Principles of Discipleship
Share
your witness and resources.
Each one, reach one.
The Great Commission, to proclaim the gospel and make disciples in all the
world, finds its model in the ministry of Jesus, who approached two brothers and
said, “Come, follow me.” In these few words, the model for witnessing and
invitation began. Prayerfully consider your neighbors, co-workers, friends, and
family who yearn for a life of meaning and purpose, and to find a caring
community that will support them in their life journey.Evangelism is the
practice of genuine hospitality, friendliness, and inclusiveness lived out in
your congregation as you encourage people to respond to the invitation to become
disciples of Jesus Christ. The challenge “Each one, reach one,” calls you to
tell your story of finding “living water” through Jesus Christ. If we each
respond to the Great Commission, to make disciples of all people, our
testimonies will multiply, our congregations will grow, and many lives will be
transformed by Christ’s Spirit.
Open your hearts and feel the yearnings of your brothers and sisters who
are lonely, despised, fearful, neglected, unloved. Reach out in understanding,
clasp their hands, and invite all to share in the blessings of community
created in the name of the One who suffered on behalf of all."
—Doctrine and Covenants 161:3a
 Honor
God's call to tithe.
Stewardship is the response of my people to the ministry of my Son...
—Doctrine and Covenants 147:5a
Over many years church leaders and members have been exploring God’s
scriptural encouragement to view stewardship of temporalities in light of God’s
grace and love demonstrated in the life of Jesus Christ. In 1980, Section 154 of
the Doctrine and Covenants revealed:
The Presiding Bishop and his counselors are encouraged to continue to seek
ways of effecting a greater understanding of the meaning of the stewardship of
temporalities as a response to my grace and love so that the understanding of
the principle may stir the hearts of the people as never before. Redefinition
of terms within the basic law of temporalities, for clarification and to meet
the needs of a growing church, is in harmony with my will.
In Doctrine and Covenants Sections 147, 154, and 161, we find these common
themes related to our understanding of the stewardship of temporalities:
- As response to God’s grace and love
- Evaluation and further interpretation of principles
- To meet the needs of a growing church
- To provide more fully and joyfully for the great work
Tithing is deeply rooted in our scriptures and affirms God’s generous gifts of
grace and love. The spirit of generosity is not about formulas but about
thankfulness. Therefore a disciple’s generous response asks, “How much tithing
can I hope to give?” rather than, “How much should I give?”The needs of our
growing church and the call to discipleship now call for a clarification and
redefinition of our concept of tithing. The Presiding Bishopric’s guidance to
the church will be to include contributions to local congregational ministries,
World Church ministries, church-affiliated organizations, and other charitable
nonprofit organizations as our tithing response.
Implementation of “Tithing: A Disciple's Generous Response” occurred in
January 2003. The Presiding Bishopric has provided more specific information,
including guidance regarding tithing, savings, and responsible spending, to the
membership through pastors, leaders, and World Church ministers.
...be generous and willing to share. —I Timothy 6:18 NIV
 Allow
the Spirit
to fill you.
Commit yourself to a covenant discipleship group.
It is not easy being a disciple of Jesus Christ. It takes hard work, discipline,
and an intentional effort to link with Christ’s Spirit. Your spiritual journey
will be enriched as you commit yourself to a covenant discipleship group, where
mutual support and faithful discipleship are shared.A covenant discipleship
group consists of six to eight people who meet regularly to support one another
in deepening their discipleship through a covenant (sacred agreement) made with
God and each other. They join with the Holy Spirit and support each other’s
journey to discover their spiritual identity as God’s beloved and their unique
missions as disciples of Jesus Christ. A covenant discipleship group may
function as your support community, in which you are formed into wholeness and
holiness through spiritual practices, scripture reflection, and worship, and
then equipped and sent in mission to bring peace, justice, compassion, and
healing to a troubled world.
Take time to prayerfully prepare to commit to a covenant discipleship group.
Study what it means to be in covenant, to be a disciple, to be spiritually
transformed.
Claim your unique and sacred place within the circle of
those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ.—Doctrine
and Covenants 161:1b
Prepare for and experience vibrant worship.
People of old heard the voice of God speaking to them in worship because they
prepared for and expected to hear God’s message in the word, in song, and in the
touch of a person. With all the distractions of life, do you forget to prepare
for congregational worship through such inner spiritual disciplines as prayer,
study, and meditation? Or do you come to worship with a sense of joy and
anticipation, thanking God for the times during the past week when you
recognized the Spirit’s presence in your life?
You will experience vibrant worship as you prepare for and
approach worship with an open mind and a fresh spirit. As you fully engage
yourself in thoughtful, prayerful, and carefully planned worship, you will be
blessed by the Holy Spirit. As you probe the scriptures, you will experience the
hope and freedom of the gospel, especially as it is expressed in the life of
Jesus Christ. This worship experience will then equip you to go forth to help
build the peaceable kingdom, Zion.
O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful
noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with
thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a
great God, and a great King above all gods.—Psalm 95:1–2
Inspired Version
Extend the hand of
Reconciliation.
Learn and use conflict resolution skills.
Through Jesus Christ, disciples are called to be “agents of reconciliation” and
asked to resolve those conflicts that separate people from each other. The
scriptures tell us to go to the others involved and work out disagreements in
the spirit of humble reconciliation, with the help of a mediator when necessary.
It takes mediation skills to resolve conflicts and reestablish relationships
with those who have hurt us and to whom we have brought discomfort and pain. The
church offers a variety of training and ministries to help enable you to live
out your call to be a disciple of reconciliation. There is a great need to
expand the number of conflict resolution/mediation specialists. If you feel
called to minister in this way, certified volunteer training is available to
help develop your skills.
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation;
everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is
from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the
ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world
to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the
message of reconciliation to us.—2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NRSV
Work in cooperative endeavors with other faiths.
You may have an opportunity to work in cooperative interfaith endeavors that
will benefit the community in which you live. Joining efforts can double the
results and strengthen your ties with those of other faiths.Our church’s
mission and witness are unique, yet we share many Christian principles and
beliefs with other faith communities. In recognition that others are also called
of God, prayerfully seek ways to work together with them, which will further
your personal calling and the church’s mission, to which we are all called. In
doing this, you will serve the greater good and benefit from the insights and
contributions that other organizations can provide.
You who are my disciples must be found continuing in the
forefront of those organizations and movements which are recognizing the worth
of persons and are committed to bringing the ministry of my Son to bear on
their lives.—Doctrine and Covenants 151:9
Learn
and Teach the sacred story.
Help revitalize church school and become scripturally literate.
Our three books of scripture have the power to transform your personal faith
journey through theological reflection that can enable, energize, sustain, and
provide vision. As you join others in worship each week and commit yourself to a
covenant discipleship group, you seek the articulation of, motivation for, and
inspiration to celebrate and participate in the kingdom of God.To support
your personal discipleship and your congregation’s church school study, the
church is committed to developing and recommending faith-building and scripture
study resources based on sound theological principles and scriptural
interpretation. These studies will help you grow closer in your relationship
with God and others, as well as prepare you to witness of the Christ, bringing
joy and hope into human relationships and community life.
Be respectful of tradition. Do not fail to listen
attentively to the telling of the sacred story, for the story of scripture and
of faith empowers and illuminates.—Doctrine and Covenants 161:5
Engage in learning programs to enhance ministerial effectiveness.
Today’s complex world makes serious preparation for ministry essential for all
who respond to God’s call. God has endowed you with unique and sacred talents
and gifts. Ongoing study and learning will magnify those gifts so you can better
serve others.The Community of Christ seminary, administered through Graceland
University, began offering classes in the fall of 2002. This opportunity and
other learning programs, such as Temple School, will enhance your knowledge of
the scriptures and develop your ministry, skills, and competency.
...seek learning even by study, and also by faith.—Doctrine and
Covenants 85:36a
Embody Justice
and proclaim Peace.
Find ways to help the poor.
The best way to help others improve their lives is by helping them find ways to
solve their own problems. Outreach International has successfully used this
approach with Participatory Human Development (PHD) programs. This strategy can
be used in your community to help the poor or underprivileged lead more abundant
lives.
And the Lord called his people, Zion,
because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and
there were no poor among them.—Genesis 7:23 Inspired Version
Support neighborhood transformation and justice projects. As
you live your life in a Christ-centered worshiping, covenanting, and
fellowshipping community, you see the world through spiritual eyes—aware of the
inequality and injustice experienced by others who may live in your
neighborhood. Informed by the prophetic tradition found within our three books
of scripture, it is natural for you to seek ways to express the worth of all
persons and the sacredness of all creation as you partner with others in
neighborhood transformation and justice projects.Discover ways you and your
congregation can have a “Temple vision” that pursues peace, challenges
injustice, and facilitates reconciliation and healing of the spirit of all.
Become a people of the Temple—those who see violence but
proclaim peace, who feel conflict yet extend the hand of reconciliation, who
encounter broken spirits and find pathways for healing. Fulfill the purposes
of the Temple by making its ministries manifest in your hearts. —Doctrine
and Covenants 161:2a, b
Seek peaceful solutions.
With your brothers and sisters in Christ from many races, nations, and
cultures, seek together the good of all. Embraced by Christ’s love, follow him,
take up the cross, and work to end economic injustice, racism, and violent
conflict. The gifts of peace, justice, reconciliation, and healing of the spirit
are for people living in all nations. These gifts are human rights given by God,
who loves all people. Peaceful solutions include finding ways to live simply so
the earth's environment might be passed on and entrusted to our children and
grandchildren.
And blessed are all the peacemakers; for they shall be
called the children of God.—Matthew 5:11 Inspired Version
 Create
diverse Communities.
Strengthen family relationships.
As Christ’s disciple, you are called to strengthen family ties through mutual
respect and the building of healthy relationships. Support is available through
church and other good resources to empower your family to tackle any
difficulties with courage, love, and skill. Families in all their diverse forms
are the foundation for strong communities.
Family ministry includes helping parents bring up children with faith in God,
healthy values, and a strong sense of self-worth so that when they have families
of their own they can form long-lasting, happy relationships and develop
disciples for Jesus Christ.
Do not neglect the smallest among you, for even the least
of these are treasures in God’s sight. Receive the giftedness and energy of
children and youth, listening to understand their questions and their wisdom.
Respond to their need to be loved and nurtured as they grow. Be mindful of the
changing of life’s seasons, of the passage from the springtime of childhood
and youth to the winter years of life. Embrace the blessing of your many
differences. Be tender and caring. Be reminded once again that the gifts of
all are necessary in order that divine purposes may be accomplished.—Doctrine
and Covenants 161:4a, b
 Establish
congregational partnerships. If you have ever attended a
congregation different from your own—rural or urban, in Seattle or Sydney,
Hispanic or African American—that experience may have brought you new
understanding and respect for differences, built new relationships, and brought
multiple blessings. The church encourages your congregation to be one of the
congregations that will establish cross-cultural partnerships to enrich
discipleship. Through these partnerships, you will catch a glimpse into another
congregation's “world” and learn how the gospel is lived out and shared there.
Partnerships are for a specific period of time and for a variety of missional
purposes. Interactions may vary—through correspondence, the Internet, video
exchange, sharing ministries, and more. These partnerships are not for the
“haves” to give and the “have-nots” to receive, but for the mutual blessing of
both.
Heed the urgent call to become a global family united in
the name of the Christ, committed in love to one another, seeking the kingdom
for which you yearn and to which you have always been summoned. That kingdom
shall be a peaceable one and it shall be known as Zion.—Doctrine
and Covenants 161:6b
Help expand WorldService Corps.
You can help the church identify volunteers age twenty and older who seek to
grow and learn in new, cross-cultural settings and support WorldService Corps’s
ministry without boundaries. These volunteers experience profound personal
growth while serving for specified times in cultural settings unlike their own.
As WorldService Corps opportunities expand to include, for example, retirees,
you may sense a call to serve in this life-changing way. Visit
www.CofChrist.org/worldservice for more information.
You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill
cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket,
but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way,
let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and
give glory to your Father in heaven.—Matthew 5:14-16 NRSV
|
