Why Discipleship?
"...present every man complete in Christ." Colossians 1:28
Last semester women’s ministry focused on Discipline: Come Hungry. We equipped ourselves for in-depth Bible study and prayer, and encouraged each other in our daily quiet times and whittling away busyness in order to spend more time with God. So hopefully we are feeling refreshed, renewed, and filled. Now what?
It is true that we must have something to give before we can give to others, so growing in our relationship with God through the disciplines is an essential first step. But we cannot stop there. God designed us to live in community. In the garden, God said that it was “not good for man to be alone”. So he created a “helper suitable” for him. Likewise, Christ established the church to be a place where God-called and Spirit-gifted leaders help the saints mature “for the work of ministry” as they grow “unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4: 12 – 13). We are called through scripture to “encourage one another and build each other up”, “offer hospitality to one another”, and to use scripture for “teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16). All of these scriptures speak directly to discipleship.
How do we function effectively as disciples? How do we live as Christ and train, equip, and encourage others to do the same? This semester, we will spend time studying the following aspects of discipleship:
- What is God’s design for us as women?
- What are the primary ministries for wives and mothers?
- What are the primary ministries for unmarried women?
- How do we stay dead to our sinful nature?
- How do we biblically grow and change?
- How do we access the power of the Holy Spirit?
- How can we grieve, quench, and reject the Holy Spirit?
- How do we consistently live by the Spirit rather than by our sinful nature?
- What are the marks of spiritual maturity?
- How to we assess the spiritual maturity of others?
- How do we effectively train others?
- What is our responsibility to others?
- What does accountability look like?
- What will happen in our church and community when we are serious about discipleship?
We are excited about strengthening our Campus family. As you read through the offerings in this brochure, please prayerfully consider where YOU stand as a woman at Campus, as a woman of God. Wherever you stand, you are not alone. You need a guide just as much as someone needs you as a guide. “Teach the younger women, speak the truth in love, consider others as more important than yourselves, serve one another in love.” These phrases are in the Bible, urging us to act out our faith. Be intentional about placing yourself in readiness to be nurtured, or in readiness to nurture someone else. We are a family, and we serve a huge God, who has given us an amazing purpose. “Go, make, baptize, teach.” This is our call. As we fit ourselves together as useful pieces of God’s grand puzzle, we will find abundant joy, peace and life. God is ready to work! Let’s see what he has planned that is “immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine!”
For more information email Shelli Wishard.
Phone 770.923.0449