Discipleship is relationship

Joey Bonafacio from Manila said that at Church Planting School and it is so true. You just can't disciple those you don't know and spend time with. I picked up a book called "Uncommon Youth Ministry" by Jim Burns at a book sale and just started reading it last week. Wow! It is brilliant and is all about discipleship and building everything on relationship.
This month we are doing 4 Thirsty Thursdays! These are connect opportunities at a north, south, east and west branch of Mac Donalds in our city. Just want to give kids the chance to come and chat with us. Out of this hopefully more intense discipleship relationships can be built. We are seeing such fruit from the small groups our team are running at schools, homes and at Jozi Lights. We are starting to see the next level, where our kids who are being discipled now start to take care of other kids they know. Xtreme Makeover of Me written by Joanne is the tool we use, but it is modelling it that is so key. Had an awesome Facebook post from a young lady who had been in our Delmore Club years ago. She wanted to thank us for being committed to those Wednesday afternoons, for bringing Jesus to them consistently, and she was thrilled that we are still doing it in 2011.
Needed this as there are times when you question the fruit of your labour. Ministry comes at a high price and I had a day two weeks ago when I considered becoming a postman, but a day later I was committed to reaching and discipling children.

Every Nation SA Leaders Summit

What a great week we spent in Cape Town last week. 9 of our Joburg pastors attended and we had great fellowship as we all stayed in a beautiful house on Table Mountain just below the three toilet roll towers. The prayer and worship was fantastic and laid the platform for pastors seeking God to solve issues and to build our movement's unity. There were frank discussions and sometimes raw emotions as people shared their histories and their frustrations. God wove this all together so that people really found each other and were able to honour one another in a way we haven't done before. This was powerful and we have to walk in this as we lead the movement forward. Everyone dedicated themselves and their churches to the vision and values of Every Nation and we ended with a few hours of prayer and prophecy. Pastor Roger got a fantastic endorsement of his leadership and will be ably assisted by various other great men and women of God. I loved seeing this and some of the passion I saw at the two Every Nation World Conferences was definately in the house. Church planting, discipleship and focus on the next generation are key and of course that what makes us tick, so we are in the right place going forward. Obviously the Body of Christ is much bigger than Every Nation, but convinced we are God's idea and can be a blessing to the wider family in every nation of the world.
Joanne and I have a key part to play in getting this out to the children's ministries, and to serving them with our creativity and resources. Carmel Retreat 2012 will be a key gathering of Children's Ministry leaders. We are appreciated by more and more of the pastors as we get to be known.