Planting By The Brook

The first reactions are usually positive: “Wow!  That is simply amazing!”  “That’s more than most churches see in 100 years!”  “God is really moving over there!”  Then the skeptics and the cynics show up: “You’re making it too easy.”  “Who’s going to disciple all those people?”  “There’s no way that many people really meant it.”

When it comes to seeing people give their lives to Christ, everyone seems to have an opinion.  This past year, Southbrook Church had the humbling privilege of being used by God to help 1100 people enter into a new life through Christ Jesus.  That number is scary.  That number carries with it a lot of responsibility.  We want to do everything we can at Southbrook to help these new converts take the next step in this new journey.

Was it real?  Did every person who raised their hand or filled out a commitment card really mean business?  Were they sincere, or just caught up in the emotions?  We don’t claim to know the hearts of all 1100 of these people.  We do know that God brought each of them to Southbrook for a specific reason.  1 Corinthians 2:11 says that “no one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit.”  Only God knows what each of these people was thinking.  Only God knows if they were sincere.  It’s not our job to decide whether or not someone meant it.  Our job is to “make disciples.”  This begins with preaching the gospel, and continues with discipleship.

Here at Southbrook, my goal is to help each individual move forward in their journey with Christ, to develop a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ.  The big question is: what do we do with all these new believers?

When a person makes a commitment to Christ, they are contacted several times, in several different ways.  First they are personally handed a New Believer Packet which contains a Bible, a worship CD, and information about our church and baptism.  At that time they are encouraged to fill out a commitment card so we can follow up with them later that week.  Next they are contacted sometime that week by a team of volunteers whose goal is to help move this person to the next step in their journey.  This can be as simple as helping them plug into a LifeGroup.  LifeGroups are groups of people with similar interests who meet together on a regular basis to pray, study and care for each other.  The main purpose of a LifeGroup is to “live life together.”  Others may begin meeting for some period of time for more intense discipleship.  We want to be very careful that no one slips through the cracks unnoticed.  We want to do everything we can to move them forward on their journey with Christ.

This is an enormous task that requires an enormous amount of volunteer help.  I realize the typical reaction for many is to analyze and try to figure things out logically.  The fact is that there are a bunch of brand new believers at Southbrook who are not really sure what they are supposed to do next.  This is what discipleship is all about.  Instead of waiting for a class or seminar to hopefully attract these people, we need to be proactively seeking opportunities to begin teaching these individuals how to live the Christian life. 

If you are one of these new believers, I would encourage you to let us know who you are.  We want to get you connected to the rest of the church and help you along on this amazing journey. 

If you have been a believer for a while, I would encourage you to step up and help us disciple some of these new believers.  You have something valuable to offer.  Don’t waste what God has given you.  Step up.

God is moving and will continue to move at Southbrook as long as we are faithful and obedient to Him.  He will not continue to bless us with souls if we neglect to care for the ones He was given us so far.  We have a duty, a responsibility, to care for those He brings our way.  May we boldly step up and take the enormous task He has called us to.  “But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest” (John 4:35, NLT).

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