Speaking of making disciples in a church context, one challenge in many churches is that “disciple-making” – or even “discipleship” – conflicts with all the other things that are going on. Many church members’ schedules are completely full with things they volunteer for in the church – everything from leadership to ushering to the casserole ministry or the prayer ministry or … [you fill in the blank].

Here’s a solution:

Turn those ministry teams into disciple-making teams!

That is, the leader of the parking lot ushers has two jobs: build a team to handle Sunday morning traffic AND disciple the folks on the parking lot usher team. The casserole ministry leader has two jobs: organize people to deliver food to members (and maybe non-members!) who need food AND disciple the people on the casserole team. Get the idea?

How? I’ll throw out a few ideas tomorrow.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently…, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (Deuteronomy 6.6, 7, ESV)