2014 Thriving Frequency Conference | Mission to the City and Discipling in the City

 

2014 Thriving Frequency Conference with Eric Mason, D.A. Horton, Jerome Gay and more at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA from October 17-18

Last year, some folks from Emmaus City had the privilege to spend a weekend in Philadelphia at the 2013 Thriving Summit, hosted by Epiphany Fellowship. This year was just as powerful and they added in some breakout sessions as well. And Thee Apprentice, a spoken word poet, was the MC, and Doxa, Epiphany's worship in song band, led the music. The 2014 conference as a whole proclaimed Jesus as King in cities every which way. Here are links to previous posts: 

• 2014 Thriving Frequency Conference | Thee Apprentice "Who Am I?" Poem
• 2014 Thriving Frequency Conference | The Anthem by Planetshakers performed by DOXA from Epiphany Fellowship 
• 2014 Thriving Frequency Conference | Leadership in the City 
• 2014 Thriving Frequency Conference | Thee Apprentice "Amazing Grace" Poem 
• 2014 Thriving Frequency Conference | Discipleship through the Church and Counseling in the City

 

Thriving in the City | Mission to the City

Speaker: Dr. Eric Mason is a member of the Acts 29 Network and Lead Pastor of Vision Church in Raleigh, NC. is founder and lead pastor of Epiphany Fellowship. He is also the founder and president of Thriving Inc., an urban ministry organization committed to training leaders for ministry in different cities in the U.S. and abroad.  
Text: Titus 3
Theme: Be on mission from God to others because He was on mission for you.


Leadership focuses on growing disciples for the mission of God.

• Leading: Multiplying more leaders from among those you are called to
• Feeding: Nourishing those you are called to with the "milk and meat" of the Word of God
• Knowing: Spending time with and knowing the people you are called to
• Protecting: Ensuring the people you are called to understand what false gospels sound and look like

Put your affections towards people – not only for where they are currently – but also for how God can shape them to be more like Jesus and for where He can send them.

Those who are divisive (Titus 3:10-11) are on their agenda for their own gain, not on God's agenda for His children's gain. For example, we don't need to have a problem with tradition, but with traditionalism that remains rigid and unable to learn or understand in order to reach a city. When you learn, do you assume how much you know or discover how much you don't know? The first step to successfully following Jesus in the city is to unlearn what you think you've learned with people. Be in a place of constant learning for the glory of God. Learn how to be devoted to Him, to His church, and to others. 

"Devote yourself to good works and urgent needs to be fruitful" (Titus 3:14). Disciple people inside and outside of the church. All of our good works should flow out of the gospel, not be an afterthought of the gospel. The church needs to make itself indispensable to the community so that the neighborhood would feel the loss.

Are you growing in Christ-likeness? Are your people growing? Is your church experiencing new life and ready to give birth to new churches and ministries? Do you nourish your people well so they are trained and ready to give your best away and birth new gospel movements or is your church using "birth control" to deter the development of your disciples?

Be ready and be available to be Jesus' church when the Spirit brings gospel renewal to your city.
 

Thriving in the City | Discipling in the City

1) DO: 

• Be supernaturally natural in your relationship and don't force
• Speak into their ability to live out God's truth
• Empower them to be servant leaders in their sphere of influence
• Encourage them in their gifts
• Challenge them to grow beyond you

2) DON'T:

• Draw people to yourself
• Create over-dependence
• Provoke guilt-driven spirituality
• Be overbearing
• Act like people belong to you

Different types of male biblical relationships for discipleship:

Brother-to-brother: Jonathan + David: loyalty, confidence, trust (1 Samuel 18-20)
Big brother: Jephtha + "worthless fellows": influencer (Judges 11)
Uncle: Jethro + Moses (Exodus 18): advisory
Father: Paul + Timothy (1 and 2 Timothy): special interest and investing in
Sage: Solomon (Proverbs): wisdom punches

Spiritual fathering and mothering means being faithful, available, and teachable. Kingdom values are caught more than taught. All of this is through being present, not just saying things.

Next post: 2014 Thriving Frequency Conference | Cru: Inner City Circle of Hope

– Sully

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