Discipleship on Mission for Mission
Josh* just graduated high school, is part of minority people-group, and lives in a not-so-desirable neighbourhood in a mid-size city. He comes from a broken and blended family with not much financial wiggle-room. His claim-to-fame is playing second-string on a two-time defending championship football team. His church is not overtly "cool" and he only started participating in middle school because his parents forced him. How do you disciple Josh?
Josh was invited by his youth leader to join her on a short-term MB Mission team. He was willing, but the obstacles were not insignificant: few guys were going, he didn’t have not enough money, he was the only racial minority participant, and he’d never even been on an airplane before. It was a miracle he even participated.
The money unexpectedly came in the week after he gave up trying and had quietly committed his needs to God in prayer. With the door now open he stepped through. He struggled through team training as the only guy, thought he was going crazy when his ears plugged on the airplane, and endured weeks of reaching out to children in a strange culture which was his least wanted ministry option.
I met Josh while his team was debriefing its survival of four weeks "over there." He was a little shell-shocked, but as he unpacked the experience and considered where he had met Jesus, he began to see his own context differently. A new man began to emerge. He still referred to his football heroics, but he was no longer reflecting on just the game, but on the needs of his peers—young men like him. He was already beginning to think of guys he could invite next year. Listening to the Holy Spirit, dwelling in the Scriptures, and being attentive to the voices of a disciple-making community were producing a noticeable transformation. Josh was not just learning about Jesus; he was becoming more and more like Him.
A celebration night capped off his team's debriefing days. Josh nervously paced at the back of the room dreading his turn to address the crowd. When his name was called, however, the gentle giant spoke with confidence, described the transforming power of the love of his team, and the kids he "hated" working with. And he gave voice to a heart responsive to whatever call God had on his life. Which, as was abundantly clear, would lead to a much greater life story than being a two-time defending football champion.
Josh's story reveals how MB Mission routinely observes God at work in the multiplying of healthy disciples and missional leaders. It begins relationally and invitationally, is Spirit-led, rooted in Scripture, enhanced by steps of obedience beyond one’s comfort zone and culture where God brings glory to Himself in powerful ways, and is established in the context of the disciple-making community—the church—through whom God speaks, calls, challenges, and confirms new Christ-like identity.
Phil Wagler provides leadership to equipping initiatives at MB Mission. He also has served pastoral, discipleship, and leadership training ministries in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. Phil will be preaching a TED talk called "Discipleship on Mission" during the Equip 2017 Study Conference: Transforming Discipleship.
* Josh is a pseudonym
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