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The 7 Essentials Staying the Course as a Disciple-making FIrst Church

"A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher."

-Jesus, Luke 6:40

The 7 Essentials: looking to Jesus as our example for disciple-making...

At Together Church, this resource should be used for regular evaluation for anyone in our church who is in leadership (elders, coaches, group leaders, ministry directors, fathers, etc.). Refer back to these 7 Essentials often as you evaluate yourself, your group, and any team you lead...

Essential 1: Abide in Christ

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

Our Goal: That every person in our church has a relationship with Jesus Christ that transforms the way they live in the church, home, and world.

Essential 2: Reach the lost

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

Our Goal: That every person in our church can and does share their faith with those who do not know Jesus.

Essential 3: Connect the unconnected

Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7)

Our Goal: That every person is connected to real-life relationships in a small group and connected to our church family (on Sundays, through volunteering, etc.).

Essential 4: Chase the strays

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

Our Goal: That every person who has strayed from Christ will be valued, noticed, and pursued (e.g.; strayed from their group family, strayed from the weekend services, etc.). No one left behind.

Essential 5: Intentionally disciple others towards spiritual maturity

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. (Col. 1:28)

Our goal: That each person would grow into spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is becoming like Jesus and helping others become like Him (Luke 6:40, Eph. 4:11-16).

Essential 6: Identify, equip, and release leaders

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. (Ephesians 4:11-12)

Our goal: That disciple-making would lead to the reproduction of leaders who can reproduce disciple-making culture in new places and with new people.

Essential 7: Work as a team

“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:20b-21)

Our goal: That we will be unified as stated in John 17, and that we will function and work as a team in submission to God’s plan for His church.

Resource: Staying the Course

7 Essential Practices for Disciple-Making Churches (by Brandon Guindon)

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Working TOGETHER to become like Jesus and help others become like Him.