Developing a Discipleship System
Lessons from an Ice Cream Freezer
by Ralph E. Bauserman, Evangelism Consultant,
General Board of Discipleship

Not long ago, my wife and I hosted my family reunion, which was attended by more than fifty of my first cousins and their families. Some of them arrived with ice cream freezers, for it is a kind of tradition for us to make ice cream. When it was time to begin making the ice cream, I was the only one with an old, hand-crank freezer. There was, of course, considerable joking about my antiquated freezer and me.

Now, allow me to share why I have no intention of ever giving up my hand-crank freezer. I have vivid memories of our family (grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, and cousins) gathered around the ice cream freezer. Some had prepared the mix in the kitchen; some were crushing the ice; some added the salt; and most of us took turns cranking the freezer. When the ice cream was finished, all of us had made a contribution to the final product. A by-product was the wonderful fellowship that took place around the freezer; this was family life at its very best! With the modern freezers, one person packs the ice in the bucket, plugs the electric cord in the socket, and returns when it is finished. For the sake of modern convenience, making ice cream is no longer a family event!

Something like this has been happening in the church; we have gradually lost our sense of family. Week after week, people come to our churches with a "what's in it for me" attitude. They will be found sitting quietly for an hour in their accustomed places, having only minimal contact with those around them. They will leave as quietly at they came, having experienced little or no sense of Christian community, and certainly having made no investment in the mission of the church. If they feel a part of anything, it may be the congregation, but certainly not the family of those committed to Christ — who are entrusted with the mission of the church!

One of the biggest challenges facing our churches today is that of involving more of our people in the real life of the family and in the efforts needed to carry out the mission of Christ's church. All of our church people have gifts, talents, and resources that, if used, could enable the church to faithfully fulfill its mission for Christ. Many have not offered because they have not been asked. One of the great failures of the modern church is not that we have asked for too much, but that we have asked for far too little! In many cases, we have made church membership too easy and the expectation level too low.

If the church is to have a discipleship system that will effectively reach people and make disciples of Jesus Christ, we must do everything in our power to involve all our people in this great effort. It is time for all of us to understand that, through our baptism, we are part of the same family and we each have a contribution to make. There are no free rides! Jesus made it very clear that following him would be costly. This is not about putting people on committees; this is about involving them in the kinds of experiences and activities that will further the mission of the church. The time has come for us to be very intentional about involving greater numbers of our people in Sunday school, Bible studies, prayer groups, and other forms of spiritual formation, for it is in these settings that God's vision becomes more clear, our commitments grow deeper, and our sense of family grows stronger.

I have no intention of giving up my old, hand-crank freezer, for I enjoy the times our family gathers around it; and each of us, one by one, young and old, has an investment in the finished product. I like this image; somehow, I think there is a lesson here for the church.

posted 10-21-02