Making Disciples
As passionate as we are about evangelism, we are equally as passionate about discipleship! In fact, we do not view them as two separate ministries but as one. Jesus gives us the command in the great commission to go and make disciples. Our soul mission is not just to make converts, but to make sure that those converts become disciples and lovers of Jesus Christ. Evangelism is the necessary starting line for accomplishing the completed work of making disciples.
Throughout our multiple years of service and leadership within Mozambique, working with Iris Ministries, we have come to realize the necessity to have a clear plan for discipleship as our responsibilities stretch to over 200 churches. We are continually seeking the Lord as to how to most effectively reach and strengthen all the individuals and churches within our realm of influence.
A Strategy for Discipleship
The core of our strategy is to build personal disciples close to home. As we prioritize life and discipleship with our close knit team, we then focus on working with our head leadership within each province and district. As these leaders are discipled and grow to greater maturity, they are then responsible to take what the Lord has taught them and deliver it to all the local churches and congregations under their care. This strategy closely mirrors the advice given to Moses by his father-in-law in regard to caring for The nation of Israel.
Discipling Leaders
We commonly use discipleship programs that have the been developed over the years, but one of the greatest forms of discipleship has come from just bringing our leaders together, building deep relationships, and spending time in pursuit of the Holy Spirit together. We prioritize regularly meeting with our head leaders. If the fire of God has touched them, It will touch all of the churches!
How We Disciple
Seminars & Conferences
We use a variety of topics and settings to reach our leaders and churches depending on the greatest spiritual needs of the people. The most common areas of teaching are on topics such as the foundations of Christian faith, evangelism, leadership, and marriage. The majority of the time these are conducted in the local churches throughout the bush and jungle of Mozambique. A typical seminar or conference is 1 to 3 days.
52 Week Discipleship Program
The Covid pandemic provided the perfect opportunity to seek God given strategy on how to continue discipleship and teaching within all our churches even as the government shut down all gatherings. Originally, weekly teachings were written and sent out to all churches as a way to continue fellowship in small home groups during the lockdown. Now these teachings have become a powerful tool for each church to develop new believers, disciples, leaders, and plant new churches. We have been able to reach more churches with deep biblical teaching through these weekly studies then we could have ever reached by just traveling church to church.
School of Kingdom Advancement
The school of kingdom advancement is a four week intensive program that was developed to give pastors and their leadership a more thorough training to strengthen them and their churches. The schools include outreach and evangelism where they can put into practice what they have been learning.
Topics of teaching Include: foundational Christian theology, evangelism, church leadership, Christian marriage, spiritual warfare/deliverance, gifts of the Holy Spirit, family, Church finance, and church planting.
Partner with us by sponsoring one of our schools or training events!