"So what do I do now?" The pastor asked the question with seriousness and a level of expectation. He knew that many of his members were woefully lacking in biblical knowledge. And he had full awareness that many members were attending less frequently, and that some had dropped out altogether.
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So he asked me what he should do. I responded from my research and consultations that his church needed a clear process for discipleship with clear expectations for members. I could tell by his look that more questions were coming. "Okay, what's that look like? So what do I do now?"
The Solutions of Old
There was a day for most churches when the solution to this dilemma was to turn to some organizational entity, such as a denomination, and get the needed programs to meet the needs of the church. Disciple-making through the local church was thus simple as ordering the material, advertising the program, and getting the members to attend.
Not so today.
In many cases the programs became worn and stale. They no longer met the needs of the church. In other cases, the programs became the end instead of the means. Churches became program driven, but they could no longer see the purpose behind the programs. Many churches, understandably so, abandoned the programmatic approach.
Dr. Thom Rainer is president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
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