The Jesus Way A Model for Discipleship

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The Jesus WayA Model for Discipleship

• "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and
  on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all
  the nations, baptizing them in the name of the
  Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
  teaching them to observe all things that I have
  commanded you and lo, I am with you always, even
  to the end of the age." (Matthew 2818-20)

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Is JWAY Necessary?

• Add info on sin/bondage
• One half of one percent of the world population
  is fulfilling the Great Commission. Lois LeBar,
  Education that is Christian, 27.
• There are more churches on birth control than
  people C. Peter Wagner
• A church older than 10 years takes 89 attendees
  to reach one person for Christ.A church that is
  3 to 10 years old takes 7 attendees to reach one
  person for Christ.A church that is 0 to 3 years
  old takes 3 attendees to reach one person for
  Christ. Bill Hull, Revival that Reforms, 41.
• Approximately 3,750 churches close each year in
  the USA, which is 72 per week Michael D. Noel,
  Church Planting Voices, 16.
• Only 50 of the cities in America have enough
  church buildings to contain the harvest that
  would be brought in by an awakening that so many
  are praying for. (This is based on every existing
  church building being filled to capacity for two
  services.) Dave Olsen, The American Church
• Last year, there was a 15 percent decrease in
  church attendance. The American Church needs
  about 3,000 additional new churches planted each
  year in order to keep up with population growth.
  Dave Olsen, The American Church.
• Established churches grew by 0.0 in the decade.
  Church plants added 7.8. However, population
  growth was 12.2. Therefore, Established churches
  within the whole Christian church are declining.
  Dave Olsen, The American Church.

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WHY JWAY?

• For nearly ten years, we have witnessed the
  powerful transformation that occurs from the
  simple principles that Jesus modeled with his
  disciples while he was on earth. The countless
  comments on the fruit that others have seen in
  the lives of our interns prompted us to extend
  the principles to the broader context of a local
  church. Now, we are experiencing the same
  dramatic fruit of changed lives in the broader
  context of the Crossing, our local church. We
  have named this biblical system of discipleship
  the Jesus Way, or JWay Discipleship Method.
  Though this method is clearly outlined in
  Scripture and accessible to the entire Body of
  Christ, few experience the bounty of its
  presence. We have a passion to see the entire
  Body of Christ experience the joy, power, and
  fruitfulness of this kingdom reality.
• Just before Jesus ascended to take His place at
  the Father's right hand, He left the Church with
  a mandate that we know as The Great Commission
  (Matthew 2818-20) Then Jesus came to them and
  said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has
  been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples
  of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
  Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
  teaching them to obey everything I have commanded
  you. And surely I am with you always, to the very
  end of the age. We have been commissioned by
  our Lord to win the lost and to make disciples.
  How do we accomplish this task? Jesus showed us
  the way. He selected twelve men and he trained
  and mentored them to continue His mission when he
  was gone. Following the pattern established by
  Jesus, the apostle Paul became a spiritual father
  to a number of young men (Timothy) who emerged
  as leaders of the New Testament Church. We call
  this discipleship the Jesus Way. This is not
  just another new church growth strategy. It's a
  biblical lifestyle which focuses on developing
  fathering and mothering relationships which
  equip every believer to become a fruitful leader
  who can disciple others. It is perpetual
  leadership development.

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What are the Benefits of JWAY?

• Intimacy Nurtures submission, loyalty, and
  unity by presenting a healthy perspective on
  authority
• Love and Power Draws unchurched people into
  community
• Equality and Diversity of Function Facilitates
  deliverance and healing Provides a platform for
  men, women, and youth to be activated in their
  gifts
• Inheritance Facilitates discipleshipServes as
  a Reality Check for Fruitfulness
• Multiplication Serves as a Container for the
  Harvest Provides a rite of passage for leaders
  to be raised up

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Counter-Culture Goals

• Respond in faith for revival and harvest by
  preparing a suitable discipleship net (Jn
  435-38)
• To faithfully steward souls through this net of
  equipping (healing) and discipleship (Mt
  2818-20)
• Encourage more widespread participation in
  ministry and leadership (I Tim 31, II Tim
  215,Jms 214-22)(building ship at sea)
• Cultivate unity, each member of Body operating in
  his or her own gifting and calling (Eph 411-16,
  I Tim 413-16)
• Facilitate evangelism and a kingdom culture (Mt
  69-13, Mk 115)

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The Discipleship Process

• Isaiah 61 presents a tremendous discipleship
  process restoration, relationship, and
  reproduction.
• RESTORATION New believers are added to
  the church through personal evangelism, JWay
  groups, Encounter weekends, and church services.
  There is a genuine hunger for deliverance and
  healing.
• CONSOLIDATION New believers and new members are
  both connected to the church through the
  consolidation process. Members of the
  consolidation team are assigned to new believers
  or new members who help them enroll in a weekly
  JWAY group and register them to attend one of our
  quarterly Encounter Retreats. Following the
  retreat, they are encouraged to attend a ten-week
  new believers' class we call the Post-Encounter.
• RELATIONSHIP Upon completion of the
  consolidation process, the new disciple enrolls
  in the School of Leaders, which consists of three
  trimesters of leadership development. At the
  close of the second trimester, students open
  their own evangelistic JWAYs.
• REPRODUCTION As the disciple progresses through
  each level of the School of Leaders, he or she
  has certain goals of fruitfulness to put into
  action what has been learned about making
  disciples. Growth in leadership is evidenced by
  bringing others through the discipleship process
  and developing more leaders. begins his own JWAY
  and begins the process of developing new
  believers, taking them through each step of the
  discipleship process.

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The JWAY Vision

• A vision to foster organic, Christ-centered
  community where people may experience genuine
  restoration and relationship with God and others
  in order to become active disciples who out of
  intimacy with God, express their own unique
  design and reproduce disciples who will
  demonstrate the Kingdom of God on earth.

Simply put To fulfill the Great Commission
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Elements of Vision

• JWAY Group- meeting weekly in two groups one to
  be discipled and one to disciple
• Weekly Celebration- weekly corporate gatherings
  of Spirit-led worship, preaching and personal
  ministry
• Encounter- a weekend retreat during the beginning
  of involvement for repentance, healing, and
  empowerment
• Leadership Development- a four-phase training
  process preparing the believer to be a leader
  through truth and the power of the Holy Spirit

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The J Way Group

• The JWay group is a small relational weekly
  gathering that incorporates the dynamics of Acts
  242 breaking of bread, fellowship, apostles
  doctrine (weekly lesson), and prayer. It is a
  critical time to encourage one another in life
  and Kingdom service and foster growth. Men and
  women are separated to more effectively
  facilitate growth and participation.

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The Encounter

• The encounter is an intense experience with
  the truth and power of God where one receives
  understanding of sin and the Cross, deliverance
  from addiction and bondages, forgiveness and
  healing in areas of hurt and pain, baptism in the
  Holy spirit, and vision for discipleship and the
  harvest.Encounters transform lives no matter how
  long a person has been a Christian. Freedom, joy,
  and vision are evident fruits of the weekend that
  serve as the impetus of commitment to the rigor
  of leadership development.

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Post Encounter

• Post Encounter facilitates consolidation to
  process the Encounter Experience and secure the
  dramatic lifestyle change. The ten-week course
  covers themes including the Exchanged Life,
  Lordship of Jesus, Abiding in Christ, Living in
  the Word, Faith and Obedience, Water Baptism,
  Prayer, Friendship with God, Walking in the
  Spirits Power, and Sharing Jesus with Others.
  Classes include prayer, discussion, teaching,
  ministry and impartation.

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School of Leaders 1

• This first level of leadership development
  involves building a Christian worldview in the
  disciple of Jesus. This phase uses Truth Project,
  a video series which nurtures the ability to look
  at life from a biblical perspective. The journey
  challenges all aspects of life from philosophy
  and science to labor and government with the
  great truths of Scripture. As with the other
  phases, truth is accompanied with Holy Spirit
  power through vision casting, prayer, and
  impartation.

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School of Leaders 2

• This second phase focuses on the making of a
  fruitful leader. The disciple is challenged to be
  a vendor of vision and call others to a life of
  faith, love, joy, and fruitfulness. Special
  emphasis is given to understanding community and
  the role of the leader in cultivating it through
  relationship building, discipleship, and vision.

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School of Leaders 3

• This final phase of leadership development
  prepares the disciple to minister in the power of
  the Holy Spirit by nurturing essential skill sets
  and ministry giftings. Themes include effective
  pastoring, healing and deliverance, biblical
  counseling, consolidation, teaching, gifts of the
  Spirit, and world evangelism.

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The JWAY Process
Pray for 3 new people
Start a new JWAY group with 3 people
Establish 3 new person in JWAY
Establish 1 new person in JWAY
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Launching Process
Model a Tender, Teachable Heart
Establish Sense of Urgency for Change
Pray and Fast for Encounter
Testify of Your Personal Transformation
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Frequently Asked Questions

• Why was the Crossing established? It was launched
  by Shawn Foster and the YouthStorm team in hope
  that a broader expression could experience the
  joys of, community, purpose and power. The vision
  has been made clear from the beginning to foster
  organic, Christ-centered community where people
  may experience genuine restoration and
  relationship with God and others in order to
  become active disciples who, out of intimacy with
  God, express their unique design and reproduce
  other disciples who will demonstrate the Kingdom
  of God on earth.
• Is this a hierarchical/pyramidal structure of
  leadership? No, its an upside down pyramid those
  with the greatest capacity to lead/serve, carry
  the most responsibility. Authority and decision
  making correlate to the degree of commitment,
  faithfulness, and fruitfulness.
• Does this strategy involve leadership by one man
  or an entire leadership team? Every believer is a
  leader. The Crossing is led by a leadership team
  who shares the responsibility to equip and
  empower other leaders. Mt 2818-,
• How will leaders be chosen in the future? Through
  the same biblical process of relationship,
  testing and faithfulness. Leaders will
  demonstrate a willingness to participate in the
  process and bear fruit!
• Isnt Jesus our only authority? Why does this
  structure incorporate submission and learning
  through humans? The Bible is very clear Jesus
  establishes his authority and government through
  humans. From the days he walked on earth to the
  days that will come after his return, Jesus has
  chosen to partner with humans in governing His
  kingdom and accomplishing His purposes. Even in
  the New Testament, where all are called to be
  priests and kings, God demonstrates a consistent
  and indisputable structure of authority and
  government through humans so that His people may
  be equipped and activated to fulfill His
  purposes. (Eph 4, Rom 13, I Pet 5, Heb 1317)
• With such structure, does this new approach
  facilitate being led by the Spirit? Structure is
  a very important part of the Kingdom. It
  facilitates greater spontaneity. It enables all,
  not just the articulate and gifted, to grow
  progressively into a place of leadership by the
  Spirit and fruitfulness. Structure is our means
  for growth, our container for stewardship, and
  our tutor training us for the spontaneity of
  sonship.
• Why separate men and women, husbands and wives?
  Grouping people this way facilitates more
  effective and focused ministry. It is more
  compatible with Scriptural protocol on older
  believers mentoring younger ones of the same
  gender. It also strengthens marriages by
  developing each spouse so that the couple will be
  stronger together.
• Why do groups have to use the same lessons each
  week? Using the same lessons facilitates unity
  within the movement and ensures a balanced diet
  of teaching. Members are able to grow together
  through sharing similar truth and experience.
  Since JWay becomes the vehicle for feeding the
  flock, Sunday celebration services may be
  reserved for vision casting, encouragement, and
  prophetic exhortation.