James
N Lanza Jr
Tom
Rees
PST
443-GIS Disciple Making & Equip. Ministry
Fall
2012
11-6-12
Equipper Interview
1. What is your process for making
disciples?
First of all, and
perhaps this goes without saying, but to invest in the life of another, we must
be in a vibrant and growing relationship with the Lord, for anything of value
that we have to offer comes directly from Him (II Cor. 4:7)!
There are three
different aspects of disciple making in my life and ministry. One way is through the Bible study materials
the Lord has called me to write (workbooks).
This may seem impersonal but each time I study the Word and put lessons
together, I pray over those God will lead to do them. The workbooks are written with the purpose of
helping women to know God more, not merely know more about Him (Phil. 3:7-11; I
Cor. 8:1). They are crafted in such a
way as to encourage/equip them to study the Scriptures for themselves, not
simply read the things the Lord has shown me. My prayer is that this will give them a hunger
to dig deeper into the Word and draw nearer to Jesus in every aspect of their
lives, and then reach out to others with what they have gained.
The second are the speaking and teaching
opportunities He provides. I prayerfully
seek what passages and principles God would have me share, and try to make them
real and relevant, while sharing practical ways to put them into practice. In this large group setting, I also ask the
Lord to arrange “divine appointments” with ladies, and then follow His leading
as to how He would have me minister to them (and they always minister to me as
well!). I have been overwhelming blessed
by these encounters and have developed relationships with some of these gals
that go way beyond the event that brought us together.
The final way is one-on-one
mentoring. I am humbled and encouraged
by the doors the Lord has opened for me in this! I do not have a specific “process,” I just seek God as to how He would have me
proceed, talk it over with the one He has brought into my life to mentor, then
forge ahead in the leading and power of His Spirit!
2. What is your biggest challenge you face
in making disciples?
I would say the biggest
challenge for me is in the area of one-on-one mentoring, and has to do with
seeking God as to who He would have me connect with. There are times He will put someone on my
heart and then as I pray about approaching her, He closes the door. Sometimes that is a timing issue and other
times, it is merely a call to pray for that gal. Although there is disappointment that comes
with this, I am so very thankful that in every mentoring relationship the Lord
has led me to, He has made it abundantly clear that it is His will.
3. Who equipped you for ministry?
My testimony in this is
a strange one, because the very first Bible study God called me to be a part
of, He called me to teach! I had no
Biblical knowledge, had newly committed my life to Jesus, and was a Business
major in college at the time (the Lord eventually led me switch to Secondary
Education) and yet He made it perfectly clear I was to do it. So, especially at the beginning, it was all
God!! I never had the privilege of
formally being mentored, yet our precious Lord blessed and trained me directly
through the personal study of His Word (Ps. 119:102; 25:4-5), as well as
through the teaching at our Ladies Bible study and our pastor’s sermons.
4. What are some ways you equip people for
ministry?
Through the resources He
has called and equipped me to put together (devotionals, Bible study workbooks,
audio and video message series…). Also,
through encouraging them to go deeper in the Word and serve the Lord in their
gifting (Rom. 12:6-8); and arming them with Scriptures that address their fears
or speak to the faithfulness of God in whatever they are facing. I believe it is powerful and effective to also
share with them these truths: God
doesn’t need them (Acts 17:24-25) but
chooses to use them (Matt.28:19-20) to be a part of Kingdom impacting work He
is doing; He created them to serve Him
in specific ways (Eph. 2:10) and also will
give them everything they need to do everything He calls them to do (I Peter
1:3, II Tim. 3:16-17); and that when we serve Him with the right heart, we
store up treasures in heaven which we will lay at His feet (I Cor.
3:11-15;13:1-3 Matt. 6:19-20).
5. How do you measure your effectiveness?
I pretty much leave that
up to the Lord, and keep seeking Him as to how He would have me proceed, while
desperately relying on His equipping.
6. Where does discipleship making start?
I am not completely sure
what you are asking in this question.
The call comes from Jesus Himself in Matthew 28:18-20, which I believe
is often mistakenly seen as having to do with evangelism but rather deals with
how we are to minister to and train those who are saved (meaning disciple
them). In regards to how it starts in
the life of an individual Believer, it should begin when they receive Jesus,
yet many who make that commitment don’t know that. Christians tend to present salvation as an
end, rather than the beginning of a life long relationship. I believe it is our responsibility as
followers of Christ to present salvation as the start of the journey, then come
alongside someone once they accept Jesus as Savior and Lord and train them up
in the Word.
7. Where did discipleship start for you?
As I have mentioned, I
never had someone come alongside me and lay the foundations of the faith, encourage
me to study the Word, or explain to me what is required of those who are
Christians (obedience, service…). It was
when God called me to lead a Bible study that I first began to dig into the
Scriptures, and that is when He began to reveal His truths and plan to my
heart. It is also when He gave me a
hunger to dig deeper and know Him more.
8. How would you define a disciple?
I love how the word
“disciple” means “learner,” because that is exactly what we are called to
be! I would define it as someone who has
received Christ and keeps seeking Him at a deeper level. This is done through prayer, studying the
Word, obedience, service, and whatever else He calls us to do. Disciple making is a life long process – or
at least it is supposed to be. It is
something all Believers should be involved in, both internally (growing) and
externally (helping others grow).
9. What helps you stay effective in your
discipleship role?
It all comes down to my
relationship with Jesus. For me to be
effective in investing in someone, I need to be sitting at His feet and feeding
from His hand.
10. What do you believe is the most important
thing in being a disciple?
I would say it is
acknowledging that we never “arrive” as a disciple. We need to keep pressing on, digging deeper
and drawing nearer or we will become complacent and prideful. Our motivation in doing this cannot be duty
or to gain more knowledge, but to know Christ more, become who He created us to
be, and accomplish all He has for us, for His glory alone.
Kimberly Kirk (9/15/12)
570-675-3187
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