2. How We Use Words - Definitions to Know
People often use the same words but mean different things. So that this assessment is as accurate as possible, vitally useful in its practical application, and more effective in serving your ministry, here are some definitions/ways we use the following words at the 4GENetwork. Please use these definitions in your answers. Even if you do not agree with the semantics of our words, please humor us in applying their meaning to your answers.
Evangelism - Discipleship - Disciple Making: We avoid the word evangelism (what we do to unbelievers to get them to become believers). We avoid the word discipleship (what we do to believers to get them mature. We replaced these words with Disciple Making.
Disciple Making: Inviting someone to follow Jesus and then teaching them how in such a way that they can invite someone to follow Jesus and teach them how. If it doesn’t reproduce, it is not disciple making.
Disciple: Someone who is taking steps in the direction of Jesus until their footsteps become Jesus’ footprints.
Discipling: Meeting with a person, anywhere in their faith journey (before they invite Christ into their life, as a new follower of Jesus, as a growing follower of Jesus, as a seasoned follower of Jesus), for the purpose of equipping them to follow Jesus so they can equip someone else to follow Jesus.
The Mission of the Church: To make disciples who also make disciples.
Training: A repeated process of equipping people for an intended outcome. (We do not consider preaching training, as we believe it serves a different purpose.)
Leading From the Front: This is everything that goes into making a Sunday, a service, or a gathering happen. This includes all the meetings, study, planning, and team building for the service. (Currently the average pastor invests about 70% of their time to this place of Leadership.)
Leading From the Back: This is the care component and the connection component and includes visitation, small groups, prayer meetings, hospital visits, and other forms of compassion. Administrative duties cross over these two places (Front & Back) of leadership.
Leading From the Middle: This is the place where training, disciple making, equipping, and mission take place. (This was the primary place of leadership Jesus used to “make” His disciples.)
Mission Travel: Jesus designed the Church in such a way that disciples would make disciples everywhere they go. Jesus’ mission must go to the edges of God’s Church; His strategy is to make His people the edge of his mission.
Missional Clarity: This occurs when the people in the faith community are crystal clear that the mission of the church is to make disciples who make disciples. It is when the actions and values line up.