To the world, we may be seen first as neighbors, teachers, warehouse workers, animators, musicians, students, or landscapers but our aim isn’t to be defined by our occupations but by what occupies as our clear and only hope in life: That by faith in Jesus Christ we are reconciled to God from our sins and live life anew in Him forevermore. This great new reality frees us to love and enjoy God and it frees us to love those sovereignly placed around us. But “love” can be such a vague term. We believe the most loving thing we could ever do for our neighbors is to help unveil the true reality of our spiritual condition before a perfect and righteous God and then share the joyous hope that’s only found in Jesus and then help them to love others that same way. Or in other words: make disciples.

Why “Discipleship Network”?

We believe in the priesthood of all believers, meaning, when we read the mandate from Jesus to make disciples in Matthew 28:18-20 he isn’t just asking this of preachers and teachers but calling all believers to make disciples. This isn’t just one option on how to follow Jesus, this is how you follow Jesus. In a consumeristic age where church goers are increasingly passive towards Jesus’ call to make disciples, we’ve found that to a majority of people it’s preferable to pass off the role of making disciples to church leaders instead of seeing Jesus as speaking directly to them.

Our goal as a church is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry and our ministry as directed by Jesus is to “…make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”.

How do you know you’ve made a disciple?

Simple, when they go and make another disciple. A disciple observes all that Jesus has commanded them, that includes the call to make disciples. Confused? Here’s what we mean: A disciple disciples more people. Why does this distinction matter? Because we don’t want to be a dead end: Someone who takes joy in the truth of the gospel but not so much joy that they seek to invite unbelievers around them into it.

The most loving thing we could do is produce disciples, and the inverse is just as true: The most selfish thing we can do is to not seek to make those dead in their sin alive now in Christ and for all eternity.

What’s at stake is life for the unbeliever and even more joy for the disciple maker. Paul states when speaking to those whom he’s discipled, “What is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy” 1 Thessalonians 2:19–20 Paul’s glory? Paul’s joy? Paul took Jesus’ command to make disciples not as a chore or duty but as both an expression and source of his joy! We make disciples for their own joy, our own joy, and for the glory of God.