1. Motivating the million
How can we envision, equip and release
confident disciples for the whole
of their lives ?

2. 3. Practices of a disciple in the world.
I can

3. of Jesus s 3

5. A Theology of discipleship ?
Disciple used 261 times in four gospels,
28 times in Acts by Luke
Not used in rest of New Testament. Why?
Not usually singular.
What is Paul’s language for ‘discipleship’?

6. instruction imitation participation model with others
Dance like this …………………………
instruction
imitation
participation
model with others
Many ways to dance -variety

7. Personal
Co-operative
Life long learning
Communal
Whole of life

8. What kind of people are we called to be?
What kind of community is capable of
raising people like that?

9. The 3 key questions for mission
Who am I ?
What do I know?
Who do I know ?

11. “We are convinced that England will never be converted until the laity use the opportunities for evangelism daily afforded by their various professions, crafts and occupations.”
Towards the Conversion of England (p. 58)

12. Some key numbers

13. Most UK non-Christians say they know a Christian.
17 October 2019
Perceptions of Jesus, Christians & Evangelism

14. Perceptions of Jesus, Christians & Evangelism
UK non-Christians attribute more positive than negative qualities to the Christians they know.
POSITIVE QUALITIES
* respondents could choose multiple options.
17 October 2019
Perceptions of Jesus, Christians & Evangelism

15. Perceptions of Jesus, Christians & Evangelism
UK non-Christians attribute more positive than negative qualities to the Christians they know.
NEGATIVE QUALITIES
* respondents could choose multiple options.
17 October 2019
Perceptions of Jesus, Christians & Evangelism

16. 85-95% say they have no intention of doing this
So what is the problem ?
70% of Christians can think of someone to invite
85-95% say they have no intention of doing this

17. If
1 in every 50
invited someone to church and they stayed, we would move out of decline and into growth

18. Importance of prayer and discern the kingdom
‘our natural tendency ,even as Christians,
is to focus on the human aspects of
evangelism and not the divine. Yet it is God
who takes the initiative to pursue seekers,
it is his Spirit who converts, it is his gospel
that saves.
Evangelism is God’s business
from start to finish.’
Rebecca Manley Pippert.
Out of the Saltshaker

19. Children and Young People
• Only 170 (1.61%) of our churches have more than 50 u16’s in them on a Sunday.
• Only 710 (6.73%) of our churches have more than 25 u16’s in them on a Sunday.
• 36.2% (3820) of our churches have no-one under the
age of 16 on a Sunday
• 65.3% (6890) of our churches have less than 5 children
or young people under the age of 16 on a Sunday

20. Christians were asked at what age they came to faith:
Children and Young People
Christians were asked at what age they came to faith:
40% before the age of 5
16% between 5 & 10
20% between 11 & 18

21. Children and Young People
‘At what age did you stop considering yourself to be a member of this religious group?’
4% between 5 & 10
34% between 11 & 18
21% between 19 & 24

22. Every leader , lay & ordained, at every level is trained & equipped to be envisioned & competent to lead in evangelism and release disciples

24. Envision

25. Encourage

26. Not my job Not equipped Not gifted How might we encourage
people to be confident disciples?
Not my job
Not equipped
Not gifted

27. Equip
Telling is NOT training

28. Example

29. Expectancy
What does it mean for us as church to be expectant that God is at work ?

30. 4. Faith: I will
Do I(we)really
believe this ?

31. Can God
use me (us)?

32. You/we feel /

33. ‘Its not the greatest people who change the world but
weak people in the
hands of a great God.’

34. “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes
but in having new eyes.”
Marcel Proust

37. How we see