We can’t become lax in making disciples

Around the family table

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”—Hebrews 12:1-2a
I have just returned from a gathering of all bishops and district superintendents in The United Methodist Church. It was an exciting time. The autumn color on the mountains around our regional retreat center at Lake Junaluska, N.C., was gorgeous. The opportunity to hear and speak to district superintendents and bishops from distant places like the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe,
Europe and Minnesota was inspiring.
However, the most important aspect of this conference for me and, I believe, for our church was the bold and direct language used publicly by our bishops to challenge us as United Methodists to find new and effective ways to make disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Former Southwest Texas Conference pastor, and now bishop in the Texas Conference, Janice Huie spoke forthrightly about our church’s need to recapture our earlier character as a nimble movement, rather than perpetuate our present status as an arthritic institution. She bemoaned the growth in the number of regulations in our Book of Discipline while the number of members in our churches has declined.
Former McAllen District clergy colleague Robert Schnase, now bishop in Missouri, urged us to lead our congregations into excellence in five practices of Christian ministry. Radical hospitality and risk-taking mission and service are two of those practices that you have heard me advocate.
Other speakers told us to trust in God as we reach out in ministry to others. The faithful and fruitful disciple looks for God’s work in the world and seeks to assist and encourage that work, while relying on God’s strength and power.
In this district you have heard previously much of what our bishops shared at this recent gathering in North Carolina. I believe you are fortunate that your previous laity and clergy leadership challenged you to reach out beyond the walls of your churches to make disciples of those people in your communities. You have a head start on many congregations in our denomination that have yet to see
and act on this emphasis.
I am ecstatic that so many of you are making valiant efforts with good hard work, visionary imagination and faith in God to grow your congregations.
However, just because this district is a step or two ahead of other parts of our church in this race we run does not mean that we can grow lax or overconfident in our mission here. (In fact, we are convicted of slothfulness when we contrast our work in this district with that of United Methodists in Africa. Here, we are still expecting growth, while there in Africa United Methodists are exploding in growth—under even more difficult circumstances.)
So let us look to Jesus as the one who ran the way before us and persevere in the race to catch up with him in love and care for our world. Then God will be ecstatic that we are making disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world.