community. We have learned that small groups and serving opportunities are great avenues for community development. We offer many different types of small groups. Most of the groups meet in homes and restaurants across the city. If this plan does not work for a group, we offer them a place at the church to meet on Monday evenings and include child care. This option is very popular, and all of our rooms are filled with people who want to take their next step in discipleship. Each group leader works with our director of small groups (i.e., Sunday school superintendent) to determine what material should be taught in the group. Each group is encouraged to use the same small-group material during the fall semester. This material is typically devel- oped by one of our pastors. Speaking of semesters, our small groups and our Wednesday worship experiences occur on a semester basis. For example, our fall semester runs from August 15 through November 15, and our spring semester runs from January 15 through May 15. We break for the holi- days and use the summer to develop lead- ers and encourage relationships. The discipleship strategy at Stevens Creek focuses on this question: What is my next step? Once that is determined, we encourage people to step out in faith.


Do you feel that the change in language on an institutional and con- gregational level from Christian edu- cation is positive, negative, or neutral (and why)?


Language is very important. As spiri- tual leaders, we must speak in a way that people can understand us. The words we use have the power to bless and the power to curse. We must use life-giving words as we lead people in the footsteps of Christ. In the past we have had the tendency to overcommunicate. We have used words we have heard others use that sounded spiritual, but in actuality they did not communicate the heart of Christ to the people in the pews.


We will fall into irrelevancy if we use insider language with outsiders. Non-


new generation, we will miss a ministry opportunity.


“The discipleship strategy at Stevens Creek focuses on this question: What is my next step? Once that is determined, we encourage people to step out in faith.” — Marty Baker


churched people come into our sanctuar- ies needing hope. They don’t need the Greek definition of “life-saver.” They just need one. Too many times in our past, we have tried to use words to impress people instead of leading people to new life. It is our job as leaders to make the message of Christ attractive (Titus 2:10). To do this, we must watch our language. Do we relate to the people in our pews? I am not saying that we need to “dumb down” our conversation, but we need to simplify the approach. Too many times people make the gospel complicated. If leaders will work to communicate the message in a way people understand it, they will see more people respond and thus the church will grow.


As a movement, we need to stay cur- rent in the way we communicate, but we do not need to be trendy or so edgy that our communication styles alienate people. There is a fine line to this pro- cess, but if you will work to be authentic, you will reach a broader audience. As a denomination, we must do the same. If our language fails to connect with this


Where do you expect to see dis- cipleship going in the next 10 years— within the Church of God? Within the Pentecostal Movement at large? Where do you hope to see it go? The Pentecostal Movement has a great opportunity to shape this new generation. Our worship style and theology is interac- tive. People want to be involved in what God is doing. So it will be important for us to hold onto the “wine of the Spirit” but be willing to change out the “wineskin.” I am speaking about our movement, but also about my congregation. We have fallen into the trap of experience over sub- stance at times. We realize this and we have implemented a new focus of reading the Bible together as a congregation. In Janu- ary 2010, we asked everyone to commit to reading the One Year Bible together. The sermons in our Wednesday worship servic- es feature the reading of the day. So, every week people are encouraged to read God’s Word. We encourage people to use the One Year Bible plan at www.youversion.com. This plan provides you with the option to have followers which, in turn, provides a system of accountability. When I get busy and fail to read the Bible, my friends know it. I am accountable to them.


In the coming years, I want to see the Pentecostal Movement become students of God’s Word. I love the spiritual and emotional experiences that our Pentecos- tal theology encourages, but these experi- ences must be rooted and grounded in the Word of God.


Marty Baker is the founder and lead pastor of Stevens Creek Community Church, Augus- ta, Georgia. Under his leadership, the church has grown from a small-group meeting in a home in 1987 to a congregation exceeding 1,600 in attendance.


This article appeared in the fall issue of Youth and Christian Education Leadership magazine. Learn more about this publication by visiting www.pathwaypress.org/leadership.


EVANGEL | November 2010 21


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32