| Web
Resource |
Have you
seen District SDMI website recently? It is morphing, particularly
as we receiving feedback from you. You can see the new site here.
Check it out! |
| Upcoming
Events |
|
DISTRICT TOUR
Partnership in Discipleship;
Following Jesus Together
February 25, 2008
Salt Lake First Church of the
Nazarene
February 26, 2008
Twin Falls Church
of the Nazarene
February 28, 2008
Nampa First Church
of the Nazarene
February 29, 2008
Baker City Church
of the Nazarene
SDMI Luncheon
May 15, 2008
Meridian Valley Shepherd Church
of the Nazarene
Discipleship Summit
June 7, 2008
Nampa College Church of the Nazarene
|
| Following |
"When
Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, 'What are you
looking for?' They said to him, 'Rabbi, where are you staying?' He said
to them, 'Come and see.'"
John 1:38-39
|
|
|
NEW TERRITORY
|
We're venturing into new
territory as the District Sunday School & Discipleship Ministries
International (SDMI) team. When we asked participants at last
spring's Sunday School luncheon how we might be able to help, we
noticed a consistent trend of requesting online resources. To
meet this need, we will be sending e-mails like this one, and have
begun updating the SDMI section of the Intermountain District
website.
Your
feedback will be very much appreciated as we move forward in
this. What do you see that is most helpful? What else may
be of benefit? Please send comments about these online resources
to Debi. You can also contact me by e-mail or by
phone (541-889-2155).
Thank you
for partnering with us in this as we partner with you!
In His
Service and Under His Mercy,
Pastor Tim
Brewer
District SDMI Team Leader
|
Following
Jesus Together
|
"As
iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
(Proverbs 27:17)
We are
created for community. Other people enrich our lives in
part because they are enjoyable, but particularly because God can
transform us through them. That is the really at the heart of
discipleship -- journeying together in faith to allow God to do a
deeper work in our lives.
The
Intermountain District is a great group of churches. It is a joy
to spend time together, and a privilege to learn from each
other. Unfortunately, simple geographical factors keep
many from participating in District-wide events. To
maximize the number of people who can attend, the 2008 discipleship
training event will be held in four different churches across our
district -- Salt Lake City First, Twin Falls, Nampa First, and Baker
City.
If you have
any kind of role in discipling others -- such as a parent, a Sunday
School teacher, a small group leader, or "simply" as an intentional
Christian friend -- please come! The cost of the evening is
only $10; the impact will be eternal!
Information
was recently mailed to Sunday School Superintendents, Youth Leaders,
and Pastors throughout the District. Access is available through
these links for additional brochures and posters, or through the SDMI website.
|
This block left blank Intentionally :)
|
|
| A
Spiritual Formation Moment |
 "Intentionality is Aboutness"
One of the buzz-words in the church today is
intentionality. It has
become so because for far too long the Church has not been intentional
about making disciples. American evangelism seems to have convinced the
church that if we simply win people to Christ and get them to attend
church regularly, discipleship will happen naturally. A failed plan. As
a result our pews are filled with converts who have little to no idea
of what it means to be a disciple and even less about how to make one!
But what is intentionality?
"Intentionality is aboutness." According to John Haugeland in the
Oxford University Press 1987, "The term was coined by the Scholastics
in the Middle Ages, and derives from the Latin verb
intendo, meaning to point (at) or aim (at) or extend
(toward). Phenomena with intentionality point outside themselves, in
effect, to something else: whatever they are of or about."
What a great definition for intentional discipleship! Being intentional
means that I am all about pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. My life becomes a compass by which others
may be directed to the Savior. I am reminded of the
Apostle Paul who said to the Corinthian believers, "follow my example even as I follow the
example of Christ." (ICor. 11:1) Being intentional means
that I lean in the direction of Christ with every fiber of my being. It
means that I am oriented in his direction. The tide of my life flows
toward Him. My prayer is that everyone in my gereral vicinity
will be caught up in that same flow! What are you about?
Pastor Ben Turner
DEVOTIONAL QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES:
What would it take for you to develop a
fresh sense of "aboutness" in your life?
Have coffee with a trusted friend this week
and ask them what they think you are
about.
What attitude or action could you develop this
week that would make you more
intentional as a disciple maker?
What part of your walk with Christ would
others do well to imitate? Why?
Work on a personal statement of what it means
for you to be a disciple who makes
disciples.
|
|
