Greenbrier Church » discipleship

Secrets to Success!

Pastor Curtis — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 03:59:36 +0000

Titus Coan, one of the first missionaries to Hawaii, landed there in 1835. His success makes me motivated! He came to pastor a church with 23 members and he didn’t know a word of their language. Love for them spurred him on to learn. His secrets were prayer and loving people!

There were around 16,000 Hawaiians living within a distance from him of 100 miles, and he determined to tell every single one the gospel. After one year he made a 30-day tour on foot and preached 3, 4, or 5 times a day wherever he went! His heart was bursting with love for these people and unceasing prayer for revival.

Soon the natives were in tears and following him from town to town. Coan’s method was not only prayer, but a thorough follow-up system. He wrote the names of everyone he met in his notebook, and on all his subsequent tours he would call the roll at each place. If someone didn’t answer, he asked why. If dead, he marked the date. If sick, he visited them and prayed. If backslidden, he sent for or visited them. He kept notes on each person. This is God’s kind of love!

In 1838 he took in 639 new church members! In 1839 he admitted 5,244! Of course it was a remarkable work of the Holy Spirit, but what if you and I took such zealous, loving care of checking on previous disciples and their generations? I could have been keeping a follow-up notebook like Titus Coan, but I haven’t. Let’s do it, with earnest love and prayers for the Harvest!

(excerpt from Anne Ortlund’s Discipleship Tip of the Week – February 9, 2009)

Communicating with Each Other Effectively

Pastor Curtis — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:49:28 +0000

I really enjoyed reading this week’s Discipleship Tip of the Week from Anne Ortlund (see below). Imagine if we could master these 13 ways to communicate to one another. Our Small Groups @ Greenbrier would be even more incredible than they are now.

May the joy of the Lord be yours this week!

Pastor Curtis

(excerpt from Anne Ortlund’s Discipleship Tip of the Week)

Has your group studied the ways the New Testament tells us to communicate with each other as believers? When you take out the repetitions there are 13:

1. Suffering together: 1 Cor. 12:26
2. Rejoicing together: Rom. 12:15
3. Carrying each other’s burdens: Gal. 6:2
4. Restoring each other: Gal. 6:1
5. Praying for one another: Rom. 15:30
6. Teaching and admonishing each other: Col. 3:16
7. Refreshing one another: Rom. 15:32
8. Encouraging each other: Rom. 1:12
9. Forgiving one another: Eph. 4:32
10. Confessing to one another: James 5:16
11. Being truthful with one another: Eph. 4:25
12. Spurring one another toward good deeds: Heb. 10:24
13. Giving to one another: Phil. 4:14,15.

At the bottom of my copy of this list I have written, “Have I placed myself so deeply within a loving, functioning local body that I myself am functioning in all these ways and so living as a well-rounded, healthy, contributing member of the Body of Christ?”

In your small group you may want to write this list of thirteen down the left side of a page, with the names of your group members across the top, and check with a date when you communicate each of these ways with each member. In the time you have together as a group, see how many boxes you can fill! That will be “placing yourself deeply” in your group.

The Importance of Words

Pastor Curtis — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 03:32:40 +0000

How important your words are, as you lead your small groups!
Your disciples — and people everywhere — are in need of Christians’ words.
“Teach and admonish one another with all wisdom” (Col. 3:16).
“Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” (Ps. 107:2 KJV).
“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up” (Pr. 12:25).
“Encourage each other with words” (1 Th. 4:18).

A good “rule of thumb” is, when you have something negative to say, say it face to face, so the other can catch your kind tone of voice and feel your touch. When you have something positive to say, say it, of course — but better, write it! When you leave this earth, make it your goal to leave behind hundreds of tender little notes, loving words, commendations. Leave a paper trail behind you, for people to remember you by!

“Encourage the timid” (1 Th. 5:14), “gently instruct” (2 Ti. 2:25), commend your spiritual leaders (Heb. 13:17)…. Let the words flow.

(excerpt from Renewal Ministries’ Discipleship Tip September 2008)