Discipleship

What is a Disciple?

A Disciple is a believer who has made an INTENTIONAL decision to learn how to place EVERY AREA of their life under the LEADERSHIP of the Lord Jesus Christ. A disciple is not just a church attender - a disciple is a follower. Jesus isn’t just part of a disciple's life - He is the leader of it!

Why Do We Disciple?

As briefly explained on our About Us page, our church's mission is to "Be Disciples. Make Disciples." We get this mission from the commands of Christ in Mark 16:15 and Matthew 28:19–20 directing believers to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, baptizing and teaching all nations to observe all things Christ has commanded us." 

The purpose of Discipleship is to help believers Be with Jesus →  Become like Jesus →  Do what Jesus did → Help others do the same. Our discipleship ministry is built upon four biblical foundations: the WORSHIP of God, the WORD of God, the WILL of God, and the WORK of God. 

Foundation #1: The WORSHIP of God

A growing Christian life begins with a growing relationship with the Lord. As we spend time with the Lord, He conforms us to the image of Christ. We encourage every believer to commit to 15 minutes a day with God and cultivate daily spiritual disciplines through:

• prayer, reading the Bible daily, hearing the Word through involvement in local church services, hearing the Word through sermons and online resources, studying the Bible with life application, memorizing the Bible, meditating in God’s Word, and worship with God's people.

Foundation #2: The WORD of God

The Bible is God's inspired, preserved, and authoritative Word. The starting place for Christian growth is a firm conviction about the Inspiration & Authority of Scripture. The Bible is the primary way of knowing God. The Bible not only contains the Word of God but is the very Word of God.

Through discipleship we help believers understand God's Word, apply biblical truth, and become confident in their faith by studying topics such as:

• the Word Of God, the assurance of salvation, eternal security, sin, temptation, faith, the will of God, and the Holy Spirit. 

Foundation #3: The WILL of God

God has a plan for every believer. It is never too late for you to seek His will. God reveals His prevailing, permissive, and personal will in six ways:

• through miracles, His Word (the Bible), people (other believers), the Holy Spirit, God-given wisdom, and His providence.

God wants His children to know His will. Through discipleship, we teach believers how to discern the will of God by daily seeking the presence of God and help them discover the spiritual gifts that God has given each of us to serve and glorify Him. 

Foundation #4: The WORK of God

As followers of Christ, we are called to do more than grow - we are called to serve. Our goal is that every disciple becomes a disciple-maker, learning to share the Gospel without fear and train new believers to become faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. 

Through discipleship, we equip believers to:

• Share the Gospel with confidence, Use their spiritual gifts, Serve faithfully in the local church, Disciple new believers, and Invest in the lives of others

How Does Buckeye Baptist Disciple? 

Our church disciples in two ways. The first is through our Foundations of Discipleship Small Group. This is a short-term, classroom-based group that is offered year round to examine the four biblical foundations of discipleship, study God's Word, and learn how to submit every area of life to the Lordship of Christ. Material is completed over 16 weeks by meeting together in small groups of 2-4 led by a mentor on Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. Due to the limited number of mentors, you must sign up BEFORE the 16-week session starts to attend. 

The other way we disciple is through one-on-one mentoring. You will be paired with a mature believer of the same sex who will help you complete the same material as the Small Group, but meeting at a different pace, time, and place than the Sunday Morning class. Because of the limited number of mentors and our primary way of discipleship being in the classroom, there may be a small delay in getting started.  

Ready to Grow?

Whether you are a new believer or have walked with the Lord for many years, both ways we disciple will help you gain confidence in God's Word, strengthen your walk with Christ, and prepare you to disciple others. We invite you to grow in God's Word, build meaningful relationships with other believers, and discover the joy of helping others follow Christ.

If you are interested in participating in either Foundations of Discipleship or one-on-one discipleship, please speak with Pastor David Schenck.

Join us as we seek to be disciples of Jesus who make disciples of others. Together, let us fulfill Christ's Great Commission -  

Be Disciples. Make Disciples.