sit down quietly and write down what exactly and in detail you (1) wanted to do, (2) the means by which you desire to bring it about, (3) how would you form your disciples etc. (4) what kind of people you would recruit for this work, (5) where would be the centre of your work, (6) whether it is not possible to obtain this end by [a] congregation already in existence, (7) whether it would not be more conducive toward the end to use a kind of association or sodality20 and not religious exactly to work out your scheme.

His task is to teach and train his congregation, by his word and his life, to become disciple-making disciples of Jesus.

We ourselves need to be disciples of Jesus first, before we can call others to discipleship. It's from this that all the ministries of our Church will flow. God is constantly calling people to ministry in the Church, he's not asleep. We will never have a shortage of vocations if we create the listening environment of discipleship so that the called can answer.

You’ve got to create a community of colleagues and friends before you need it. Others around you are far more likely to

The Christian community has a golden opportunity to train an army of dedicated teachers who can invade the public school classrooms and use them to influence the nation for Christ.

We shouldn’t sit back and wait for people to ‘feel called’ to gospel work, any more than we should sit back and wait for people to become disciples of Christ in the first place. We should be proactive in seeking, challenging and testing suitable people to be set apart for gospel work.

A small band of deeply committed believers will spread a story better than a horde of the lightly committed. True for religion, reputation, brand, currency, politics...

in His infinite love He chose to make us co-workers with Himself, with Christ and the angels, that we might share the blessing, the joy, the spiritual uplifting, which results from this unselfish ministry.

But the emphasis is not on the growth of the congregation as a structure — in numbers, finances and success — but on the growth of the gospel, as it is spoken and re-spoken under the power of the Spirit. In fact, New Testament congregations, as far as we can tell, were usually small gatherings meeting in houses. They were outwardly unimpressive, and had minimal infrastructure. But God kept drawing people into them by the gospel. Or to put it another way, Christ kept doing what he said he would do in Matthew 16. He kept building his church.

Solo building is overrated.

Find your people. Meet daily. Build cool sh*t together.

I’m creating a newsletter ghostwriting course with two close friends and it’s the most fun I’ve had in months.

Few things beat building with people who care as much as you do.

The example of life of Bishop will motivate and inspire other agents of evangelization to be true disciples of Christ and stewards of the Gospel. In order to ensure continuity in the work of proclaiming the Gospel, the Bishop can profitably associate some of those agents of evangelization more closely to himself as did Christ and the Apostles and form them in the manner of African apprenticeship system as future apostles.

It is a most important work to go about and stir up the churches; but it requires much grace, much self-denial, much saying over the same things, and the greatest watchfulness and faithfulness, in making use of one's time for prayer, meditation, and reading the Scriptures.

The Church of Christ does not lack reasons for conversion and for putting discipleship into practice. A disciple Church generating disciples, learning from Christ to let herself be questioned and called upon, with an open heart always concerned for the most humble, the poorest, the most tired and persecuted, for searchers of the truth.

On the flip side, it’s brutal trying to pull together the right people if you have someone around early on who doesn’t generate a high degree of confidence, enthusiasm, and respect. Cultures get built from the beginning, and whoever joins a company takes cues from whoever’s already there.