Developing a Discipleship System
A Tale of Two Churches
by Ralph E. Bauserman, Evangelism Consultant,
General Board of Discipleship

A few months ago, I received an invitation to preach at the morning worship service of a small United Methodist church, some forty miles from my home. There had been a major crisis in the church, and it was without a pastor. In preparation for the worship service, I talked with one of the church leaders who told me that the church had about thirty people present each Sunday; that number had remained about the same for the last twenty years.

The church building is a small, white structure with a high steeple, similar to the churches in the New England states. It sits only a few hundred yards off a state route that is heavily traveled. Set among towering oak trees, it is an impressive sight. In addition to its picturesque location, the surrounding community is experiencing rapid growth. Within a radius of ten miles, literally hundreds of homes have been built in the last fifteen years. This would be choice location for a new church start.

When I arrived on the appointed Sunday, I noticed that there was very limited parking space. I am not sure if the parking problem is due to the lack of available land or to the lack of strategic planning. On the front of the neatly painted building was an attractive sign that read, "_______ United Methodist Church, established 1895." By the time the worship service began, some thirty people (as the church leader had predicted) had gathered. Most of the people were age fifty-five and older. The only child present was a boy who looked to be ten or eleven years old. There were no babies, nor were there any youth.

Before and after the worship service, I had an opportunity to visit with several of the people who had gathered for worship, and I had the impression that I was among good folk who loved the Lord and the church. It was obvious, however, that many of people are concerned about the future of their beloved church. Many of them have been watching the numbers dwindle for years; and given the age of the current church family, they have good reason to fear that the end may not be far off. This, by the way, is not an uncommon situation in many of our United Methodist churches across the land.

Just down the road (less than 4 miles) is another church located along this same busy highway. It is a nondenominational church that was established in 1998. The building has little or no resemblance to traditional church architecture. In fact, it looks more like an auditorium than a gathering place for a church family. There is no tall steeple or stained glass, but the building is surrounded by a huge parking space. Earlier that morning, on the way to my preaching assignment, I passed this new church building and could not help but notice the cars and the numbers of people walking across the parking lots. I was particularly impressed with the number of children and youth. On my return trip, this church family was still meeting, and the parking lots were nearly full of cars. Although I do not have any first-hand knowledge of this new church, I am told that some 350-400 people gather there each Sunday for study and worship, and many of them return on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. Sometimes I wonder about what gets into people that brings them together three times each week. This is a far cry from the one-hour mindset that has afflicted so many other churches!

Driving home that Sunday morning, I was (and still am) deeply troubled by the contrast in these two churches. One has been there more than one hundred years and is dying; the other has been in existence only four years, but it is thriving! Both have high visibility along a busy highway and both are located in the midst of the same rapidly growing community. Why is one on its way out, and the other on its way up?

I know very little about the growing nondenominational church, but I do know some things about the little church down the road. Although this little church family is made up of good people, it is clear that they have no strategy for reaching the people of their community. In fact, there has been no decision whatsoever to reach people and make disciples. While holding on to that which is comfortable, they have avoided the hard decisions that would necessitate change. They have had more than one hundred years to reach their community, and it is obvious that they are failing. They are, in my opinion, good people who are struggling for survival because they have no discipleship system.

What about your church? Do you have a discipleship system that is providing you with the strategy needed to reach your community for Christ? Would you dare raise this issue at your next leadership meeting? Remember, the General Board of Discipleship stands ready to support you in this vital ministry.

posted 9-12-02