Fridays with the Ferrells
Greetings! Welcome to "Fridays with
the Ferrells," a series of conversations between Tim and Amy and
Baltimore Sun journalist, Lisa Kawata about their lifework to grow
followers of Jesus Christ in their community and through today's
churches.
Scroll down the page to read the articles, or click on the PDF links below to see the graphic versions (requires Adobe Acrobat).
Experiencing His Faithfulness (Ferrell June 2005.pdf)
Parenting with Purpose (Ferrell Jan 2005.pdf)
Authentic Community (Ferrell Sept 2004.pdf)
Making Disciplemaking Churches (Ferrell June 2004.pdf)
June 2005 - Experiencing His Faithfulness
Greetings! This is the fourth and last in a series of Friday interviews that I, Lisa Kawata, have had with Tim and Amy Ferrell. I can hardly believe that a year has passed since we started these discussions!
I wanted to gain a clearer picture of what Tim and Amy are doing as Christ's servants with The Navigators Church Discipleship Ministry and in their community. I've learned so much! I hope you have too. And, as God always does, He heaped rich blessings upon me in the process. During our last Friday together, Tim and I talked about God's faithfulness to their family over the many years that they have been ministering full-time with The Navigators.
Tim, in the 23 years that you have relied on God for full-time financial support, how has He shown Himself faithful to provide for you and your family?
God has given us 143 faithful supporters—many have been with us for as long as 10, 15, 20, and even all 23 years. The faithfulness and longevity of many of our donor team members is beyond description! That probably says as much about how they value this work and see it as their ministry also, as it does about us. They are true partners with Amy and me.
I am responsible to the Navigators for fully funding our work at 100% and I embrace that stewardship as part of the ministry, part of my calling. Most of our income comes through individual gifts. Some comes as missionary support from churches and the rest as honoraria from the individual churches I serve.
Currently, I am seeing God's faithfulness by His giving me the privilege of influencing a greater number of church leaders toward being missional. Through pastoral networks and relationships, they are referring their friends to me for help in building followers of Jesus. Churches are re-thinking what kind of disciples they're producing and how they can equip their people to live redemptively within God's created design. Also, I am contributing within The Navigators work at large on the topics of church planting and developing missional communities of faith.
The financial set-up of your ministry has allowed for fluctuating income. How have you learned to trust God through the years?
A large reason for this trust, I think, comes as a result of the 938 households who receive this prayer letter and actually labor on our behalf in prayer! As to our material needs, Our Father has provided for us in many creative ways. People whom we had not even met before and were not donors helped us creatively come up with a way to buy their house from 1987-1992. This allowed us to be able to afford to stay in this expensive area. He has provided us with vehicles at low cost and they have always lasted 10-15 years! It seems like our cars, appliances, and furnaces have always lasted a long time, much like the shoes that did not wear out during the Israelites' 40 years in the wilderness.
The times that I do begin to feel anxious, I identify with our supporters. They're also in unstable work places, in an unstable economy. Uncertainty of income and adversity is common to man—not just for missionaries. So, I pray for myself and for those who give to, or pray for, our ministry, that God will grant us all grace to believe Him, to cling to Him, to abandon ourselves to His goodness—to fear Him. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving. He's a consuming fire. I pray for Him to consume all my lesser fears, being confident that He will never abandon me, never desert me, never fail me.
Does your work as a full-time Christian worker diminish your time with family?
I think we've led fairly balanced lives. If we recognize that God is central in all aspects of life—our relationship with Him, our work, our family, and our extended relationships—then to fulfill my calling to my family is not taking away from "the ministry." There's not a sacred/secular dichotomy for living. For Him, all of His created design is sacred. To whatever work He has called us, with whatever gifts He's given us, this is full-time Christian ministry. So, my work is essential to my calling and my family is just as essential to that "full-time ministry!" I think it's an error to say that being a full-time Christian worker is the highest calling for a follower of Jesus.
Tim, how can we pray for you and Amy at this time?
Well, for Amy and me, please pray that God would continue to give us courage in facing the character changes He wants to make in us so that we will reflect His glory in our family, in our ministries, and with our neighbors.
Thinking about my work, especially with churches, I really need clarity and a laser focus. The opportunities for ministry are numerous. I want to minister strategically in the places God is calling me. Also, I sense the need to step out and attempt more than I am capable of, trusting God to provide the resources. It has to be God's work. Pray that we would continue to live with abandonment in following Jesus where He leads. Claim with us the confidence that He will provide for us, not just materially, but even in taking risks—whether with our unchurched friends or by speaking prophetically and humbly to His Church.
We would greatly treasure you praying Ephesians 3:14-19 for our children. Please believe with us, especially verses 17-19, that our children would grasp how wide and long and high and deep Christ's love is for them.
Since you mentioned the children, can you give us an update on them?
Mary Catherine, 27, is doing a lot of courageous soul work these days. She lives in Baltimore and just finished her first semester at Baltimore City Community College with a 4.0! She's on a wonderful spiritual journey and God is providing for her to develop herself educationally.
Rebecca, 25, has been in Nashville since her graduation from Vanderbilt in 2003. There she has been the director of training for Stickhead Lacrosse. She has also coached a high school girls' lacrosse team to the Tennessee State Finals two years in a row. Becca is moving back to Maryland to be closer to family and will pursue job opportunities either in Human Resources or as a college lacrosse coach (coupled with grad school).
Nathan, 21, has just completed his junior studies in Spanish at the University of Puerto Rico. His time in Cuba and Puerto Rico have contributed to his sensitive heart and passion for social justice. He will complete his senior year at Towson University this year.
Jon Nye, 14, our steady teen and talented guitar player, will begin his freshman year at the new Marriotts Ridge High School next Fall. Jon and I are going on a missions project together in July in the Appalachians.
Sarah, 12, just finished sixth grade with a 4.0. She loves school, sports, and relationships. She's a mature, gifted girl with high energy. Sarah is growing in a vibrant walk with God.
Garrison, 7, has completed first grade. He's our social little boy and constantly keeps us in stitches.
We've had to wrestle with some tough parenting issues over the years. God has strengthened us to change in the way we parent and how we love each other as husband and wife. In our 29 years, He has been faithful not to abandon us! We give Him thanks with a deep, deep gratitude.
January 2005 - Parenting with Purpose
Greetings! This is the third "Friday with the Ferrells," a series of conversations that I, Lisa Kawata, am having with Tim and Amy Ferrell about their role with The Navigators' Church Discipleship Ministry. In this letter, Amy talks about her parenting curriculum, "Parenting with Purpose," which she has been teaching in the community for about nine years.
Amy, what happened in your life that led you to want to develop your own parenting course?
I'm sure it began with my own parenting struggles and frustrations. I wanted to better understand my own struggles as well as grow in a deeper understanding of how God, our Father, parents us. This put me on a journey. And I found I just had a heart for those who were going through similar difficulties. I wanted to be part of a positive solution.
Nine years ago, I began working with Tim Siemens, a pastor at Grace Community Church, on a curriculum that could resource parents and equip families as well as reach out to our community. I later met a Christian psychiatrist who asked me to offer the course through his counseling center.
What is different about your course from what is already out there?
There are so many excellent resources available today. What is unique about what I do is that the materials are developed for a process of growth, interaction, and discovery. Learning in a small-group setting with others and being able to ask questions for specific, personal applications are critical. Each family is unique. I work with parents on everything from learning to play with your child, communicating, using "time-outs," motivating, solving problems, determining values, nurturing yourself as a parent, understanding the "big picture," and more.
What are some of the resources you use?
Boundaries by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend is the first resource I use. This covers several important issues in parenting, such as: what are, and what are not my responsibilities as a parent.
The Parents Handbook by Don Dinkmeyer is like a condensed version of Rudolph Driekur's classic book, Children the Challenge. It is excellent for strengthening the parent-child relationship through good communication and an understanding of why children misbehave.
1-2-3 Magic by Dr. Thomas Phelan helps parents, in practical ways, learn to set boundaries for themselves and teach children boundaries through self-discipline.
Two other books I recommend are Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families by Dr. Stephen Covey and How to Really Love Your Child by Dr. Ross Campbell. Campbell's book is strong in parent-child nurturing.
How do you keep the program fluid and adaptable?
I am constantly reading, gathering, and adapting new and relevant information. The very essence of what we work on together is problem-solving for your child and that relationship. Since my course is interactive, there is great room to adapt to specific needs. Bringing the puzzle pieces together—relationships, teaching parents how to make observations, learning how to solve problems, and instituting change are my goals.
What do you hear are the most prevalent challenges parents are facing today?
One key area is helping parents learn to set limits effectively. Our society lives in excess in almost every area of life. Determining what are appropriate limits, learning how to set them, and then teaching our children to do the same is important. The longer I work with families I realize that making sense out of your own life—learning to "tell your story"—is critical for being able to understand why you respond the way you do to your children. Understanding that story can help you make better decisions and better choices about what your children need.
You talk about understanding your own story. If your story is negative, how do you break out of that so you don't pass it on to your children?
What I share with people is a story of hope—a story that longs to break free from the past, to embrace a future that can change the present. I teach parents how to become change agents in the family with a vision for what they want their family to become. That high calling can motivate us to make changes in our lives in which the past is literally pushed out.
What has changed most in the 20 years that you and Tim have been parenting your six children?
We have recognized our controlling natures and sought to become parents who equip and empower our children. We were very concerned with outward behavior. Of course, we were concerned for their hearts as well, but we tried to control their hearts by monitoring their outer behavior. We have changed in that now we give each of our children room to make real choices with appropriate consequences. We have very much moved from authoritarian to authoritative—from "control-parenting" to parenting that teaches children to discipline themselves from the inside out.
June 2004 - Making Disciplemaking Churches
Greetings! Welcome to "Fridays with the Ferrells," a series of conversations with Tim and Amy about their lifework to grow followers of Jesus Christ in their community and through today's churches.
My name is Lisa Kawata and I am one of those followers. I first met Tim and Amy in 1981, at the University of Maryland in College Park, where I was a student and involved in The Navigators Collegiate Ministry. I, like many of you, receive Tim and Amy's prayer letters and ministry updates, but I wanted a clearer understanding of the work they were doing in the churches of the Baltimore/Washington, DC area as well as in their community of Howard County, Maryland. With my journalistic background and as a writer for the Baltimore Sun, I was pleased to spend a recent Friday with them. From these few hours together, we've decided to create a series of letters which, we hope and pray, will help you also better understand their work.
Tim, as a leader in The Navigators Church Discipleship Ministry, what is your vision for churches today?
To best communicate this, I have to go back to when we were ministering on the college campus. The vision is to combine the multiplication of disciples with the multiplying of churches. During our time in ministry at the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Maryland from 1978-1986, we saw the lasting effect and priceless value of imparting our lives to another. It's Paul's idea in 1 Thessalonians 2:8: "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." It's not just the passing on of information, it's actually "life on life."
So, through these experiences, coupled with seeing God's heart and design for His Church in the Scriptures, and then coming to understand the state of the church in the USA, we were led to this question: "Wouldn't it be so much better if we could wed this type of focused missionary work on campuses, which seemed so effective in producing followers of Jesus Christ, with the holistic ministry of the local church?" Why couldn't the Church of Jesus have the best of both worlds?
At the same time, a large group of Navigator staff began to develop this same heart, and I connected with them in 1990. The passion—the vision—of Church Discipleship Ministry is that every person in the United States would have the opportunity to become a disciple of Jesus Christ through an Intentional Disciplemaking Church!
You talk a lot about "Intentional Disciplemaking Church." In your mind, what does that church look like?
It's a church who determines, first of all, that her mission from Jesus is what He says that mission is! It embraces the mandate of the Great Commission to first be and then make disciples of Him. Through His seven direct statements in the Gospels, Jesus gives us a very good working profile of what a follower of His does and is. So, with an intentional commitment and a biblical profile, we are ready to begin.
What is your role in that mission?
Having established that the Church has a clear command to make disciples, I realize that the Scriptures are also clear that only God causes growth. So, what am I to do with the seeming paradox: I am to "make'". . . He "causes" the growth? For me the synthesis comes in helping church leaders to see that their primary stewardship is to create a healthy environment where disciples of Jesus can develop. My role is in coming alongside of these leaders and continually keeping before them these key questions: "What does that healthy environment look like? What are its essential elements? What might be lacking in your church? Are you willing to realign your resources (people and money) away from nonproductive activity? What is your next action step to nurture health in your church?"
How do you help church leaders return to the command to make disciples?
This is the hard part. It's easy for each of us to get off course in an area of life at any time. The church is no different. Just like you and me, Lisa, it takes humility for church leaders to admit that. And you know, the passion of helping others follow Jesus is really what called them into ministry to begin with. Next comes an incredibly difficult change process. It's not easy. But in a nutshell, it comes down to three things I ask of the pastor and church leaders. The first is to help them (sometimes this is done gently, sometimes bluntly!) come to discover that He who said, "I will build My church" was building it while He was here on earth, and He was doing so brilliantly! What was His primary strategy? He invested Himself in a small group of Twelve! And, that is the first thing we have to return to—the small group is the basic unit for church life.
The second thing I ask them to embrace is that Jesus loves people more than we do. Matthew 9:36-38 reads, "Jesus, seeing the multitudes, felt compassion for them, for they were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd." Now, the compassionate Jesus saw the great need and what was His response to the disciples? "Pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He would send workers into the harvest." As church leaders it's easy to forget that Jesus didn't call them to plant or build a successful church—that's His job. The loving Jesus' response to seeing needy people was to recognize the shortage of workers and that is why He gave us our mission: "Go, make disciples. . . ."
The third thing is that the leader has to be committed to, and stick to, the truth that multiplication will overtake addition. If we're going to accomplish the mission, we've got to invest in people who can multiply. And eventually, multiplication will win the day. But the pastor has to be sold out to this because he'll be tempted over and over—everything and everyone will be crying out, saying, "add, add, add" and people won't understand, and they will want him or her to do the quick fix. So, in that context, I will begin to help train pastors and other leaders in pouring their lives into a few.
Overall, this part of my work then is helping pastors rediscover Jesus' mission and vision for their church. I stand with them, helping them muster courage as they call their church members to reconsider their core values and priorities in order to accomplish that mission. All in all, it's certainly more art than science!
What do I do? In essence, I become a pastor to the pastor.
Scroll down the page to read the articles, or click on the PDF links below to see the graphic versions (requires Adobe Acrobat).
Experiencing His Faithfulness (Ferrell June 2005.pdf)
Parenting with Purpose (Ferrell Jan 2005.pdf)
Authentic Community (Ferrell Sept 2004.pdf)
Making Disciplemaking Churches (Ferrell June 2004.pdf)
June 2005 - Experiencing His Faithfulness
Greetings! This is the fourth and last in a series of Friday interviews that I, Lisa Kawata, have had with Tim and Amy Ferrell. I can hardly believe that a year has passed since we started these discussions!
I wanted to gain a clearer picture of what Tim and Amy are doing as Christ's servants with The Navigators Church Discipleship Ministry and in their community. I've learned so much! I hope you have too. And, as God always does, He heaped rich blessings upon me in the process. During our last Friday together, Tim and I talked about God's faithfulness to their family over the many years that they have been ministering full-time with The Navigators.
Tim, in the 23 years that you have relied on God for full-time financial support, how has He shown Himself faithful to provide for you and your family?
God has given us 143 faithful supporters—many have been with us for as long as 10, 15, 20, and even all 23 years. The faithfulness and longevity of many of our donor team members is beyond description! That probably says as much about how they value this work and see it as their ministry also, as it does about us. They are true partners with Amy and me.
I am responsible to the Navigators for fully funding our work at 100% and I embrace that stewardship as part of the ministry, part of my calling. Most of our income comes through individual gifts. Some comes as missionary support from churches and the rest as honoraria from the individual churches I serve.
Currently, I am seeing God's faithfulness by His giving me the privilege of influencing a greater number of church leaders toward being missional. Through pastoral networks and relationships, they are referring their friends to me for help in building followers of Jesus. Churches are re-thinking what kind of disciples they're producing and how they can equip their people to live redemptively within God's created design. Also, I am contributing within The Navigators work at large on the topics of church planting and developing missional communities of faith.
The financial set-up of your ministry has allowed for fluctuating income. How have you learned to trust God through the years?
A large reason for this trust, I think, comes as a result of the 938 households who receive this prayer letter and actually labor on our behalf in prayer! As to our material needs, Our Father has provided for us in many creative ways. People whom we had not even met before and were not donors helped us creatively come up with a way to buy their house from 1987-1992. This allowed us to be able to afford to stay in this expensive area. He has provided us with vehicles at low cost and they have always lasted 10-15 years! It seems like our cars, appliances, and furnaces have always lasted a long time, much like the shoes that did not wear out during the Israelites' 40 years in the wilderness.
The times that I do begin to feel anxious, I identify with our supporters. They're also in unstable work places, in an unstable economy. Uncertainty of income and adversity is common to man—not just for missionaries. So, I pray for myself and for those who give to, or pray for, our ministry, that God will grant us all grace to believe Him, to cling to Him, to abandon ourselves to His goodness—to fear Him. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving. He's a consuming fire. I pray for Him to consume all my lesser fears, being confident that He will never abandon me, never desert me, never fail me.
Does your work as a full-time Christian worker diminish your time with family?
I think we've led fairly balanced lives. If we recognize that God is central in all aspects of life—our relationship with Him, our work, our family, and our extended relationships—then to fulfill my calling to my family is not taking away from "the ministry." There's not a sacred/secular dichotomy for living. For Him, all of His created design is sacred. To whatever work He has called us, with whatever gifts He's given us, this is full-time Christian ministry. So, my work is essential to my calling and my family is just as essential to that "full-time ministry!" I think it's an error to say that being a full-time Christian worker is the highest calling for a follower of Jesus.
Tim, how can we pray for you and Amy at this time?
Well, for Amy and me, please pray that God would continue to give us courage in facing the character changes He wants to make in us so that we will reflect His glory in our family, in our ministries, and with our neighbors.
Thinking about my work, especially with churches, I really need clarity and a laser focus. The opportunities for ministry are numerous. I want to minister strategically in the places God is calling me. Also, I sense the need to step out and attempt more than I am capable of, trusting God to provide the resources. It has to be God's work. Pray that we would continue to live with abandonment in following Jesus where He leads. Claim with us the confidence that He will provide for us, not just materially, but even in taking risks—whether with our unchurched friends or by speaking prophetically and humbly to His Church.
We would greatly treasure you praying Ephesians 3:14-19 for our children. Please believe with us, especially verses 17-19, that our children would grasp how wide and long and high and deep Christ's love is for them.
Since you mentioned the children, can you give us an update on them?
Mary Catherine, 27, is doing a lot of courageous soul work these days. She lives in Baltimore and just finished her first semester at Baltimore City Community College with a 4.0! She's on a wonderful spiritual journey and God is providing for her to develop herself educationally.
Rebecca, 25, has been in Nashville since her graduation from Vanderbilt in 2003. There she has been the director of training for Stickhead Lacrosse. She has also coached a high school girls' lacrosse team to the Tennessee State Finals two years in a row. Becca is moving back to Maryland to be closer to family and will pursue job opportunities either in Human Resources or as a college lacrosse coach (coupled with grad school).
Nathan, 21, has just completed his junior studies in Spanish at the University of Puerto Rico. His time in Cuba and Puerto Rico have contributed to his sensitive heart and passion for social justice. He will complete his senior year at Towson University this year.
Jon Nye, 14, our steady teen and talented guitar player, will begin his freshman year at the new Marriotts Ridge High School next Fall. Jon and I are going on a missions project together in July in the Appalachians.
Sarah, 12, just finished sixth grade with a 4.0. She loves school, sports, and relationships. She's a mature, gifted girl with high energy. Sarah is growing in a vibrant walk with God.
Garrison, 7, has completed first grade. He's our social little boy and constantly keeps us in stitches.
We've had to wrestle with some tough parenting issues over the years. God has strengthened us to change in the way we parent and how we love each other as husband and wife. In our 29 years, He has been faithful not to abandon us! We give Him thanks with a deep, deep gratitude.
January 2005 - Parenting with Purpose
Greetings! This is the third "Friday with the Ferrells," a series of conversations that I, Lisa Kawata, am having with Tim and Amy Ferrell about their role with The Navigators' Church Discipleship Ministry. In this letter, Amy talks about her parenting curriculum, "Parenting with Purpose," which she has been teaching in the community for about nine years.
Amy, what happened in your life that led you to want to develop your own parenting course?
I'm sure it began with my own parenting struggles and frustrations. I wanted to better understand my own struggles as well as grow in a deeper understanding of how God, our Father, parents us. This put me on a journey. And I found I just had a heart for those who were going through similar difficulties. I wanted to be part of a positive solution.
Nine years ago, I began working with Tim Siemens, a pastor at Grace Community Church, on a curriculum that could resource parents and equip families as well as reach out to our community. I later met a Christian psychiatrist who asked me to offer the course through his counseling center.
What is different about your course from what is already out there?
There are so many excellent resources available today. What is unique about what I do is that the materials are developed for a process of growth, interaction, and discovery. Learning in a small-group setting with others and being able to ask questions for specific, personal applications are critical. Each family is unique. I work with parents on everything from learning to play with your child, communicating, using "time-outs," motivating, solving problems, determining values, nurturing yourself as a parent, understanding the "big picture," and more.
What are some of the resources you use?
Boundaries by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend is the first resource I use. This covers several important issues in parenting, such as: what are, and what are not my responsibilities as a parent.
The Parents Handbook by Don Dinkmeyer is like a condensed version of Rudolph Driekur's classic book, Children the Challenge. It is excellent for strengthening the parent-child relationship through good communication and an understanding of why children misbehave.
1-2-3 Magic by Dr. Thomas Phelan helps parents, in practical ways, learn to set boundaries for themselves and teach children boundaries through self-discipline.
Two other books I recommend are Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families by Dr. Stephen Covey and How to Really Love Your Child by Dr. Ross Campbell. Campbell's book is strong in parent-child nurturing.
How do you keep the program fluid and adaptable?
I am constantly reading, gathering, and adapting new and relevant information. The very essence of what we work on together is problem-solving for your child and that relationship. Since my course is interactive, there is great room to adapt to specific needs. Bringing the puzzle pieces together—relationships, teaching parents how to make observations, learning how to solve problems, and instituting change are my goals.
What do you hear are the most prevalent challenges parents are facing today?
One key area is helping parents learn to set limits effectively. Our society lives in excess in almost every area of life. Determining what are appropriate limits, learning how to set them, and then teaching our children to do the same is important. The longer I work with families I realize that making sense out of your own life—learning to "tell your story"—is critical for being able to understand why you respond the way you do to your children. Understanding that story can help you make better decisions and better choices about what your children need.
You talk about understanding your own story. If your story is negative, how do you break out of that so you don't pass it on to your children?
What I share with people is a story of hope—a story that longs to break free from the past, to embrace a future that can change the present. I teach parents how to become change agents in the family with a vision for what they want their family to become. That high calling can motivate us to make changes in our lives in which the past is literally pushed out.
What has changed most in the 20 years that you and Tim have been parenting your six children?
We have recognized our controlling natures and sought to become parents who equip and empower our children. We were very concerned with outward behavior. Of course, we were concerned for their hearts as well, but we tried to control their hearts by monitoring their outer behavior. We have changed in that now we give each of our children room to make real choices with appropriate consequences. We have very much moved from authoritarian to authoritative—from "control-parenting" to parenting that teaches children to discipline themselves from the inside out.
June 2004 - Making Disciplemaking Churches
Greetings! Welcome to "Fridays with the Ferrells," a series of conversations with Tim and Amy about their lifework to grow followers of Jesus Christ in their community and through today's churches.
My name is Lisa Kawata and I am one of those followers. I first met Tim and Amy in 1981, at the University of Maryland in College Park, where I was a student and involved in The Navigators Collegiate Ministry. I, like many of you, receive Tim and Amy's prayer letters and ministry updates, but I wanted a clearer understanding of the work they were doing in the churches of the Baltimore/Washington, DC area as well as in their community of Howard County, Maryland. With my journalistic background and as a writer for the Baltimore Sun, I was pleased to spend a recent Friday with them. From these few hours together, we've decided to create a series of letters which, we hope and pray, will help you also better understand their work.
Tim, as a leader in The Navigators Church Discipleship Ministry, what is your vision for churches today?
To best communicate this, I have to go back to when we were ministering on the college campus. The vision is to combine the multiplication of disciples with the multiplying of churches. During our time in ministry at the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Maryland from 1978-1986, we saw the lasting effect and priceless value of imparting our lives to another. It's Paul's idea in 1 Thessalonians 2:8: "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." It's not just the passing on of information, it's actually "life on life."
So, through these experiences, coupled with seeing God's heart and design for His Church in the Scriptures, and then coming to understand the state of the church in the USA, we were led to this question: "Wouldn't it be so much better if we could wed this type of focused missionary work on campuses, which seemed so effective in producing followers of Jesus Christ, with the holistic ministry of the local church?" Why couldn't the Church of Jesus have the best of both worlds?
At the same time, a large group of Navigator staff began to develop this same heart, and I connected with them in 1990. The passion—the vision—of Church Discipleship Ministry is that every person in the United States would have the opportunity to become a disciple of Jesus Christ through an Intentional Disciplemaking Church!
You talk a lot about "Intentional Disciplemaking Church." In your mind, what does that church look like?
It's a church who determines, first of all, that her mission from Jesus is what He says that mission is! It embraces the mandate of the Great Commission to first be and then make disciples of Him. Through His seven direct statements in the Gospels, Jesus gives us a very good working profile of what a follower of His does and is. So, with an intentional commitment and a biblical profile, we are ready to begin.
What is your role in that mission?
Having established that the Church has a clear command to make disciples, I realize that the Scriptures are also clear that only God causes growth. So, what am I to do with the seeming paradox: I am to "make'". . . He "causes" the growth? For me the synthesis comes in helping church leaders to see that their primary stewardship is to create a healthy environment where disciples of Jesus can develop. My role is in coming alongside of these leaders and continually keeping before them these key questions: "What does that healthy environment look like? What are its essential elements? What might be lacking in your church? Are you willing to realign your resources (people and money) away from nonproductive activity? What is your next action step to nurture health in your church?"
How do you help church leaders return to the command to make disciples?
This is the hard part. It's easy for each of us to get off course in an area of life at any time. The church is no different. Just like you and me, Lisa, it takes humility for church leaders to admit that. And you know, the passion of helping others follow Jesus is really what called them into ministry to begin with. Next comes an incredibly difficult change process. It's not easy. But in a nutshell, it comes down to three things I ask of the pastor and church leaders. The first is to help them (sometimes this is done gently, sometimes bluntly!) come to discover that He who said, "I will build My church" was building it while He was here on earth, and He was doing so brilliantly! What was His primary strategy? He invested Himself in a small group of Twelve! And, that is the first thing we have to return to—the small group is the basic unit for church life.
The second thing I ask them to embrace is that Jesus loves people more than we do. Matthew 9:36-38 reads, "Jesus, seeing the multitudes, felt compassion for them, for they were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd." Now, the compassionate Jesus saw the great need and what was His response to the disciples? "Pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He would send workers into the harvest." As church leaders it's easy to forget that Jesus didn't call them to plant or build a successful church—that's His job. The loving Jesus' response to seeing needy people was to recognize the shortage of workers and that is why He gave us our mission: "Go, make disciples. . . ."
The third thing is that the leader has to be committed to, and stick to, the truth that multiplication will overtake addition. If we're going to accomplish the mission, we've got to invest in people who can multiply. And eventually, multiplication will win the day. But the pastor has to be sold out to this because he'll be tempted over and over—everything and everyone will be crying out, saying, "add, add, add" and people won't understand, and they will want him or her to do the quick fix. So, in that context, I will begin to help train pastors and other leaders in pouring their lives into a few.
Overall, this part of my work then is helping pastors rediscover Jesus' mission and vision for their church. I stand with them, helping them muster courage as they call their church members to reconsider their core values and priorities in order to accomplish that mission. All in all, it's certainly more art than science!
What do I do? In essence, I become a pastor to the pastor.