Discipleship ministries at TCF
The goal of discipleship ministries at TCF is to assist believers in the process of transformation that they agreed to cooperate with when they gave their lives to Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul said it best in Ephesians 4:22-24, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
If we are going to be transformed into the image of Christ then it appears that we must let go of the old in order to take hold of the new. There are many ways that we are put in position to let go of the old way of thought or old patterns of behavior, such as having a responsive ear to the Word when it is taught or read and allowing it to instruct us, rebuke us, correct us and train us.
God in his wisdom, sovereignty, power and love also allows trials that are designed to break our stubborn independence streak, strengthen our faith, and bring us to a place of dependence before him in humility. Service, submission, accountability, and involvement in a community of believers are important components of growth as well. There is also a high value in the spiritual disciplines in helping a disciple grow in his or her knowledge of God and in Christlikeness. There is no substitute for hanging out with God. This is how a person is enabled to go the extra mile, turn the other cheek, love their enemy, and bless those who curse them. If that could be learned just by hearing a good sermon we would see many more of our members practicing these spirit led-responses in daily life.
There are five ministries that fall under the heading of discipleship:
1. Adult Sunday School, aka, Trail Mix School of Discipleship
These classes are designed for those who enjoy the interaction of a classroom environment. The classes run from 8:30-9:45 on Sunday mornings and use a variety of spaces that are available at that hour and are determined by the size of the class. Some of the subjects that have been taught thus far include: The Nature of God, Church History, The Spiritual Disciplines, Humility, Discovering Your Ministry Potential, B.E.S.T. (Biblical Exegesis of Significant Texts), How to Mentor, Man-Sin-Salvation, The Kingdom of God, and a New Testament Bible Survey. Most of these classes run about 10-12 weeks in length and may have a charge related to a text book.
2. Trail Mix Small Groups Ministries
Connecting with other believers in the community of faith is a very important practice for those who desire to grow as believers. To this end we attempt to offer small groups in the various communities that make up our constituency. Currently, we are offering groups in Medford, Central Point, Eagle Point, Shady Cove, and some that meet here at the church. If you are interested in opening your home to host a small group or you have been trained to be a small group facilitator or would like to be trained to be one, then please contact Pastor Doug at 878-3501. This would also be the number you would call if you wanted to be placed in a group. Some of the groups go through a book of the Bible, others have shown a video series and others have a text book they are going through together. The value of a small group is found in encouraging one another toward love and good deeds, praying for one another, mutual care and service together.
3. Mentoring relationships
CS. Lewis said, “Think of me as a fellow patient in the same hospital, who, having arrived a few days earlier can tell you a few things about the doctor and his procedures.”
In my perfect world I would like to see all believers in mentoring relationships with at least one mature believer who is a few steps ahead of them in walking with God, and with a growing believer who is a few steps behind them in their walk with God. Part of my vision in overseeing discipleship ministries here at TCF is to connect believers in one-on-one relationships. I am constantly on the lookout for believers who are serious about growing in order to connect them with other believers who are serious about growing. These can often turn into accountability relationships that give one another permission to ask each other tough questions in regard to their walk over the past week or so, and then they spend time in the Word and in prayer for one another. If you have been blessed by a mentoring relationship and would have interest in either mentoring someone or being mentored by someone, please contact Pastor Doug.
4. Spiritual Direction/ Coaching
I have training as a coach from Western Seminary and it can be a valuable tool when someone is either stuck or in transition. Coaching comes from the old English word for ‘carriage.’ It is designed to help you ‘get from here to there.’ Also I have a wealth of life experience in which I had to learn how to think like a believer as I endured tough times. This has helped me in the area of spiritual direction. I am not a counselor. And I am largely useless unless the client is interested in thinking like a believer in the midst of their physical, financial or relational crisis. I also will do short-term mentoring for those who are in a spiritual struggle and in need of some help engaging with the disciplines that will help carry them through their wilderness experience. There is no charge for this service and you can make an appointment by calling the front office.
5. Workshops
About once a quarter we will be offering a discipleship workshop designed to provide what we believe is a valuable tool for your growth. The workshops we have offered over the past few years have included: Mentoring/Accountability Relationships, a biblical perspective on Fasting as a Discipline, and a How to Give Your Testimony workshop designed to help you tell your story of salvation. These workshops are generally scheduled on Saturdays and run from 9:00-1:00 including lunch. The cost is usually $5.