Our discipleship strategy is built on the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20), in which the sower sowed seed and it fell on four different soils: Roadside, Stony (rocky) ground, among Thorns and Good soil.
Matthew 13:23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
The difference between the roadside and good soil is: “understanding”. As such, the outworking of our vision emphasizes teaching and understanding the Word at every stage of the process. The Word transforms us on the one hand, and as a seed that it is, it will in time produce fruit in us effortlessly, on the other!
As Jesus emphasized in this parable the importance of the principle of farming, we believe the Lord has also provided the necessary “tools” to make this happen: The tools are the Five-fold ministry gifts.
Ephesians 4:11-16 And truly He (Christ) gave some to be apostles, and some to be prophets, and some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, (12) for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. (13) And this until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; …
The gifts (fivefold ministry) chosen by Christ are empowered to administer the Word to the church and bring the church to maturity in accordance with Ephesians 4:12-16. The five-fold ministry gifts (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers) are the “tools” that Jesus equipped and assigned to bring fruitfulness in all believers, the church (body of Christ).
The working of the Five-Fold ministry and Holy Spirit should therefore be targeted and specific, NOT random, just as God is always purposeful in His dealings.
