10 years before he turned to the Lutheran tradition of his grandpar- ents. His yearning for God led him to Pea ce two years ago, and he soon felt at home.
Sharing faith stories and pray- ing with several men in the relaxed atmosphere of a home on Wednes- day afternoons is a “wonderful experience,” he said. A 90-minute session often extends to two hours. Because of small groups, a
PAUL SIMPSON
Eric Schmitz (left), Keith Hammon and David Poole participate in a dis- cipleship group at Peace Lutheran Church, Charlot- tesville, Va. Poole (inset) says participation in the group has “lit a spark and fanned a blaze” in his faith life. Jennie Carter, the congregation’s children youth and family leader, says dis- cipleship at Peace is more than a program—it has become a way of life: “loving God first and then loving neighbors.”
While these members participate in worship but not in small groups, Herman said that “doesn’t in any way mean they aren’t living as disciples of Jesus in their daily lives.”
An end to wandering Tom Czelusta, a semiretired lawyer and former Roman Catholic, said he wandered in a spiritual desert for
variety of ministries “bubble up from the congregation,” Czelusta said. Mission teams have taken medical supplies to Honduras and have worked on home repairs in a poverty-stricken community in southwest Virginia, as well as in Charlottesville. Nancy Schmitz, a family prac- tice doctor, said discipleship has led members to become more focused on service in the commu- nity, the state and world. She said the Spirit “moves us along.” In Charlottesville, Peace mem-
bers work with programs for feeding and housing homeless women and for social justice. These programs “move us out of the building into the community,” Schmitz said.
Poole said discipleship opened doors “to all kinds of new things in my life.” When the excitement spilled out beyond his church
family, Poole joined four medical mission trips to Hon- duras and made two trips with a local charitable organi- zation to help with a Mississippi construction project. He recently spent two weeks in Cambodia learning and supporting efforts to provide safe housing, schooling and job training for survivors of land mine explosions. “[My first discipleship group] lit a spark and fanned a blaze that has launched me on the most exciting journey of spiritual growth and service that I can imag- ine,” Poole said. “All I know is that God has some plan for me and I’m excited to just get on board and go along for the ride.”
For more information or resources, contact Herman at
dmatterscon@gmail.com (Discipleship Matters Consulting). Poole can be reached at
davidepoole@embarqmail.com.
Download a study guide for this article (free to print/Web members) at www.
thelutheran.org (click on “Study guides”).
June 2012 35
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 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52