Disciples

Our whole society relies on discipline. People going to work each day, doctors following procedures, pilots checking equipment, all rely on each person following a set of rules – a discipline. Following Jesus is synonymous with living disciplined. The current times demand disciples, not just churchgoers or Christians. In this new book from Pastor Phil Pringle brings lessons from his 43 years in Church ministry, and serving the global Church.

"If discipleship is a journey, this book belongs in the rucksack. . . Like the scriptures on which it is based, it deserves repeated reading." Stephen Cherry, Dean of Kings College, Cambridge This fresh and inspiring look at the meaning of discipleship covers the essentials of the christian life, including: faith, hope and love; forgiveness; holiness; social action; life in the Spirit. Written for the general reader by one of our greatest living theologians, this book will help you to see more clearly, love more dearly and follow more nearly the way of Jesus Christ.

How can we transmit a living, personal Catholic faith to future generations? By coming to know Jesus Christ, and following him as his disciples. These are times of immense challenge and immense opportunity for the Catholic Church. Consider these statistics for the United States. Only 30 percent of Americans who were raised Catholic are still practicing. Fully 10 percent of all adults in America are ex-Catholics. The number of marriages celebrated in the Church decreased dramatically, by nearly 60 percent, between 1972 and 2010. Only 60 percent of Catholics believe in a personal God. If the Church is to reverse these trends, the evangelizers must first be evangelized-in other words, Catholics-in-the-pew must make a conscious choice to know and follow Jesus before they can draw others to him. This work of discipleship lies at the heart of Forming Intentional Disciples, a book designed to help Church leaders, parish staff and all Catholics transform parish life from within. Drawing upon her fifteen years of experience with the Catherine of Siena Institute, Sherry Weddell leads readers through steps that will help Catholics enter more deeply into a relationship with God and the river of apostolic creativity, charisms, and vocation that flow from that relationship for the sake of the Church and the world. Learn about the five thresholds of postmodern conversion, how to open a conversation about faith and belief, how to ask thought-provoking questions and establish an atmosphere of trust, when to tell the Great Story of Jesus, how to help someone respond to God's call to intentional discipleship, and much more. And be prepared for conversion because when life at the parish level changes, the life of the whole Church will change.

The Twelve Disciples - The Life and Ministry of Jesus' 12 Disciples Who were the 12 men who were the closest to Jesus? The Twelve Disciples takes you inside "the circle" to learn more about Jesus' devoted followers, their backgrounds, their strengths and weaknesses, their purpose, and their mission. The Twelve Disciples takes a look at the disciples' personalities, their encounters with Jesus, and the lessons we can learn from those who knew Jesus best while he was on earth. This bestselling resource is an excellent tool to help you learn about those who were the closest to Jesus and what it takes to be a disciple of Jesus today. 12 panels, fits inside most Bibles, 8.5 x 5.5 inches, unfolds to 33 inches long What do you know about the disciples who learned at Jesus' feet? The Twelve Disciples contains a close-up on the 12 ordinary men who Jesus trained to care for his church: Peter, James (son of Zebedee), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), John, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot. What was the purpose and mission of the 12 disciples? Below are a few of the facts you will learn in this fascinating pamphlet: Each of the disciples were from the Galilee region except for Judas. The disciples were Jesus' main focus of instruction. Jesus was very aware of each one's strengths and weaknesses. Jesus trusted them to carry God's message of redemption to the ends of the earth. The Twelve Disciples reveals the personality and character of the disciples. For example, Peter was impulsive and courageous whereas John was bold yet vengeful. Each disciple had unique and personal encounters with Jesus that helps us learn more about how we can improve our relationship with Jesus today Peter was called to be a fisher of men (Matthew 4:19). James was with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46). Andrew told Jesus about the boy with five loaves of bread and two fish (John 20:19-25). Thomas affirmed that Jesus was Lord and God (John 21:2-7). What do you know about the 39 followers of Jesus, outside of the disciples, who are mentioned by name in the New Testament? Yes, there are 39 other key people who were significant to Jesus and the church, including: Cleopas, Joanna, Judas (brother of Jesus), Mary Magdalene, Luke, Apollos, and dozens of others. The Twelve Disciples provides information about these important people and Scripture references so you can learn more about the friends of Jesus and those who were instrumental in starting His Church. Glossy and full-color, every fact in The Twelve Disciples includes a Scripture reference. Each of these 12 men will give you new insights into how you life can change by walking with Jesus. This pamphlet is an ideal resource for a Sunday school class or a small group Bible study. Both my husband and I found [The Twelve Disciples] surprisingly rich in information and historical facts concerning the characters, lives and deaths of Jesus' 12 disciples. My husband found it useful too for his sermons and we were surprised by some facts that we didn't know about the so-much-studied disciples. Myrtia (Customer review from CBD.com)

What does it mean to be part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)? A denomination that intentionally unites Christians who have different ideas about what it means to be Christian is bound to struggle to agree on its core values and beliefs — but respected Disciples Michael Kinnamon and Jan Linn believe unity is possible through reforming worship, relationships, and mission. A timely update of their landmark book, Disciples identifies common ground and continues the conversation started by Stone and Campbell two centuries ago on the American frontier.

Culture affects how we make disciples. We often unconsciously bring our own cultural assumptions into ministry and mission, not realizing that how we think and operate is not necessarily the best or only way to do things. In today's global environment, disciplemaking requires the cultural humility and flexibility to adapt between different cultural approaches. Charles Davis, former director of TEAM, provides a framework for missional disciplemaking across diverse cultural contexts. He shows how we can recalibrate our ministry efforts, like adjusting sound levels on a mixer board, to accommodate different cultural assumptions. With on-the-ground stories from a lifetime of mission experience, Davis navigates such tensions as knowledge and behavior, individualism and collectivism, and truth and works to help Christian workers minister more effectively. Ministry teams, church planters, pastors and missionaries working interculturally at home or overseas can be part of God's movement of making disciples. Discover how the body of Christ grows in the unity and diversity of the global church.

Students of the Bible are generally comfortable with their understanding of the command “make disciples” (Matt 28:19). Indeed, most of them would argue that the Gospel writer, Matthew, spells out very clearly the meaning of the term in the Great Commission (Matt 28:16–20) by utilizing three key words, viz., “go[ing],” “baptizing,” and “teaching.” This point of view is the result of centuries of scholarly opinion that has looked primarily, if not solely, to these three adjacent participles of “make disciples” (Matt 28:19), and not to the entire Gospel of Matthew, for the meaning of the command. This book does not suggest that “going,” “baptizing,” and “teaching” are not to be considered in determining the essence of Christian disciple-making. Rather, it contends that the three terms should not be our only source of meaning. This problem is tackled herein by demonstrating that Matthew establishes a framework within the Great Commission itself that points to a fuller meaning of “make disciples” in the broader context of his Gospel, and that the Gospel writer expects his reader to draw on his entire Gospel to grasp the full meaning of this important command.

Many Christians are unable to give the names, or many details, of Jesus’ twelve disciples and yet we can learn many lessons from their lives. Each of them had his own personality but Jesus was able to change and use them in the service of the Kingdom of God. They had faults like we do. They were a mixed bunch of people, each with their own gifts and struggles. God calls all sorts of people, and we cannot forget that Jesus was selecting men for a leadership role in the early church. We can use the example of the apostles to inspire and teach us. This is a tremendously useful book that will have a place on many a minister’s bookshelf. From Andrew through to Judas, Ian Fleck’s survey is detailed but accessible and never dry. This is a timely book, coming at a time when many in the church are speaking of the need for discipleship, yet, all too often, little or nothing is ever said of the first disciples. This book opens up their lives to us. Rev. Dr. Paul Bailie Chief Executive, Mission Africa (Working in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Chad and Kenya) Inspired by material concerning the Twelve disciples which he has assembled from the Four Gospels, and in interaction with other Scripture texts and some ancient traditions, Ian Fleck in this series of meditations has succeeded in deriving, from the lives of Jesus’ choses followers, challenging, inspirational and practical lessons for readers to apply in discipleship of Christ today. Rev Dr. Gordon Campbell Professor of New Testament, Union Theological College, Belfast