materials that can be of help. By the end of the year, the goal is to have discipleship groups operating in all of our local churches. An ambitious goal, yes, but one that needs to be pursued. Please pray for the national church as together we take this new challenge to become recommitted to the Great Commission.