ASSOCIATE PASTOR/DISCIPLESHIP PASTOR
Discipleship Ministry
Thank you for taking the time to catch a glimpse of our Discipleship Ministry. I hope you noticed
I used the word Ministry, instead of Program”. A program is something that is designed by man as an
avenue to incorporate people into service. Although people need a place to serve, chances are
“programs” will never last. Ministry, however, is the life to life reproduction of Christ and His Word in
others. One of the problems with churches today is that there are too many programs and not enough
ministry. A dear friend once told me that it is like our churches have a revolving door: people come in
and accept Christ as their Saviour, but within seven years the majority of them are gone, not attending
church anywhere. The problem is that we are trying to get them to stay with programs, instead of
ministry. So here is the question, how do we solve the problem? Do we do away with all the
programs? I think not. Like I said earlier, people need a place to serve and some programs are good
for that. We here at Faith Baptist Church believe that the answer to this “Revolving Door Syndrome”
can be summed up in one word – DISCIPLESHIP (the life to life reproduction of Christ and His Word in
others).
Ephesians 4:11-16: “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists;
And some pastors & teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work
Of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in
The unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
Perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that
We henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about
With every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness,
Whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love may grow
Up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the
Whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint
Supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part,
Maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
We here at Faith Baptist Church take these verses to heart. We feel that God has given the church not only the responsibility, but
the privilege of “perfecting the saints”. Another word we use is “equipping the saints” for ministry. This is what our Discipleship
Ministry is all about. Paul told Timothy in II Timothy 2:2, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same
commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” Basically what he was telling Timothy to do was to reproduce
himself spiritually, teach others the Word of God. Many people who trust Christ as their Saviour are defeated in their Christian life
before they even have a chance to live it because our churches will not take the time to teach and train them in the Word of God.
Therefore, they miss their opportunity to be conformed to the image of Christ. They never truly understand their new identity in
Christ. And we wonder why they leave the church!
Our Discipleship Ministry is set up on a One on One or Small Group basis. We meet one night a week in our homes and study the
Word of God. We have 17 lessons that are geared to ground any Christian in the Word of God.
| Lesson 1 - Salvation | Lesson 10 - Giving |
| Lesson 2 - Eternal Security | Lesson 11 - Money & Possessions |
| Lesson 3 - Baptism | Lesson 12 - Dealing with Sin |
| Lesson 4 - The Holy Spirit | Lesson 13 - Liberty In Christ |
| Lesson 5 - The Word of God | Lesson 14 - My Job & Employer |
| Lesson 6 - Prayer | Lesson 15 - The Lost World |
| Lesson 7 - The Word of God | Lesson 16 - The Judgement Seat of Christ |
| Lesson 8 - The Local Church | Lesson 17 - The Family |
| Lesson 9 - Other Christians |
By studying the Word of God in each of these areas, there should be a natural progression in one’s personal relationship with
Christ, and a natural conformity to His image. This is accomplished by not only reading and studying God’s Word, but great
emphasis is placed upon memorizing God’s Word. Each person has a Discipler (teacher) over them to help them apply the things
that God has taught them through His Word.
Back in school the teacher would make you show how you got your answer.
That is my preaching style - not only to exclaim the truths of God's Word
but to show others how to do the same. I believe if people are genuinely
seeking a relationship with God, then all you have to do is point them in
the right direction and they'll find their way. God's faithfulness ensures
that! Devotion is for personal strength.
DISCIPLESHIP: The people who followed the Lord Jesus and adopted his ways
into their life were called disciples long before they were
called Christians! Discipleship is a lifestyle of reproduction. It's a process
of taking something of you that is real and impacting and passing it on
to someone else. I was personally raised in "church" yet without
growth until someone came along and began to disciple me. It was the missing
link that made Jesus Christ and the Christian life realistic and obtainable
- and I began to grow.
We have seen many lives changed over the past 7 years here at Faith Baptist Church. Many Christians have learned to rightly
divide the Word of truth (II Timothy 2:15). Our Discipleship Ministry has played a major part in the spiritual growth of our people.
This ministry has truly become the heart beat of Faith Baptist Church. Thank you.
Bro. Joe Reed
Associate Pastor/Discipleship Pastor
If you have any questions or comments please contact me at: