Discipling is a key function in the - New Testament Church and it must be preserved in the church today. Most Southern Baptist churches have long standing and existing structures that have served our discipleship needs well in years past. Today, however many Christians are not attending all of our organizational meetings (WMU, Baptist Men, Discipleship Training, Sunday School, etc.) and worship services (Sunday morning, night, Wednesday night, revivals, etc.) due to being 'time poor adults'.

It seems that in the new century our time is more precious and scarce than our money - therefore the church, in order to preserve the basic discipleship function must not only use our existing structures to do Discipleship Training, but we must think creatively, and investigate discipline through more appropriate ways...

DISCIPLING BUSY ADULTS THROUGH....

1. NETWORKING WITH FELLOW CHRISTIANS THROUGH COMPUTER MODEMS - There is much discipleship happening around the world as persons, with home and business computers, begin to network with other Christians and non-Christians. Computer communication revolves around dialogues about business ethics, church state relationships, seeking divine direction for modern issues/problems in the family, church, business, and community.
   
   
2. UTILIZATION OF VIDEOS to be used in homes, offices, vacation homes, cars, boats, etc. that will speak to issues today's adults/youth/children are seeking guidance on. Our society is infiltrated with media that bombards each of us daily, through television, radio, movies, etc. The 90's will continue to be an 'information age'. We must utilize effectively the media in discipline adults/youth/children. (See Guidesheet on 'Using Media to Disciple Adults'.)
   
   
3. UTILIZATION OF AUDIO CASSETTE TAPES to disciple adults makes such sense. With walk mans, cassette players in cars, boats, airplanes, entertainment centers, almost everyone has an ongoing contact with ways/places to utilize cassette tapes. Many pastors, conference leaders, and books are to be found these days on cassette tapes. These can be given and used at the 'teachable moments' in peoples lives with very effective results.
   
   
4. CREATION/UTILIZATION OF SUPPORT GROUPS is another viable way to disciple adults/youth/children. The 80's birthed 'support groups' of every imaginable kind by every conceivable group, except for the SBC churches. It's sad that we have let the social service agencies, United Way, the Catholic and the Episcopalian churches and other denominations create groups to support people in need/crisis/struggle. The teachable moment for adults is when they NEED to LEARN. When they are asking the right questions of faith, is the time for us to support in faith through grouping people of similar need together, to seek God's direction and mutual support from the Body of Christ.
   
   
5. UTILIZE TRAVEL TIME/LEISURE TIME to disciple adults. As people commute to and from work, vacation sights challenge them to use the media resources available, the 'accountability relationships', and the focusing/centering time for their spiritual life development.
   
   
6. DIALOGICAL SERMONS provide pathways for discipline, however it must be a sermon delivered from God's word to a perceived human/world need dealing with current issues from a Christian perspective and THEN PROVIDING A TIME TO DIALOGUE with the listeners so as to facilitate a group/one on one discipleship process.
   
   
7. NARRATIVE THEOLOGY OPENS DOORS FOR RELEVANT BIBLE STUDY that can facilitate discipleship. As we begin to rediscover the relevancy of the scriptures by 'finding ourselves in the story' and seeking our direction from God through HIS Story we facilitate personal growth in the family, THE CRADLE OF OUR THEOLOGY, and in the community of faith - the people of God, wherever we find each other.
   
   
8. SPIRITUAL DIRECTION is a lost art/discipline among most Southern Baptists, but I feel that it provides a ministry to those many adults who are found ‘cocooning in their homes' struggling alone with the issues of faith and real life. Spiritual direction can be done by any child of God who is trained in the discipline - it can be done one on one, with families, in vocational groupings, in groups of fellow Christians.
   
   
9. RETREATS/SEMINARS/WORKSHOPS offer excellent short term or long term discipline for adults. in today's world of 'pleasure seekers', leisure fanatics, and person's reluctant to commitment to long term obligations retreats offer much incentive. To find a nice, close, yet far away, retreat house/center, and deal relationally and didactically with current issues and work to integrate our faith with those issues offers great potential for discipline adults.
   
   
10. TELEPHONE DISCIPLING provides a convenient, yet powerful tool for discipline adults/youth/children. It serves to 'touch base', to offer support, to create or deal with 'teachable moments' of life. It provides an easy way to follow up on utilizing tapes, articles, etc. that have been shared through mail or computer hook ups.
    
    
11. DISCIPLING AT MEAL TIMES is a much overlooked time for effective discipleship for busy adults. Invite families, work associates, family members, church members, etc. to share in groups, on one on one a meal in a restaurant, a home, etc. to focus on cultivating one's spiritual life development. This discipleship strategy requires accountability as well as budget support.
    
    
12. INTERGENERATIONAL EXPERIENCES can be very effective discipline tools in today's world. So many need family time, so many need family, of all ages as we learn from the aged and the young about the issues of life and faith. Many of the ideas-above can be effectively used as intergenerational experiences.

Prepared by Edward H. Hammett, Personal & Congregational Coach, Author, Leadership Consultant www.transformingsolutions.org or www.discipleshipteam.org 9/03