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Realizing the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God.
Pastor to Pastor

Disciple-making

This is what elders are supposed to do.

Growing into Christ (7)

And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2.2

The Elder and His Work
David Dickson (1821-1885)
“An elder can also do much in guiding a young convert, especially as to his daily life – more in some respects than the minister, who can, of course, know little of the conflicts of grace in the workshop or the place of business. The young disciple must learn to stand the tear and wear of contact with men of all kinds, and he needs grace to enable him to stand his ground…”

The work of disciple-making has two aspects: Helping people grow into Christ, and equipping them to serve the Lord with the gifts He provides. We are being effective as disciple-makers when these results are in evidence in the people we serve. Elders are uniquely qualified to disciple others for following Christ in everyday life, but they must make sure they themselves are growing into and walking with Christ in their own homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces. Otherwise, how will they be able to counsel others and to help them grow as disciples of the Lord? This is an ongoing process, of course, but as we grow into Jesus, we can ask Him to give us a vision like Paul’s, that will see us shepherding and equipping others, who, in turn, shepherd and equip others still. When such a vision of disciple-making takes hold in a church, real growth as the Body of Christ will occur.

Can you think of some young people in your church who need the kind of personal discipleship that a gifted elder could give?

Pastoral Hope Initiative
Pastor, where are you in your walk with and work for the Lord? Are you growing? Covering all the bases? Working fruitfully toward the Kingdom of God? Our Pastoral Hope Initiative can help you establish a framework and baseline for steady, fruitful growth into the Lord Jesus; and for the remainder of this spring, we’re waiving the fee for men who want to work through this 14-week protocol. Watch this brief video, then, if you’re interested, let me hear from you at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
All quotations are from David Dickson, The Elder and His Work (Dallas: Presbyterian Heritage Publications, 1990).

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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