Greenhouses for Discipleship
After conversation among my district colleagues with Bishop Huie, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the context and substance of John Wesley’s ministry in 18th century England, and how that might or might not bear on our situation of nominal discipleship in the US today.
The first conclusion I’ve come to is that I’ve been too hard on Wesley’s contemporaries who barred him from their churches or denounced him in print. It is a hard thing to let someone else enter into the space you have been given, among the people you shepherd, and let them exercise such a transformative ministry. I wouldn’t be thrilled if someone borrowed the local high school football stadium, preached to thousands (including many of my own members), and then set up their own system of discipleship which—best case scenario—didn’t mesh well with what we were doing. No wonder it took only one generation for British Methodism to become its own denomination…and was its own, from the beginning, in the American colonies.
Yet the proof was in the pudding for Wesley & Whitfield, and other evangelists, field preachers, and Great Awakeners. Not just small numbers or isolated pockets, but people in droves were sparked into a radical commitment to following Jesus. The expectation was that the experience of God in the moment of preaching and teaching, and in relational invitation too, would lead in a short period of time to this commitment. Of course, commitment varied, of course paths were varied and were of differing lengths, but on the whole, invitation and experience led rapidly to commitment.
The combination of field preaching and accountability groups was potent, creating a kind of greenhouse, in which hardy and quick-growing varieties of disciples could be nurtured and then re-introduced into the native environment to strengthen those around them.
So my question is: where are those “discipleship greenhouses” today? How are they constructed and maintained? And what are they growing?
I have a sneaking suspicion there are some out there: perhaps Ginghamsburg and Resurrection are Methodist gardening hotspots. I’d appreciate hearing of others [campus ministry and small churches especially!], and as I continue to think I’ll be writing more about the differences & similarities between Wesleyan leadership and cultural context, then and now.
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[...] Whitfield | Leave a Comment As we continue to consider the nature & construction of Discipleship Greenhouses, it seems there are two significant challenges to their creation today that were not present in [...]
I started some mentoring/discipleship groups we call Living Deep Groups (based on the ideas from the book “Cultivating a Life for God” by Neil Cole) here at my church plant four months ago. A group of three is now three groups with seven people in them. The life change and transformation I’ve already seen in the lives of the people in these groups is tremendous!
In one month I saw a man begin to reconsider his world from a Biblical worldview. In ONE MONTH! At least one marriage is being saved because of another group. It’s amazing how God’s word changes lives when it’s finally absorbed!
I’m still young and learning, but the more I read of Wesley’s ministry the more I feel a bond to his style and strategies. I’m definitely proud to walk in his steps!
Nicely put. Share what you learn about other hot spots. I would love to know what small churches are doing to be greenhouses….I have a place that could use it. Right now we’re just a hot house driving everyone crazy.