I was reminded this week thorough coaching conversations with LPD Church Planters that the Apostle Paul counselled the church that no amount of will power or behavioral modification [sum-schema] will cause the necessary changes to make a person a “great commission” disciple of Jesus Christ. For the church to make disciples that have the capability to know [literally, “prove true through examination”] God’s will for their life they require the transformation of their thinking [literally, “metamorphosis of the mind”].
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all that he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 [NLT]
In order to fulfill this mandate of making “great commission” disciples the LPD created a Residency Program for church planters founded on the ABC principles of Assessment, Basic Training, and Coaching Culture. Our LPD church planters are committed in their approach to making disciples through three practices, which they refer to as their Disciple Making Pathway;
How has your church remained focused on disciple making during this current COVID-19 opportunity that will help you both survive today and thrive tomorrow?
The LPD Church Planters I am coaching view our current COVID-19 crisis as a God given opportunity to revitalize their church and their ministry. I would love to share these insights with you and encourage you as you lead your church and ministry. We are all in this together.
Steve Sharpe
