January 2011 Growing Disciples


Happy New Year! My prayer for us all in 2011 is that it will be a year where we all grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. Our theme for 2011 is going to be ‘Growing Disciples’ with a particular emphasis on personal growth as followers of Jesus Christ.


The Vine and the Branches


Jesus gave us the picture of his followers being branches who are connected to him as the vine. Our morning series of talks in January will focus on Jesus’ teaching to his disciples about what it means to follow him in a world that doesn’t always welcome either Him or his followers. John 15 and 16 contain some great teaching on staying close to Jesus, the work of the Holy Spirit, prayer in Jesus name, authentic love and joy and standing firm when opposition and difficulty comes because Jesus has overcome the world.


Mentors


Just as the disciples benefitted from having Jesus teach them and the young Timothy was


mentored by Paul, so we can encourage others to f o l l ow J e s u s b y deliberately spending time with them to help them grow in their faith. My own story was one of being mentored through Christian youth camps where older leaders took a deliberate interest in my spiritual development. I have be en real ly encouraged to see this happening informally within our congregation. Rob and Sally Shaw have been a great example here by befriending and encouraging some of our twenties and thirties through hospitality and one to one teaching of the faith.


Disciples who grow disciples


I would love to see this kind of approach become more deliberate in our fellowship and it is my hope to establish and train a small but growing group of mentors from St George’s who will all be encouraged to take on this kind of one to one work in the congregation. Of course the aim will be that those who are being mentored will in turn themselves become those who want to help others grow as disciples of Jesus.


Growing Disciples


Growing disciples is about personal growth in Christ. It is also about growing the whole body of Christ as we grow together in maturity, up and into


y u ae t e ba c e. I


Christ as our head. This happens most effectively when others help us along the way and then those who have been discipled become disciple- makers themselves. The key to all of this is that we remain connected to Jesus and therefore I would like to offer John 15:5 as our verse for this year: ‘ o


I a n


rm m o a nt i g’


er mc ohn.


h r h


f a mn rmi s i ad I i ba fo


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a e an n m n hm e wl uh fut pr e y u cn d


The St George’s Prayer for 2011.


Heavenly Father,


We humbly ask that in 2011 we will grow as disciples of Jesus.


Please help us


To remain close to him and his word; To grow in his love


And to pray in his name with faith.


Strengthen us to stand firm in difficult times


And to be open to the leading and guiding of your Spirit.


May we be led into the truth and fill us with your joy and peace at all times.


Keep our minds set on our connection to Jesus the vine so that we bear fruit for his glory.


In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord


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