Who's Your Twelve?

One of our core values at Lawndale is establishing, growing, and encouraging a Discipleship Culture. If Jesus made disciples and commanded His followers to make disciples, what else would we do but make disciples? This includes being intentional in helping people understand what it means to be a follower of Christ as well as helping people grow in following Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).

A disciple is a learner or a follower. A disciple of Jesus is one who has placed his faith in Jesus, is learning more about Him, is following Him, and is encouraging others to follow Him. True disciples make disciples.

Discipleship happens from the pulpit. Pastors equip the congregation by teaching the Scriptures. It also happens in small groups when believers gather in LJGs, D-Groups, and other settings to discuss the Bible. And finally, it happens one on one.

Have you ever been discipled one on one? I think this is a missing component in most churches. What a difference it would make to have more mature followers of Christ invest in others. Part of the beauty of an intergenerational church is having older, more mature believers interacting, encouraging, and discipling younger believers.

My wife, Donna, is hard at work equipping some of our older ladies in how to make disciples with our younger ladies. I have 4 Thursdays in August I’ll be meeting with some of our older men to train them in making disciples with younger men (1:30pm-3:30pm). May God make this the culture of Lawndale! Pray that the younger generation will seek out discipleship, and pray the older generation will seek to make disciples. We are all responsible to be and make followers of Christ.

Not long ago our convention had a theme, “Who’s your one?” It was a great encouragement for witnessing. Let’s take it a step further, “Who’s your twelve?” Jesus spent 3 years of ministry investing in 12 men. Who are you investing in? Who’s your twelve?