|
|
|
|
|
|
Featured Article - March 2008
|
|
|
| "The Scripture Prescription" |
|
By Dr. Harry Wendt
|
|
|
I commend Bill Hybels at the Willow Creek Community Church (WCCC) in
Chicago for his honesty in relation to changing course. WCCC has
released the results of a multi-year study on the effectiveness of its
programs and philosophy of ministry in a book titled Reveal: Where Are
You (co-authored by Cally Parkinson and Greg Hawkins).
Hybels calls the findings “earthshaking,” “ground-breaking,” and
“mind-blowing.” The report reveals that most of what they have been
doing at WCCC for many years and what they have taught millions of
others to do is not necessarily producing solid disciples of Jesus
Christ. Numbers yes, disciples no. It also states that success is not
determined by the size of the crowd but by the transformation of lives,
and that what is really essential to mature discipleship is—are you
ready?—regular reading and study of Scripture. Hybels states:
We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their Bible
between services, how to do the spiritual practices much more
aggressively on their own.
My colleagues in South Korea have taught me many things. Protestant
missionaries began working in South Korea in 1884. Several years later,
a conference was held to determine the most effective way to build
God’s
Kingdom. John L. Nevius, a European missionary working in China,
exhorted attendees to focus on conducting adult Bible study programs.
One major denomination did not embrace the Nevius Plan; today it has
1.5 million members.
The other denomination (Presbyterian) did; today it has 7.5 million
members. In the Sunday worship bulletin of Choon Hyun
Presbyterian Church in Seoul (30,000 members), worshippers are reminded
that they are expected to read three chapters of the Bible every
weekday and five on Sundays. The point? If we focus on numbers, we may
not cultivate disciples; if we focus on discipleship, the numbers will
take care of themselves.
Some translations of “The Great Commission” (Matthew 29:19,20) are
misleading. The opening words in English translations are usually, “Go
and make disciples of all nations, teaching them, etc.” However, in
Greek the first word is not an imperative. It is a participle. The
passage should be translated, “As you are going through this world...”
The message does not have to do with sending missionaries to distant
places because some of us cannot go ourselves. Jesus’ message is, “As
you walk through life, always be teaching and discipling those around
you, wherever you go.” Life is to be a teaching-about-Jesus,
demonstrating-Jesus experience—non-stop!
Crossways International embraces and promotes the Nevius Plan, and
equips leaders and laity to put it into practice.
Harry Wendt, President
P.S. If you wish to know more about how we might help you in your
ministry, please call us at 1-800-257-7308. Or visit our website at
www.crossways.org. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To download our catalog, click here.
| Privacy Policy / Terms of Use
Customers in the U.S. and Canada, call 1-800-257-7308 to order.
Contact us via email at info@crossways.org or
fax (952) 832-5553.
7930 Computer Ave. So., Minneapolis, MN 55435-5415.Copyright ©2006 Crossways
International.
All rights reserved.
Design by Generator
Multimedia, Inc.
| Site maintained by West7th.net |
|
