Growing into Christ (8)

“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” Acts 20.28

The Master Plan of Evangelism
Robert E. Coleman (1928 - )
“There is simply no substitute for getting with people, and it is ridiculous to imagine that anything less, short of a miracle, can develop strong Christian leadership. After all, if Jesus, the Son of God, found it necessary to stay almost constantly with His few disciples for three years, and even one of them was lost, how can a church expect to do this job on an assembly line basis a few days out of the year?”

No pastor can do all the work of making disciples in the church. Making disciples, and spending time with those who are being discipled as part of that process, must become a pervasive attitude and an expected practice of all those who are entrusted with this task. The pastor shows the way, working with his elders and other leaders. Then the elders and all the other disciple-makers follow his example. The goal of our work of disciple-making must be twofold: First, that each member of the church be involved in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, so that they are being increasingly conformed to His image and likeness (2 Cor. 3.12-18); and, second, that the church as a whole grows up into maturity in Christ, as each member makes his Kingdom-seeking contribution (Eph. 4.11-16; 1 Cor. 12.7-11). You cannot wish such results into being. We have to work for them, and working for Christlikeness means taking heed to the wellbeing of each disciple, and the flock of God together, that we are growing together into Christ. And for this to happen, there is “simply no substitute for getting with people.”

What would it take to enfold your entire congregation into a web of disciple-making like this?

Fan into Flame
Our book, Fan into Flame, is a handbook on the work of pastors and shepherds. It explains the context and calling of the shepherd, and provides useful tools for assessment and planning to improve in the Lord’s calling. This is an excellent resource for leadership training of personal growth into Christ. Order your copy by clicking here. Or contact me about our Pastoral Hope Initiative and we’ll walk through this handbook and various other assessment resources together. Watch this brief video, then drop me a line 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 Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism(Old Tappan: Revell, 1963, 1987).