The Mission Development Team of the Church of Scotland highlights the importance of helping to build followers of Jesus.

‘Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations’ Matt 28:19

OVER the last three issues we have looked at part of missional journey: listening, loving and serving, and building community.

These are things that we seem to be relatively comfortable with, and can derive a lot of satisfaction from them. When it comes to making disciples though, many of us can feel out of our depth, yet it is at the heart of the Great Commission which Jesus gave to His followers in Matthew 28. While those first three steps are good and necessary, they can be achieved by any organisation or agency and have nothing to do with God or the Christian faith. It is this step – making disciples – which makes the church unique in its calling and mission.

Discipleship is a lifelong journey and has been written about extensively, but here we are thinking particularly about how we begin to introduce aspects of our faith into our mission – that is, what helps people become a follower of Jesus. The following questions may help us unpack this in our own context.

• Are there opportunities for people to discover more about, and to grow closer to, God?

Are they able to discover how God sees them?

Faith is a journey of discovery and people will explore in all kinds of ways – from attending Alpha or reading a book, to casual conversations with a friend. Allow people to be curious and to ask questions. Feeling safe to ask questions is a key element of many people’s faith journey. Don’t be afraid of not having the answers – you can explore together.

• Are we enabling people to access worship experiences which are appropriate for them?

Worship is at the heart of our life of faith, and ensuring that people know they are welcome to connect with the worship of the church is important. Alternatively, spiritual practices can be introduced over time. Consider what would seem difficult or off-putting, or what would be attractive to those unused to worship. Are we not only praying for people but enabling them to pray? Do they engage with music, or art? Do they engage better in the outdoors? Take time to find out what works.

• Are we offering people opportunities to participate in God’s mission?

Loving and serving God and our neighbours is how Jesus summed up our calling. This is not about filling rotas in church, but about people discovering and using their gifts and passions. One writer refers to this as ‘evangelism by immersion’ in a community of God’s people. While we are great at offering hospitality to newcomers, as long as they are only receiving, they are guests and not one of the family. Encourage people to participate as they are able. It could be in providing music, catering, welcoming, joining the gardening group, or anything else!

“Loving and serving God and our neighbours is how Jesus summed up our calling.

Stories There are a number of videos on the Faith Action Programme pages of Insite with stories of different approaches to this from individuals, congregations, and projects around the country.

Getting help There are a number of helpful resources available from the Church of Scotland about exploring faith and making disciples. Contact the Mission Development Team if you would like to find out more (dknowles@ churchofscotland.org.uk).