Discipleship Level 5: Maturing
Invites others to follow Jesus. Generously gives of themselves.
Maturing Christians will become leaders in formal or informal roles in your church. They will influence others by the way they live their lives – worshiping, giving, inviting, and participating in the life of Christ daily. How can you encourage these mature disciples to lead others?
Gladhearted Disciples
What are the characteristics of a mature disciple? Chris Folmsbee, the director of discipleship at Adam Hamilton’s Church of the Resurrection, spells it out in this book. Focusing on generosity, hope, mission, the Holy Spirit, and redemption will help you to identify mature disciples in your church.
Study this book with your leadership teams or in small groups to help members of your church cast a vision for mature discipleship and see where they are on their discipleship journey. The discussion questions will encourage participants to step up to leadership as they feel called.
This short book is less than 100 pages but packed full of ways to identify gladhearted disciples and their role in the church community. Discussion questions are included for each chapter, as well as a ten-step process for implementing the ideas in the book.
Read more about this book in our online catalog: Gladhearted Disciples: Equipping Your Congregation with Generous and Enduring Faith by Chris Folmsbee; Abingdon Press, 2015.
High Yield
As someone steps into a leadership role, what behaviors should they practice to be effective? United Methodist Pastor Tom Berlin and Professor Lovett H. Weems, Jr. provide seven disciplines for leaders that will bear more fruit in ministry: building trust, leading the journey, setting high standards, communicating, redeeming conflict, cultivating leadership practices, and continuing to grow.
Each chapter provides five short sections that expand upon the seven disciplines making this book an easy and productive read for busy leaders. Those beginning to lead will come away with a vision for daily leadership practices, and experienced leaders will be renewed with helpful reminders about how to be most effective.
At 116 pages divided into 2-4 page sections, this book is useful for individual reading or group discussion.
Read more about this book in our online catalog: High Yield: Seven Disciplines of the Fruitful Leader by Tom Berlin and Lovett H. Weems, Jr.; Abingdon Press, 2014.
Just Say Yes!
Leaders in your church may have all kinds of ideas about ways to improve your church. United Methodist Bishop Robert Schnase helps leaders discern which ideas are right for their church while creating a culture that encourages thinking outside of the box.
Schnase begins by exploring ways that churches say no through people, systems, and churches. A culture of no is perceptible not just to members but also to visitors, and it creates many roadblocks to discipleship. Schnase then offers ideas for how a church can create a culture of yes. By changing fundamental assumptions, giving permission, and changing attitudes and behaviors, a church can experience new life and energy. Many real-life examples are given throughout the book and on the DVD.
This study designed for leadership teams offers three group sessions that make use of scripture, the video stories on the DVD, and the leader guide. Participants will need a participant guide and the book. The guides also include a seven-segment devotional for individuals to use after the study. The DVD also includes outlines for a sermon and worship series and a devotional for congregants to use during the series.
Read more about this study in our online catalog: Just Say Yes! Unleashing People for Ministry by Robert Schnase; Abingdon Press, 2015. A DVD, Leader Guide, and Participant Guide are also available.
Disciples Making Disciples
The job of a mature disciple is to make other disciples. One effective way to do this is by leading a covenant discipleship group. These accountability groups, based on John Wesley’s original class meetings, provide a regular space for growing disciples to support one another on their discipleship journey.
The Director of Wesleyan Leadership for Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church, Dr. Steven W. Manskar, has written this book as a guide to creating covenant discipleship groups. The book includes teachings on discipleship, the mission of the church, covenants, and how to find and train leaders for these groups. Use this book to create small groups and train class leaders that will grow disciples in your church.
This book is for leaders planning to create covenant discipleship groups. Several appendices provide helpful reference documents and templates. A lexicon of covenant discipleship terms and a bibliography are also included.
Read more about this book in our online catalog: Disciples Making Disciples: A Guide for Covenant Discipleship Groups & Class Leaders by Steven W. Manskar; Discipleship Resources, 2016.
Generosity Rising
Mature disciples are characterized by their generosity. United Methodist Pastor and Stewardship Consultant Scott McKenzie offers this well-tested step-by-step plan for recruiting, training, and developing stewardship leaders in your congregation.
This book will lead you in how to create a revolution in generosity in your church by recruiting and training stewardship leaders, looking at the big picture, naming the enemy, fanning the flames, and putting it all together in a 12-month plan. Additional tools include a job description for your stewardship leaders, boot-camp retreat, evaluation of current practices, a 4-week sermon series, a 21-day devotional, and real-life stories of how the plan has worked in other churches.
The five chapters in this short book lead readers through the process of creating a generosity revolution. The final chapter focuses on the 12-month plan, and a 21-day devotional is included in the back.
Read more about this book in our online catalog: Generosity Rising: Lead a Stewardship Revolution in Your Church by Scott McKenzie; Abingdon Press, 2016.
More Resources
To see a complete list of resources on leadership in the Media Center collection, view our Effective Leadership pathfinder. Click on the title of a resource to read its full description. Effective leadership is one of the five emphases of the NC Conference.
Explore recommended resources for the other levels of discipleship:
Discipleship Resources for Seekers (Level 1: Searching)
Discipleship Resources for Visitors (Level 2: Exploring)
Discipleship Resources for New Members (Level 3: Beginning)
Discipleship Resources for Christ-Followers (Level 4: Growing)
More information on discipleship paths is available in our post on How to Choose the Right Study for Your Group.
Request Resources
To try one of these resources with your church, simply fill out the Resource Request Form, or contact the Media Center with any questions. The NC Conference Media Center is open to all clergy and laity in the North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church, free of charge.