The most important thing that we believe at Victory Aiea is the gospel, the most important thing we do is make disciples. The church today has many definitions regarding discipleship. Some see discipleship as fellowship with other christians, or programs to help christians grow in knowledge. While all of these are great things and important to spiritual development, we see discipleship a little different in that the starting point is not making better christians. We see the starting point as pointing those who dont know Jesus to a relationship with Him.
We make disciples by walking through and helping others walk through a 3 step process continually trusting the Gospel to work in a process of justification and sanctification.
1. The Gospel
The gospel is the 1st step in our journey as believers. The gospel is the good news of the historical truth recounting Jesus’ miraculous birth, sinless life, humiliating death, and triumphal resurrection. (Romans 1:16) Jesus is the initiator in our journey as believers. Before the gospel saves us, the bible describes us as dead. As we hope to grow as believers we must first become believers, and this only happens as the gospel is proclaimed. Gospel proclamation is not limited to the preacher on Sunday. The gospel should be proclaimed by every believer in all places on all occasions.
HOW DOES VICTORY AIEA PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL?
-From the pulpit. Each Sunday we gather and the gospel is proclaimed.
-Believers are called to proclaim the gospel. While every believer might not get to preach a sermon every believer has friends, family, coworkers that we see every day. Our hope is that the good news of the gospel might be so good that we can not keep it to our selves. The reality of sin is one that no one is exempt from. As sin affects the lives of those around us our hope is that believers might respond by presenting the only solution to sin. Jesus.
2. Discipleship
Discipleship is the 2nd step in our journey as believers. Discipleship is the process of christians pointing others to Jesus. Jesus makes clear that the church belongs to him and He will grow it. (Matthew 16:18) Our role is to make disciples. (Matthew 28:19) As believers we become disciples and are called to make disciples. Our relationships within the church with other believers is where this discipleship happens. We should engage relationships with less mature believers encouraging them and helping them to grow in their faith, we should also engage more mature believers in humility learning from them as we continue to grow in Christ.
HOW DO WE MAKE DISCIPLES?
-Small groups. Small groups enable believers to engage discipleship relationships. Small groups are a basic structured designed to help these relationship form. As these relationships form our hope is that believers might pray together, fellowship with one another, encourage one another, and ultimately point each other to Jesus on a daily basis.
-Discipleship is not limited to small groups. Many times discipleship happens one on on or as believers simply hang out together.
3. Mission
World mission is the 3rd step in our journey as believers. Our response to the gospel and a relationship with Jesus should be a desire to fulfill His mission. (Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19) Beyond our own lives and churches the proclamation of the gospel and the making of disciples is a global task.
Cultures, times, and location will dictate methods to see these steps executed and should be determined by each local congregation’s eldership.