Why

Jesus commanded us to “go and make disciples” in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Unfortunately, surveys by Barna Research, the Willow Creek Association and others conclude that true disciple-making is at dangerously low levels. Some facts that jump out of the research include the following:

  • Only three percent of individuals in America behave differently (materialism, divorce, use of pornography, etc.) than individuals who are not Christians,
  • Less than one percent of Americans exhibit a profound love of God and of people that Jesus said were signs of a disciple.
  • Few churches have a well-conceived model of discipleship that they implement, and little is done to effectively motivate and facilitate their congregants’ development as true followers of Christ.

Because of a failure to make disciples, the majority of Christians believe the following and churches are beset with problems:

Myth 1: “God helps those who help themselves” (according to Barna Research, the most quoted “Bible” verse in America among adult and teen believers); therefore we can self-help our way to Christlikeness.

Problem: Most Christians have not been trained in how to submit to God and abide in Christ well enough to know that this quote does not come from the Bible. Because of this, most Christians are living in and through their own guidance and power. As a result, their experience of the abundant life and their witness to the watching world are diminished and they don’t experience the power of the Holy Spirit moving through them.

Myth 2: My relationship with God is a private matter, including my sins, so I will stay out of your business and I expect you to stay out of mine.

Problem: There is a reluctance by many Christians to enter into Biblically functioning covenant community and make a commitment that they perceive may interfere or limit their lifestyle or plans.

Myth 3: I will mature as a Christian by going to worship services, praying and reading my Bible once in a while.

Problem: Biblical truth is often presented in isolated (topical) form without a good understanding of how it fits into the Christian life as a whole, promoting the compartmentalizing of the Christian’s life.
Also, there is an assumption that the appropriation of Biblical knowledge by itself will lead to spiritual maturity.

Myth 4: Jesus is our savior but doesn’t really require us to relate to Him as the Lord of our lives. We are all just doing the best we can to be good people.

Problem: The church community typically focuses on making converts rather than making disciples.

Myth 5: It is the job of professional clergy to do the work of ministry and the “priesthood of all believers” is not practical or a good thing to encourage at our church.

Problem: To influence many people simultaneously is generally considered the method of choice. Personal one-on-one discipleship appears to be too time-consuming, energy-consuming, and inefficient.

 

Conclusion

The Church as a disciple-making community is broken and in desperate need of renewal. Through the Omega Experience people will be trained, mentored and equipped to address all of these myths and problems and more. This journey is intended to revolutionize a church and take it from good to great by developing it into a Spirit-led, disciple-making community.

 

To learn more about Life Spring Network, the Omega Experience and the Omega Course, read An Introduction to Life Spring Network (a PDF file that you can download and print).