Christian Change & Growth
Go on to Maturity
©Dr. Gary Sweeten
Sweeten Life Systems
www.sweetenlife.com
gary@sweetenlife.com
Disciples?
Go make disciples…Jesus in Mt 28:18 ff
What is a disciple?
A learner from the Master
Love God
Love neighbor as self
Discipleship is life-long learning from the
Master of the universe and applying what
has been learned in real life
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St. Paul
When did Saul become Paul?
How long after Damascus Road?
Who and what facilitated his growth?
Sunday School England
Robert Raikes of Gloucester (1735-1811),
the founder of the Sunday School Union.
From 1782 Raikes established classes,
often on Saturdays as well as Sundays, for
children of the poor who were in
employment for the rest of the week.
Sunday School USA
In 1786 a Sunday school patterned on
Raikes's plan was founded in Hanover co.,
Va., by the Methodist preacher Francis
Asbury.
The model tends to be lecture in both
children and adult classes.
New Adult Discipleship
Seasoned Citizens: 900,000 locally
Seasoned Believers: 500,000 locally?
Disposable
Disposable
Disposable
Disposable
Disposable
income
time
experience
wisdom
gifts
Lack of Church Interest
Five Disciplines
Systemic Thinking-Multiple Connections,
Interactive Relationships
Personal Mastery of talents, skills,
emotions, gifts and fruit of the Spirit
Team Building and Learning
Vision casting and leadership
Realistic Mental Models
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Journey to Growth: TIPS
Grow to Go
 Read
 Hear
 Study
 Equip
 Train
 Watch
 Practice
Go to Grow
 Experience
 Leave Comfort Zone
 Cross Cultural
 Do
 Assess
 Discuss
 Adjust
Growth means
Numerical: New believers
Personal: Maturity
Organizational: Structure
Organic: Relational
Impact: Social, Cultural Legacy
New Paradigm-Eph. 4:11
Equip saints
Mold, Mend
Goal-Maturity
No longer children,
unstable
Speak truth in love
Grow into teleios
Adult Discipleship Process
Didactic: Lecture, Reading, Pod/Video
Reflection: Ruminate, Meditate, Journal
Experiential: Practice, Practice, Practice
Assessment: Feedback, Analysis, Improve
Modeling: Observe Good Practices
Supernatural: Truth, Fruit, Gifts
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Healthy Church Model
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Scale of Movement toward Christ
Scoffer------------Skeptic-------------Seeker---------------Saved
Follow the golden rule to bring people to Christ and freedom
Peace promotes progress toward salvation
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Progressive Witnessing
 ScoffersReject messenger
Reject message
 SkepticsAccept messenger
Reject message
 SeekersAccept messenger
Question message
 SavedAccept Jesus
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Progressive Witnessing
 Scoffers-Reject message and Messenger
Ignore their rejection; Don’t be defensive
Bless them with love, prayer, compassion
 Skeptics-Question message-accept messenger
Listen
Bless
 Seekers-Open to message & messenger
Share
Bless
 Saved-Accept message and Jesus
Equip
Send to witness
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Scoffers are Anxious
Reject message and Messenger
Ignore their rejection; Don’t be defensive
Bless them with love, prayer, compassion
Do not argue or attack
A man convinced against his will
Is of the same opinion still
Shake the dust off your shoes
Pray for Conviction
Joyce Reichmann
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Skeptics
Question message-accept messenger
Listen
Bless
Build trust
Pray for God to show up
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Seekers
Open to message & messenger
Share Good News
Listen to questions
Bless them
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Saved
Accept message and Jesus
Support
Love
healing
Equip
Send to witness
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Where is Your Focus?
Scoffers?
Skeptics?
Seekers?
Salvation?
Spiritual Growth?
Approaches to Growth
Dip and Drop
Baptize/Enroll
No follow-up,
training, discipleship
Eternal Childhood
No expectations
Old paradigm
Approaches to Growth
Dip and draft into
leadership
Immediate maturity
magicNo process
No training, maturity,
discipleship
No gifts, talents,etc
Approaches to Growth
Dip and Disciple
Appropriate stage
assessment
Appropriate training,
accountability
Process: systematic,
sequential curriculum
Pilot sequence
New Paradigm-Growth
Vine
Biblical
John 15: I am the
true vine, you are the
branches.
No fruit? Away
Fruit? Pruned
Growth is essential
Growth is a slow process
I Cor. Paul planted, Apollos
watered but God gave the
increase
Cycles of planting and
growth.
Mark 4: Generous planting
ABC’s of family growth
All people of the world
Babes-new believers
Children-some growth
Disciple-ready for meat
Equipped for ministry-skills are honed
Equipper of ministers-can mentor others
Equipper of equippers-can lead leaders
Pre-Family-All People
Evangelism-share truth of faith
Works of mercy-loving acts of
faith and power
Family Growth-Babes
Fragile, Dependent
Cry to communicate
Messy-fleshly
Need care, counsel,
healing, teaching
Small steps of growth
Signs of Growth-Babes
Truth-Unsure, blown about by every
teacher, dependant upon others; teach
basic doctrines. Renewed Thinking.
Fruit-Same as BC behavior, habits and
lifestyle continue; basic skills needed.
Gifts-hardly any understanding of gifts;
teach on talents, temperament, gifts,
skills, and how to discern.
Family Growth-Children
Becoming
independent
Variety foods
Learning to read
Peers important
Immature habits
Independence/depen
dence conflicts
Signs of Growth-Children
Truth-Learning to think for self but can be
manipulated. May become arrogant.
Fruit-Becomes aware of need to change,
can be overwhelmed with weaknesses.
Flesh patterns begin to shift.
Gifts-Patterns emerge, begins to see a fit
in body and place in family dynamics. May
discuss call as well as gifts.
Family Growth-Disciples
Eating meat
Independent/Interdep
endent
Commitment
Responsible
Can lead others
Less flesh shows
Signs of Growth-Disciples
Truth-Open to meat of doctrines, thinks
for self, not blown around. Integrates
word and work, spiritual and nature.
Fruit-Develop truth in love, healthily at
home, work, church, caring boundaries.
Gifts-Experiencing power gifts with
maturity, knows call, talents, skills
Family Growth-Equipped
for Ministry
Knows Call
Knows Gifts
Knows Talents
Responsible
Interdependent
Special training
Giving attitude
Signs of Growth-Equipped
Truth-Convictions about doctrines, skills
on how to implement in ministry.Example,
knowledge of Word with ways to minister
in cell or in counselling.
Fruit-High levels of relational skills with
T/F balance in supervision.
Gifts-Understanding of how to integrate
Gifts, Talents, Skills in specific call.
Family Growth-Equipper of
Ministers
Mature-Truth, Fruit,
Gifts
Father/Mother,
Reproducers
Supervises/Manages,
Motivates others
Accountable
Multiplies self
Signs of Growth-Equipper
Truth-In depth knowledge of doctrines
and how to teach in practical life.
Fruit-High level ability to support,manage,
motivate, supervise, deal with sin, restore
and do confrontation.
Gifts-Well honed, flows with skills, truth,
fruit, talents and Holy Spirit.
Equipper of Equippers
Equal of equals
High levels of T/F/G
Cross cultural
Sought as leader
Meek
Semnotes
Facilitator of Ministries
Overseer of Leaders
Barnabas Mentor
Grandparent
Multiplies self and others
Selects successors
Going into the World
Must be Equipper or Facilitator
Specialist in cross cultural issues
Specialist in church planting
Resilient
Five Disciplines
Systemic Thinking-Multiple Connections,
Interactive Relationships
Personal Mastery of talents, skills,
emotions, gifts and fruit of the Spirit
Team Building and Learning
Vision casting and leadership
Realistic Mental Models
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Bibliography
Bergin and Lambert, Outcomes in
Psychotherapy
Daniel Goleman-Emotional Intelligence
Bantam Books & Primal Leadership,
Harvard Business
Thomas Gordon, Leader Effectiveness
Training, Berkley Publishing
Hubble, M.A., Duncan, B.L., and Miller,
S.D. Out of Babel, New York, 1997,
Norton Press
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Bibliography
David Kolb, Experiential Learning, Prentice Hall,
1984
Donald Richardson, Family Ties That Bind, Self
Counsel Press
Gary Sweeten-Listening for Heaven’s Sake &
Apples of Gold II, Hope & Change for Humpty
Dumpty, www.authorhousecom,
www.talkingcure.com (Outcome research on
counseling and change)
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New Ideas About Change
Group Change www.positiveworkplace.com
Mastering Change: A Core Competency for
Employees, Prochaska, Janice, Pro-Change
Behavior systems, P.O. Box 755
W. Kingston, R.I. 02892
Change for Good, Prochaska, Norcross and
Di Clemente, Harper Collins
Hope and Change for Humpty Dumpty,
Sweeten & Griebling,
4/13/2015
Change for www.authorhouse.com
Good
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