Disciple-Making Pastor

Bill Hull

Description

Christ commanded the church to make disciples, to produce people who love and obey God, bear fruit, and live with joy. The crisis at the heart of the church is that we often pay lip service to making disciples, but we seldom put much effort behind doing it. For the pastor who is ready to put words into action, The Disciple-Making Pastor offers the inspiration and practical know-how to do so. Bill Hull shows pastors the obstacles they will face, what disciples really look like, the pastor's role in producing them, and the practices that lead to positive change. He also offers a six-step coaching process to help new disciples grow in commitment and obedience and practical ideas to integrate disciple making into the fabric of the church.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2007
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441201034
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE DISCIPLE- MAKING PASTOR
Also by Bill Hull
Anxious for Nothing
Building High Commitment in a Low-Commitment World
Choose the Life: Exploring the Life That Embraced Discipleship
The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ
The Disciple-Making Church
Jesus Christ, Disciplemaker
Revival That Reforms: Making It Last
Right Thinking: Insights for Spiritual Growth
7 Steps to Transform Your Church
Straight Talk on Spiritual Power: Experiencing the Fullness of God in the Church
Experience the Life: Making the Jesus Way a Habit curriculum
1. Believe what Jesus believed-through transformed minds
2. Live as Jesus lived-through transformed character
3. Love as Jesus loved-through transformed relationships
4. Minister as Jesus ministered-through transformed service
5. Lead as Jesus led-through transformed influence
THE DISCIPLE- MAKING PASTOR
LEADING OTHERS ON THE JOURNEY OF FAITH
BILL HULL
REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION
1988, 2007 by Bill Hull
Published by Baker Books a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.bakerbooks.com
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-for example, electronic, photocopy, recording-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hull, Bill, 1946- The disciple-making pastor : leading others on the journey of faith / Bill Hull. - Rev. and expanded ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 10: 0-8010-6622-0 (pbk.) ISBN 978-0-8010-6622-1 (pbk.) 1. Church growth. 2. Pastoral theology. 3. Clergy-Office. I. Title. BV652.25.H83 2007 253-dc22
2007015770
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION . NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture marked NASB is taken from the New American Standard Bible , Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture marked NKJV is taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked NLT is taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked RSV is taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
To the chorus of thousands who have read this book and are now singing the same song
Contents
Foreword by Robert Coleman
2007 Introduction
Introduction: The Crisis at the Heart
1. The Need
The church today is in crisis. What does it need, and how do pastors perceive that need?
Further Reflections
2. The Conflict
Before a pastor can make disciples, he needs to count the cost. Nine forces militate against discipleship, and he needs to be prepared for them.
Further Reflections
3. The Product
What are the biblical foundations of disciple making, and what does a disciple look like?
Further Reflections
4. The Role of a Disciple-Making Pastor
How does Scripture define the role of pastor? What does he do?
Further Reflections
5. The Understanding of a Disciple-Making Pastor
He sees the big picture of the church in the redemptive drama. As a result, the pastor also understands the model, means, method, and motive of making Christ known.
Further Reflections
6. The Commitment of a Disciple-Making Pastor
He not only talks about discipleship but has committed himself to making it a reality in his church.
Further Reflections
7. The Practices of a Disciple-Making Pastor
He follows four practices that build up the church to take an active part in disciple making.
Further Reflections
8. The Pastor as Coach
Jesus modeled a six-step teaching method the disciple-making pastor can follow to encourage the church to fulfill the Great Commission.
Further Reflections
9. Making It Work in the Local Church
Practical vehicles that will help pastors make disciple making a part of their churches are outlined and explained.
Further Reflections
Notes
Foreword
It is no secret that the organized church today is in trouble. Not only has the institution lost momentum, but by and large, it has lost direction. Unless persons come forth who can lead the church to renewal-which puts the heavy end of the load on pastors-there is little hope that the situation will change for the better.
Unfortunately, pastoral leaders with apostolic hearts are in short supply. Indeed, in far too many instances, clerics in privileged positions to shepherd the sheep themselves flounder in aimlessness and frustration.
This is not to say that the church lacks conscientious workers or that nothing worthwhile is happening. For as we can see, all kinds of things are going on. But somehow, it seems to me, ecclesiastical programs and membership promotions have been mistaken for fulfilling the Great Commission. Where are the laborers in the harvest, constrained by the love of God, moving out to make disciples of all nations? I am afraid that in all too many instances this measure of a New Testament church has been obscured, if not forgotten. In fact, we have drifted so far from the mandate of Christ that persons who take it as the pattern of their lives are looked upon as fanatics.
Bill Hull may be such a man. Convinced that the command to make disciples has lost none of its authority or relevancy, he has tried to set the course of his ministry by it.
This book describes the rationale for his choice and what it means for the local church. It is scriptural. It is realistic. And though the author does not mince words, he writes with understanding and compassion.
Giving the story a ring of authenticity is Mr. Hull s personal experience. He does not speak as a theoretician, but as a practitioner-an active pastor who has sought to build a church around disciple making. The validity of his ministry is attested in the way the congregation has grown in numbers and vision and has now reproduced itself in several daughter fellowships.
Here is a message men and women aspiring to church leadership need to hear and ponder. Not all will agree with his conclusions, but no one can read the account without getting a new appreciation for the discipling pastor. For some, it may be the birthday of a new conception of ministry.
Robert E. Coleman
2007 Introduction
Even though this work was published in 1988, I wrote it in 1987, so twenty years have now passed. A lot has happened in those two decades. My children have become adults, my hair has turned white, and I have succeeded and failed. I have seen trends rise and fall, movements come and go, and so many efforts to reach the world for Christ-as ambitious and grandiose as they seemed-disappear. I have changed my mind about some things, as evidenced by the reflections at the end of each chapter. Overall, I believe we have made some gains, but they are balanced by the losses. We have gained in better training and in wonderful materials such as books and DVDs. There seems to be a greater unity among evangelicals; the leaders are more focused on what matters. The playing field has been leveled in business competition: India, China, and others can now compete for business with the West. The church in the developing world is greatly enhanced as cell phones and the Internet make information available to them. There are technologies that now can provide needed training to millions of Christians around the globe.
However, the losses are connected to the same technologies. The spread of the consumerism mentality has poisoned much of the good training. The reliance on technology for worship and teaching competes with the need for the personal touch and the development of sacrificial community. As I will mention several times in this book, people cannot be formed in Christ in a climate that is dominated by a consumer mentality. Jesus calls us to come and die, whereas consumer Christianity calls us to come and improve our lives and enhance our personalities. In light of this, I have reserved two overarching observations for the introduction. They are not long, but I pray they will interest you in reading on.
The church continues to try to reach the world without making disciples . I know that all who believe in and follow Jesus are disciples, technically or theologically. I think this kind of belief is far different, however, than what many Americans call belief. The American gospel understands faith as agreement, so saying the prayer or walking down the aisle is the finish line rather than the starting line. I am convinced that everyone who believes in Christ follows Christ. When Jesus commanded us to make disciples, He meant more than converts or church members; He meant those who take up their cross daily and follow Him. It has taken hundreds of years and thousands of theologians to diminish this simple fact. We have too many people arguing about what doctrinal statement you can sign rather than what you can do. I find George MacDonald s words useful at this point:
I will tell you; so make yourself his disciple at once. Instead of asking yourself whether you believe or not, ask yourself whether you have this day done one thing because he said, Do it, or once abstained because he said, Do not do it. It is simply absurd to say you believe, or even want to believe in him, if you do not do anything he