Children Discipleship Ministry Plan - Research Paper Example

Children Discipleship Ministry Plan Contents Children Discipleship Ministry Plan Scriptural All Christiansget their spiritual nourishment from the Bible, which helps, in drawing us closer to God, the creator. The Bible mainly talks about the mission of God to humankind and His desire for humankind to be saved through Jesus Christ, whom He sent from heaven to come and save humankind from their sins. From the Bible, we learn that the mission of God is to restore humankind from their sins in order to be able to see His kingdom1. God’s desire is to see everyone saved through Jesus Christ in order not to perish but have eternal life as contained in the Hospital books. This is the reason why God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to come and save humankind from sins. We also learn that the great mission of God began in the Old Testament, where God makes promises with the People of Israel and is fulfilled in the New Testament through Jesus Christ’s ministry and the Holy Spirit2. The death of Jesus showed God’s power over sins and His resurrection showed his power of death and marking the beginning of a new chapter those who believes in Him. The church plays a central role in ensuring that God’s redemptive mission is accomplished through worship, discipleship, fellowship, evangelism, and ministry. Jesus considered discipleship as an important thing that every Christian should be part of, which according to Him involves three steps namely going, baptizing, and teaching3. Below are the scriptural foundations for our discipleship: Mark 8:34-38: Jesus spoke to His disciples saying, if any of you want to be my follower, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it. What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What could you give to get back your soul? Don’t be ashamed of me and my message among these unfaithful and sinful people! If you are, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:34-38)4. The Gospel according to John Chapter 15, Jesus says to His disciples, I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me. . . . Stay joined to me and let my teachings become part of you. Then you can pray for whatever you want, and your prayer will be answered. When you become fruitful disciples of mine, my Father will be honored (John Chap. 15)5. In Matthew 10:1, “Jesus called his twelve disciples. He gave them the power to force out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness.” Two issues are in view in this verse, the first of which comes out more clearly in the NIV, “He called his twelve disciples to him. . . .”6 Core Ministry Values This ministry plan is developed based on fifteen core values, which the church stands for. The ministry’s core values include: The word of God-we endeavor to learn the word of God continually and apply it in our daily lives. Prayer-we are devoted to maintaining an intimate relationship with God by summiting to Him through prayers and fellowshipping with Him. The Bible tells us that prayer helps in building the intimacy with the Lord God according to Mathew 6:9-10 and that we must pray with faith (Mark 11:22-24)7. Worship-we are committed to presenting ourselves before God by worshiping Him both in truth and Spirit for there is no one like Him. Psalms 29:1-2; Deuteronomy 6:13 and Psalms 96:8-9 says that humankind is commanded to worship. John 4:23-24 says that we should worship God both in truth and spirit. In this regard, we worship Him by singing (Psalms 9:11, Psalms 81:1) shouting (Psalms 63:1-3), audible praise 9Psalms 103:1), clapping (Psalms 47:1), bowing and kneeling (Ezra 9:5) and dancing (Psalms 149:3)8. Just as, tithing is concerned, we are also committed to giving our resources to God in the form of thanks giving and tithes for what He has done for us. Holiness-we acknowledge that seeing the Kingdom of God begins by obeying Him. Therefore, we are determined to obey his command that we must be holy as contained in Cor. 1:2.12:14 and Lev. 20:26). In order for us to obey this command, we engage in the following practices: We are accountable to God and to each other for whatever we do as required according to Heb 4:12 and Mat 12:35-379. Walking in the way of God (1 John 1:5). In this regard, we endeavor to remain sincere to others both in character and spirit10. Fellowshipping and Relationship Building We make fellowshipping a culture of the church in which members of the church keeps in close contact with one another through meetings, which make take the form of organized groups, large meetings or informal meetings. Acts 2:42 tells us that fellowshipping originated from the early church and therefore, we are determined to maintain the culture since through fellowships Christians get to learn from each other and get encouragement about their situations. It also gives the opportunity for other members to reach out to the destitute in the society as enumerated in Galatians 6:211. In line with our commitment to fellowshipping, we practice the following as a ministry: Unity as members of the church-As a ministry, we practice togetherness in order to bring people together coherently. The bible tells as that Jesus wants to see a church with is in unity according to John 17:20-23, as we ensure that, our first agreement is with God according to Mathew 16:15-18. As a ministry, we also practice mutual submission by submitting to one another (Eph 5:21). As a ministry, we also endeavor to build a caring relationship even with those who have not taken Jesus Christ in their lives. In this regard, we do not discriminate against any person because of his or her belief, but are mission is to try to bring them to the way of Christ. This is what the scripture says as found in Acts 1:8; 1 Cor 9:19—23 and Mat. 28:18-2012. Evangelism and Discipleship We engage in evangelism by preaching the good news about salvation through the power of the Holy Spirit with those we know. However, we are not forcing people to Jesus Christ, rather preaching to them the good things about Jesus in order for them to recognize Jesus Christ as savior. This is because the bible tells as that no one will see the kingdom of God unless he or she seek for Him and get saved from the sins. Behavioral Goals Worship-one of our core goal is to provide congregants and the community with a powerful and inspirational worship that draws as many people as possible to the way of God. The bible has commanded us to enroll as many believers in churches as possible and start them of a journey out of Egypt to Canaan, their Promised Land. This was evident when Jesus gave Moses the lead role to free the Israelites from Pharaoh’s Egypt to the Promised Land in Canaan, a land full of oil and no suffering. The same commission is bestowed upon us as a church to preach the good news about Jesus Christ by drawing the lost to the churches and showing them the way of Jesus Christ. Fellowshipping-As Christ’s ambassadors we are committed to promoting genuine fellowship that brings many people to God. In this regard, as a ministry we are determined to fellowshipping everywhere in the country without discrimination of any kind. As a result, our goals are to fellowship even to individuals who have not acknowledged Jesus as their personal savior. Ministry-As a ministry, we are determined to promoting meaningful ministry manifests God’s grace and love to the community and the church. In doing this, we believe that the church will be able to attract people to church and start following the way of God by recognizing Jesus Christ as their personal savior. Discipleship-the church will strive to promoting Biblical discipleship for scriptural teachings. Evangelism-we endeavor to evangelize the life-transforming message of God to those who have not recognized Jesus Christ in their lives throughout the globe. The ministry’s slogan will read as, Accepting, knowing, serving, sharing and exalting Jesus Christ. This is illustrated in the graphic shown below. Measurable objectives The ministry is determined to fulfilling a number of objectives by the time a child has been in this ministry for a period of two years. The objectives include: Salvation Salvation according to the bible is the means of deliverance from sins commonly referred to as being ‘born-again’ of ‘saved.’ It also entails being born in the family of God as His Child in order to receive eternal life. In this regard, we are committed to ensuring that children become saved by the time they have been in the ministry for at most two years. This implies that they should be able to have recognized Jesus Christ as their savior in order to see God’s kingdom. This is because Jesus Christ died for us so that our sins can be cleaned by the blood of Jesus. John 3:16 says ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”13 The eternal life in this case is the result of acknowledging Jesus Christ as savior14. Roman 5:8 also says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Therefore, seeing our children getting saved within the time frame is certainly one of our core objectives15. Assurance of salvation Salvation assurance refers to the conviction that Jesus has entered our lives, by saving us from our sins16. It pertains to having confidence that Christ can never forsake us irrespective of the situation we are undergoing. Therefore, the ministry is determined to ensure that every child in the ministry is able to confess of the wonderful things done by God in their lives through confession. This involves making a testimony that Christ has indeed entered their lives. This is what the scripture command are written in I John 5: 9-12, which says, We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone w ho believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about hi s Son. And this is the t testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have a life” (I John 5:9-12)17. Scriptures In order to glorify God and be effective witnesses of His wonders, it is imperative for every Christian to understand and obey the Scriptures. This is because the bible acts as a bridge between us and God. Therefore, it is important that everyone adopt a scriptural reading, meditation and memorization culture. In this regard, the ministry is determined to ensuring that children of are able to read, meditate and memorize the bible within the first two years of being in the ministry. This is because by understanding the bible, the children will know how to go about temptations by referring to what the Scriptures says, which will in turn see them turn to God regardless of whatever they are undergoing18. We acknowledge that temptations are real as Satan try to compete with Jesus Christ. This is evident when Satan attempted even Jesus Himself to turn stones into bread. Nevertheless, because of His obedience to God, He replied Satan saying that man not only lives on bread alone. Certainly, children who will have understood the scriptures will be able to know how to overcome temptations that come their way, which the church is determined at planting in children. Joshua 1:8 says, “Do not let t his Bo ok o f the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”19 Obedience Obedience is one of the core virtues of humankind that must be instilled in children since it marks the beginning of knowing God. The bible also says that God gave us the word so that we can augment our awareness and transform our lives. As such, the ministry is determined to ensuring that the children of the ministry become obedient to both God and people around them through discipleship. In this regard, they should be able to keep all the commandments of God as given to Moses. Deuteronomy 6:5-6 reminds us, ““Love the Lord y our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.” (Deuteronomy 6:5-6)20. Prayer The Scriptures command us to be prayerful since it is our salvation to God. The scripture also reminds us that we should develop a culture of beginning our day with a prayer, followed by learning to play anytime during the day. This is because the world is full of temptations, which comes in all manners that require as such necessitating prayers. Therefore, the program is aimed at ensuring that the children adopt the praying culture in their lives within the first one year of their being in the ministry. In this regard, we endeavor to train them to learn to pray continually when they wake up, during the day, evening and night before they pray. This will keep them closer to God, which would certainly help them overcome the many temptations that may come their way during the day. 1Thesalonian reminds humankind to pray continually without ceasing. Mathews 7:7-8 says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)21. Fellowship All Christians are members of one family and needs one another for encouragements. As a result, the program is determined to ensuring that all children of the ministry understand the value of fellowship and participate in it all the time. This includes organizing meetings with other fellow members of the congregation in order to offer encouragements to others in the society including those who have not acknowledged Jesus Christ as savior22. Encompassing Vision Statement The vision of our children ministry is a threefold: We will play a leading role in promoting relationship with God by establishing an environment where the congregants are encouraged to follow the ways of God. We are devoted to making disciples of Jesus in a spirit-filled setting that emphasizes on meaningful ministry, relationships, celebration, and giving. We are committed to seeing congregants grow in spirit through worship, evangelism, and inward commitment. Identification and description of the characteristics of the target group The discipleship targets different people in the society. One such group those who can be described as the ‘lost.’ These people have neither discovered nor accepted Jesus Christ as savior in their lives. One of the purposes of discipleship is to draw people closer to God by explaining to them the importance of accepting Jesus Christ in their lives. This can be done by giving a testimony of the wonders that God has done in their life for such people to accept Jesus Christ in their lives. Jesus do not want anyone to perish on due to sins for this is the reason why He was sent by his God the father to come and save humankind from sins23. The other target group is those who do not like attending church. These individuals understand the existence of God, but seldom bother attending church. Some of People from this category tend to engage in other things when it comes to time of worship. Therefore, this group will be targeted to explain to them the values of worship God all the time. The bible clearly commands us to worship God in truth and spirit. Therefore, explaining to this group the values of worship will help them know God and begin doing as God commands24. All humankind is bound to fall into temptation since there is no one who is righteous before God. As such, the ministry will target even those who are saved with the purpose of making them build a strong bond with God so that they don’t fall into temptations and depart from the way of God. Many at time people get tempted in life to the extent that they cease following the way of God. Nevertheless, the bible tells us that, through discipleship and prayers, we can help these people stand strong with God irrespective of the situations that they face and that may make them stop following the way of Christ25. Action Plan for making disciples Genuine Love An effective action plan for making disciples begins with the nature of God. The first letter of Apostle John declares the nature of God, which says, “My dear friends, we must love each other26. Love comes from God, and when we love each other, it shows that we have been given a new life. We are now God’s children, and we know him. God is love, and anyone who doesn’t love others has never known Him”27 This excerpt implies that every God’s disciple must posses’ similar characters as those of God. Because God himself is love, the ministry should love in a manner that reflects God’s love for His children. Accordingly, these guidelines explore that how the beginning of discipleship. Biblical ministry sets off by experiences the unconditional, boundless, and endless love, which transforms the character of an individual to begin working for God. As a result, in organizing for children ministry and in implementation of children ministry, the church’s disciples’ strive to acknowledge personally the love of God to continue developing their acknowledge of God’s love in order to be able to imitate the love of God in whatever things they do28. However, for love to thrive, it is imperative of Christians to spend good time with God through Bible study, prayers, evangelism, purity, cleansing, and transformation by building a close relationship with people. Passionate prayer Those who love God tend to developed devotion for prayers. It is reported that a prayer is key to reaching out to children and should permeate all other aspects of the ministry from start to finish. Prayers will help draw children in the ministry closer to God since it is through prayers that their desires can be presented to God. Just as, the bible says, ask, and it shall be given unto you… (Matthew 7:7-8)29. Thoughtful Discussion Thoughtful discussion is very essential in building relationship between the church and the children since it helps in learning more about the background of every child, their desires, culture, which in turn creates the opportunity for sharing the word of Jesus. For example, Jesus occasionally engaged His disciples in thoughtful discussions as seen during His calling to the Mount, where He spends good time with his disciples discussing important issues with them. It is clear that most of the discussions took place in the context of a meal. It was also common that Jesus began most of His conversations by putting forward questions to His disciples. Therefore, good discipleship will certainly be build by engaging in thoughtful discussions with the children30. Biblical teaching Biblical teaching also offers a good opportunity for making disciples. In this regard, it is imperative to organize for bible studies with the children as this will enable them understand more regarding Jesus Christ and what they need to do to become good ambassadors of Christ. The bible study should be interactive involving storytelling, which involves making a clear emphasis upon Jesus Christ including His life, the vales He stood for, and what he wants us to do31. Send out Sending out should mark the last stage of making disciples. Accordingly, the process enumerated above in making discipleship should maintain the critical focus same way Jesus did in preparing His disciples when He used to send them out. This includes disciplining the lost and developing ministry and developing gifts in disciples32. Scope and Sequence Plan In order to make the program a success, the lessons will be divided into different sessions such as bible study classes, thoughtful discussion lessons, time for prayers, and evangelism. The programs will be programmed according to the weekly calendar with each program being assigned its day. However, for the program to become a success, we shall require teachers to engage the children in learning33. Budget and Communication tools and techniques In order to accomplish the program, ministry team will need certain tools and equipment so as to make the program a success. Therefore, the church will require a financial backing for the purchase of bibles, which are supposed to be used during the bible study lessons. In addition, there will be a budget allocation for pens, notebooks, CDs, and for hiring a projector. The budget is estimated to cost $400. Since communication is very important during the program, we will rely mainly of face-to-face communication, verbally. This is because most of the discussions will involve a one on one engagement with the children with the aid of a presentation program such as PowerPoint.. Since the program involves discussion, there will be aspects of demonstration and writing. As such, the ministry team will need writing materials for demonstration to the students. In addition, there will be a need to have computers and projectile for demonstration being that the current world is technology based. This tools and communication techniques will certainly promote communication between teachers and children during the classroom34. Conclusion The discipleship ministry plan developed above will help make good disciples who acknowledge Jesus Christ as savior. However, the five essential activities that produce disciples are effective since it engages the participants in the program directly. Bibliography Bader, Donald E. Developing a Plan to Disciple International Students. Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. Lynchburg, VA ,July, 2008. Lee, Yong Woong. “A Discipleship Model for Missionaries Establishing Churches in Thailand.” PhD diss., Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, Lynchburg, VA, 2003. Your Life in Christ: DFD 1. Design for Discipleship. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2006. Styron, Henry D. “Developing a Measuring Instrument to Determine the Discipleship Commitment Attained by Individual Christians.” PhD diss., Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, Lynchburg, VA, 2004. Peterson, Eugene H. Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places. Grand Rapids Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2005. Peterson, David. Engaging With God: A Biblical Theology of Worship. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1992. Ott, John W. “Developing and Evaluating a Program of Evangelism for the Local Church.” PhD diss., Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, Lynchburg, VA, 2001. Pilai, Rajendra. Reaching the World in Our Own Backyard. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press, 2003. Schroeder, David. Follow Me: Discipleship by the Book. Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, Inc, 1992. Schroeder, Joy. Tools for Mentoring: 19 Blueprints for Building People. Bozeman, MT: Father Heart Ministries, Inc, 2002. Wilkins, Michael J. Following the Master: A Biblical Theology of Discipleship. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992. Read More