Discipleship in Context: What I Do at LifeWay Christian Resources
Regardless of where you are, what you do, what your age is, and where you’ve come from, there are some core components to growth in Jesus that remain the same. That is to say whether you’re in suburban Chicago, inner city LA, or rural Kansas, and you want go grow as a disciple of Jesus, you can be sure that there are certain practices that are common. These aren’t rocket science; they’re the same things that believers have been doing for centuries as a means of both expressing and growing in their faith. Things like:
- Praying
- Studying the Bible
- Living on mission
- Gathering to worship
- A growing understanding of the gospel
But anyone who has lived in more than one area of the world will tell you that the manner in which these disciplines are fleshed out vary widely depending on your context. You pray for different things. The obedience Christ prescribes for you is different depending on your community and life stage. That understanding – that these core components of discipleship remain constant and yet are fleshed out differently in different churches – is what is motivating the initiative that I lead at LifeWay Christian Resources.
Our project is called Discipleship in Context, and it’s an approach to providing Bible studies to churches that are built around the specific culture, demographics, and communities of those churches.
Imagine for a second with me:
- Imagine that your church could have custom created Bible study based on your specific needs.
- Imagine that these studies would embrace your cultural values, strategic vision, and even the visuals that people associate with your church.
- Imagine that all the groups in your church – adults, students, and children – could be aligned to study the same sacred texts and themes.
- Imagine having a trusted partner in ministry that deeply knows and understands you and writes specifically with your church in mind.
Churches across the world have seen the benefits to doing this; that’s why many have for a long time been writing and publishing their own studies for their people. Though doing so provides the kind of specific focus and direction that can truly unite their people, it’s often a huge time and energy drain on the staff and volunteers. But imagine having a trusted partner in ministry that functions as proxy staff members for that church, freeing up pastors and volunteers to focus on building relationships, developing leaders, and moving the church forward.
That’s what we do.
It’s a huge privilege right now to spend half of all my days talking with church leaders across the country, learning about who they are and how God is working in their midst, and then dreaming together of how we can custom create Bible studies that help people grow deeply in Christ.
So that’s what I do here. It’s a pretty great time.
If you’d like to learn more about this service, download some samples of how we are helping other churches, and find out if this is a good fit for you, please visit us online.
