True Fellowship in Discipleship (1)

On 8 November, Ps Joshua and C-mo shared some tips for discipleship at the Cell Leader Ordination Briefing.

C-mo said, “When we transplant a plant to another by the method of grafting, we must first remove the epidermis of the two plants and wrap them up, then wait for them to grow slowly. The graft is successful if the plants join deeply inside, past the epidermis. Likewise, discipleship must touch the Being of life. Whether you disciple cell members or are discipled by your cell leader, the true Beings must connect. Our true Being must be joined deeply with those who disciple us, and with those who connect with us.

If a cell leader who sees discipleship as a ministry by always Doing disciples a cell member who also focuses on ministry (Doing), it will be like two plants only touching epidermises. Even after a whole year, the cell member may never grow up. When a cell leader is willing to open to a cell member (and the cell member does likewise) then connection is deep and true. However, if a cell leader is not able to accept the Being of a cell member and goes straight to pruning the cell member (by chiselling and sculpting), the cell member may leave, unwilling to put up with the pruning.

Cell leaders must first open themselves up, to let cell members know about their low points of lives. He does not need to be fearful of cell members despising how low he was. Instead, the more his true Being is open to his cell members, the more those cell members will feel understood and recognized, and the more they will feel secure and eager to approach him. They will respect him, and themselves open up. This is “True Fellowship.”•[2020.11.29]