Finally!!

Well, I've got everything done (I think!) for graduation. The only thing left is to sign a few out-processing documents and walk the aisle in my festal garments.

I've been thinking about the discipleship process and church and blah-dee-blah-da-blooblooo, and I think I've come up with something. I think it's kind of cool, so I won't reveal it just yet (although I bet someone else somewhere has already come up with the stuff!).

I wanted to discuss some of the "purposes" of the church, and why I want to move beyond the purpose driven model. The church has one mission, and that is to make disciples, or build people to follow Jesus. Worship can be done anywhere, and if the church does its mission, it will glorify God. In fact, God is not glorified if the church's emphasis is just "worship time." The church's purpose is not fellowship, but fellowship serves the discipleship purpose. The same with ministry, ministry is not the church's purpose, but disciples will serve others based on the nature of our Teacher. Evangelism is not the purpose of the church, but is merely one part of the discipleship journey.

Discipleship would certainly be incomplete without these things, but they are merely aspects of Discipleship.

And discipleship is much more than education. Church should not be a laboratory, but should provide "on the job training" as its main teaching tool. Real learning and real growth happen in real life, not on some desert island away from the rabble of society.

More to come later.