The Discipleship Initiative
Discipleship
is an initiative of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church,
challenging each and every member to take a step to grow in Christ through
the observance of faith practices offered to us by God. The emphasis is
being carried out church-wide in our denomination, the 5.2-million-member
ELCA.
- Pray
for the success of this emphasis in the year ahead.
- Study
God’s word, in your home, with your family or by yourself, and with
others here at Trinity. Study choices abound.
- Worship
regularly. Take part in Sunday worship, or our services of healing, our
Lenten services, and if you can’t make it to church listen weekly on
WNPV Radio and know that you are part of our steadfast community of
believers.
- Invite
others to a fuller life of faith or to a first-time encounter with God
and Jesus Christ.
- Encourage
each other, and reach out to others for encouragement when you need it.
- Scatter
yourself to serve
others in whatever way you choose.
- Give
to relieve the predicaments and plights of others.
Take the
next step along your faith journey, doing what you can to make a
difference for Jesus Christ.
The seven
faith practices before you are a powerful part of our heritage as Lutheran
Christians. Please take a look at them from a historic perspective.
Martin
Luther thought of prayer as not only a way to meditate and communicate
with God but also a practice that could focus an individual toward service
in the world. Engaging prayer drives Christians into the world, Luther
believed, and engaging the world’s challenges drives Christians back to
prayer. Choose some action steps today in Trinity Center that could
refocus your faith for today!
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In the
days of Martin Luther, many parishioners didn’t own Bibles. But today,
most of us have access to the scriptures to supplement the understanding
of God we learn through hearing the word preached. Luther loved to tell
the stories of saints depicted in the Bible, ordinary people like Joseph,
Mary mother of God, Isaiah and others to orient us toward a story-shaped
world so that we might better understand the world around us. Visit the
study ship to collect ideas for your own personal or group study. Trinity
offers a range of choices. We challenge you to take the next study
step!
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The
way we praise God together in worship serves as a kind of launching pad
for practicing our faith. We hear preaching and celebrate the sacraments
of baptism and Holy Communion. Worship helps us to better discern the
presence of God in our lives and sets us on a cross-shaped life of
discipleship. Worship leads us to acknowledge the presence of God in our
lives so that we may be powerfully equipped to serve our neighbors near
and far. Visit the worship ship to get a sense of how you may better
appreciate and participate in regular worship.
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The
Great Commission as voiced in the gospel of Matthew challenges us all to
“make disciples of all nations.” Baptism moves us beyond our families of
origin to sense our identity with the whole people of God, sharing our
faith with love and conviction. The gift of invitation is a way we can
share the way God intends for us to live with others and be in
relationship with those who have yet to hear and believe. At this
discipleship station, learn how this faith practice can come to life in
you and in others.
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Who
hasn’t heard a discouraging word in today’s fast-paced rapidly changing
market place, or in the doctor’s office when the results of tests define
tragic news, or in our homes when families struggle with discord and
misunderstandings? The fact
is everyone needs encouragement and the opportunity to encourage others.
God’s promise shines forth like a beacon in our lives as God promises to
be with us no matter what. A
key way God encourages us is through the determination believers have to
encourage one another in the face of disaster, tragedy and throughout the
ordinary joys and concerns of life. Luther interpreted the eighth
commandment as offering an opportunity not only to avoid betrayal of one
another, but rather to apologize for each other and speak charitably for
one another’s efforts. Learn how you may feel empowered to this crucial
faith practice in today’s world in which people are so desperately in need
of consolation and encouragement.
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The Book
of Acts serves as a template or model for service in our world. The Holy
Spirit calls us, gathers us and enlightens us, and finally sanctifies us
through the faith practices mentioned before. To a Lutheran, the entire
world is a neighbor, and the challenge is, now that we have been
unconditionally loved and forgiven by God, what will we do with the
freedom the gift of faith has provided to us? Whether we are bus drivers,
janitors, doctors, lawyers, homemakers, teachers or writers, we have a
calling as individuals and as a community to go forward to serve others.
What shall we do? What shall you do? Visit the discipleship of service to
see examples of choices that could change your life and the lives of
others forever.
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The
practice of giving springs forth from Words of Holy Communion where the
pastor may say in offering the sacrament, “The Gifts of God for the people
of God.” Martin Luther commended to his own congregations the practice of
material goods gathered in the church and then distributed to the poor. He
created the notion of “the priesthood of all believers” as a way of challenging all people
of faith to respond to God’s unconditional love by distributing goods to
others. He persuaded his parishioners to become acquainted with the poor
in their midst and believed there should be no beggars in Christendom. To
be part of Martin Luther’s “priesthood” challenges us to spread the good
news about God’s love as it has been given to us and to all people. That
boundless love inspires us to a calling to give to others. Visit this
discipleship to learn the forms and approaches possible in giving
today.
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Please
respond to God’s love for you by challenging yourself to take a step to
grow in your faith in the year ahead. By the grace of God, make a
commitment, and Trinity will provide you with the tools to retool your
faith life.
