"Grow others to do what you are doing"
Focus on discipleship grows Christians into God, out into the world

By Robert W. Fisher

When a European oil company first erected drilling platforms in the North Sea, workers were instructed never to jump off of the platform, even to escape a fire. Impact with the water's surface would bring certain death, it was thought.

When a serious fire struck one of the platforms, only six workers jumped into the frigid water - and they were the only survivors. Asked why they jumped despite clear policy to the contrary, the workers all said: "Because the platform was on fire."

Michael Foss

"The ELCA and denominations like us are platforms on fire," author and pastor Michael Foss told Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod leaders during a discipleship workshop held at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia June 12.

"The reality is that we live in a post-denominational age," said Foss, pastor of the 10,000-plus member Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, MN and author of "Power Surge" and "Real Faith for Real Life." As evidence he ticked off a series of troubling statistics:

• 90 percent of ELCA congregations are not growing in worship attendance.
• The average age of the ELCA is 60, younger than Presbyterians and Methodists but far older than the population at large.
• A more than 100,000 child drop in Sunday School attendance in the last decade - "and they didn't go by themselves," Foss noted.

The flames are licking at churches across the Christian spectrum, affecting evangelicals and Catholics as well as mainline denominations, he said.

Responding to these discouraging trends is "our spiritual opportunity," Foss told about 60 pastors and lay leaders gathered for his presentation, sponsored by the Synod's Evangelism Team. Just as St. Paul and his companions allowed their frustration at being prevented from entering Bythinia to open them to the possibility of ministry in Macedonia (Acts 16:6-10), Lutherans can seize this opportunity if they are willing to shift the focus of congregations from membership to discipleship and change their view of ministry from doing to calling and commissioning the baptized, Foss said.

"Membership in our culture has to do with privilege and self interest," Foss said. "It's all about what I get, and nothing to do with my responsibility."

Discipleship, on the other hand, "is about growing deeper with God so God can grow us out into the world," he said.

Prince of Peace has experienced significant spiritual as well as numeric growth by focusing on rooting leaders and disciples in six practices Foss calls "marks of discipleship":

• Pray daily
• Worship weekly
• Read the Bible daily
• Serve within and beyond the congregation
• Relate to others for spiritual growth (small groups) and
• Give a tithe or beyond

(The acronym for these marks, PoWeR SuRGe, is the title of Foss' popular book on turning members into passionate disciples.)

The first step in transforming a congregation, Foss said, is for leaders to embrace these practices as their own. "Leaders need to believe it and be willing to do it, not just approve it," he said.

As these practices waterfall out through board members, staff and volunteer leaders, people are empowered in their ministries and develop greater ownership in the church, he said.

"All leadership in the 21st Century is contextual," Foss said, urging congregations to look to their community, rather than books and programs, for ideas to expand their ministries.

Congregations can grow as leadership is multiplied. Pastors need to stop thinking of finding individuals to take on tasks and instead grow leaders who can in turn equip and turn loose new leaders, according to Foss.

"Grow others to do what you are doing" so that they can experience the joy of having meaningful work to do in the kingdom, he said.

"Who owns the ministry?" Foss asked. "If God doesn't own it, then it's a club and not a church. But if God owns it, God wants to turn you loose as the eternal investment he has made in you, and you'll experience joy."

"Pastors, I don't want to do ministry any other way," Foss said. "I don't want to be alone any more. I don't want to carry it by myself any more - and you don't have to."

Pastors and lay leaders need to continually work themselves out of jobs, giving away the roles they keep to themselves so others can grow as disciples and workers in God's kingdom, Foss said.

"Give (ministry) away - and watch God grow the church deep and then wide."