Making disciples who make disciples who make disciples is our commission as followers of Jesus, as sons and daughters of God. In fact it’s not only our mission, but our birthright. Multiplying missional disciples in the context of spiritual family is how we go about our Father’s business of proclaiming the good news and extending His kingdom.
A disciple at Gloria Dei is one who seeks Christ first in all things in community, which means we are:
Devoted and obedient
Disciples are devoted to God, to one another, and live a life marked by obedience as they intently listen for His voice in community. We see God’s Word, the Bible, as the primary truth in our lives. We seek to grow in understanding it and living it out. We abide each day in Jesus and let the Holy Spirit lead us on a life of mission. (Mark 12:30-31, John 10:27, John 14:15, Acts 2:42, Mark 3:35, Gal. 5:25)
Loving and serving
Disciples love God, each other, and serve their neighbors as they become an incarnational presence of Jesus where they live, work, and play. Serving others is a great thing, and there are plenty of opportunities to do so in our society today. But, it is the love of Jesus pouring through us as His disciples that sets apart our service of others. When we love and serve, we bring a piece of heaven to earth; wrong things are being made right. Jesus set the example of serving and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, so we do the same. (Mark 12:30-31, Luke 10:1, John 13:1-17)
Discipled and discipling
Disciples make disciples who make more disciples as they live fruitful lives that multiply into a kingdom movement that changes the world. In our lives as Jesus's disciples, we don’t believe we ever reach the end until we enter eternal life or Jesus returns on the last day. Our life is a continuing process of growing in both the character and competencies of Jesus as we live in both wisdom and power. It is an apprentice-model of life-on-life, on-the-go training, as we grow in imitating the words, works, and ways of Jesus. As we ourselves are discipled, we then are empowered to train and disciple others to do the same. (Matt. 28:18-21, Luke 9:1-6, Luke 10:1-9)
