Welcome to D.I.G. 301. In this class we will discuss the STRATEGY to reaching our City for Jesus, to reconnect us to God and help us in our journey to find our personal purpose.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE STRATEGY

Jesus told His disciples to “GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES” and to “PREACH TO ALL THE WORLD”. Our church takes this mandate very seriously. We believe that our overall mission is to bring Jesus to the masses, how? by inviting individuals to follow us as we follow Him.

The ultimate focus of our church is to fulfill the mission of Jesus through the D.I.G. process. So here in our church, we are looking to duplicate ourselves in others who will then duplicate themselves in others.

Here is what you need to embrace the STRATEGY:

DEEPER 1: Accept that there is a mission for the church.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9

DEEPER 2: Know YOU ARE the STRATEGY for the mission.

“And he said unto them, ‘Go you into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature’.” – Mark 16:15

LET’S GET STARTED!

This group/class is geared to helping you become an effective STRATEGY to the pursuit of the mission of the Church. The FOUR COMMITMENTS that we will discuss in this module is directly connected to making you understand what the STRATEGY looks like.

FOUR COMMITMENTS

The FOUR COMMITMENTS break down the STRATEGY we ascribe to in our church. These FOUR COMMITMENTS are arranged in an acronym that spells out the word “PLOT”:

1. Partnership,

2. Leadership,

3. Ownership and

4. Teachability

The Bible shows to us that the strategy of God has always been to use man. You and I are at the zenith to the plan that God has for saving souls and reconnecting lost sons and daughters back to Him. We must commit to that mission.

Commitments are not easy; it will cause you time, money and effort. But commitments are very rewarding specially when it is done in the confines of God’s direction. With commitment you will see your most effective self, it will help you navigate those times of frustration and despair. If you will commit to the things we will discuss in this module, you will see God work in you in unprecedented ways. Before we begin, let us outline some of the expectations for this group/class for you.

Expectations:

By the end of this class it is our hope that you will find your special place in the plan of God. Also, by the end of this class you should have an idea how you can be part in the work of God and discover exactly what’s your purpose in the overall mission of the Church. After this class you should understand the FOUR COMMITMENTS that make you the STRATEGY and, with prayer, along with the FOUR HABITS, FOUR DECISIONS and FOUR DISCIPLINES, make you ready to make your mark in the mission of God to bring lost children back to Him.

Alright! Now that we got that established, let’s begin.

COMMITMENT 1: PARTNERSHIP

WHY PARTNERSHIP?

Are there differences between membership and partnership? If so, can you name some?
Let’s read Philippians 1:3-19

Though we become members of the Body of Christ when we are saved, we have to become partners in the mission of Christ because we are saved. There’s a major difference in partnership as opposed to membership when it comes to pursuing the mission of Jesus to reach lost sons/daughters.

WHAT IS PARTNERSHIP?

Is there a difference between “coming” to church verses “becoming” the Church?
Let’s read Luke 22:32; John 21:15-17

Peter needed to realize that what Jesus was calling him to do is going to be the reason why he got involved. There’s a different level of commitment in partnership, the biggest difference of all is how you view yourself in the Body of Christ: are you a receiver or a giver?

HOW DO WE PARTNER UP?

Let’s read Ephesians 4:11-13

The move to partnership requires for you to be 1) Spirit led, 2) passion based and 3) purpose driven. What does that mean? The Spirit leads us to the needs around us. The need we see is based on the issues that move us (our passion). And meeting that need becomes your purpose for ministry and, in a grander scale, your life. At the height of it, you do all things out of purpose without regard to what needs to be done or who’s looking.

COMMITMENT TWO: LEADERSHIP

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?

Let’s read Matthew 4:19; 1 Corinthians 11:1

“Self Rulership” and “Followship” is the type of leadership we ascribe to here in our Church. To us, leadership is the ability of a believer to be the person he’s helping another believer become. As a leader one should be committed to becoming that person that can say, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”

WHO ARE THE LEADERS?

Let’s read Romans 15:1, 1 Corinthians 9:22; 1 Thess. 5:14

When we consider “leaders” we think of the one that’s on top or ahead. But the leaders in the Church are the ones who are under people, mature believers who take their knowledge and love for God and use it to help others become like themselves.

WHAT DOES ONE DO WHEN HE/SHE LEADS?

Let’s read 1 Corinthians 11:1 again.

The leader understands the mission of the Church, the area of ministry and the D.I.G. process. He/She is not trying to get people to do what needs to be done, but he/she is discipling others to understand the importance of why things are being done.

WHEN CAN WE LEAD?

Let’s read 1 Thessalonians 5:14 again.

Being a purpose driven follower makes you a candidate to be a leader in the Church. When you see and are able to tell others the reason why things are being done (beyond what’s being done), then you can undergird others to go from “coming” to church to becoming the Church.

COMMITMENT THREE: OWNERSHIP

WHAT IS OWNERSHIP?

Let’s read 2 Timothy 2:8-10

Though the Gospel that Paul preached is the Gospel of Jesus, he made it his own.

HOW DOES OWNERSHIP LOOK LIKE?

Let’s read 2 Corinthians 11:21-33

Because Paul saw the Gospel of Jesus as his own, he willingly took the responsibility of making sure people heard it no matter what it cost him.

WHY TAKE OWNERSHIP?

Let’s read John 6:53; 13:6-9; 1 Corinthians 9:16

There’s a difference between the owner and a borrower, a renter or a receiver. That difference is care and a sense of responsibility. One cannot become the strategy of Christ’s Commission without ownership. And, to be frank, no one will fulfill their purpose unless they own God’s work and their part in it.

WHO SHOULD TAKE OWNERSHIP?

Let’s read 1 Corinthians 9:16-22

God has called us individually. Each one of us has a purpose from God. This purpose is solely our responsibility to accomplish. We are not saved to just “help” the pastor or the leaders to do what God has called “them” to do, we were saved to accomplish what God has called us to be.

COMMITMENT FOUR: TEACHABILITY

WHAT IS “TEACHABILITY”?

Let’s read Ephesians 5:21; 1 Peter 5:5

No matter how mature we get in the Lord or how long we’ve been part of the Work of God, we always should follow grace with each other, open to learn, receive correction or rebuke, open to teaching from our mentors and teachers even if we think we know a lot.

WHY DO WE NEED TO BE TEACHABLE?

Let’s read 1 Corinthians 16:15, 16; Hebrews 13:17

A humble and teachable spirit will do three things: teach us to love, make us eager to learn and available to lead. Having love for the Church brings unity and peace among the brethren. Being able to continually learn will make us always hungry for God. As a leader we lead by example and should exhibit the exemplary characters of a committed partner in the mission of reconciliation, restoration, refreshment and reconnection.

HOW DO WE STAY TEACHABLE?

Let’s read 1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 5:12-15

We have to exercise the Honor Culture, that is: remembering the laborers and workers of the Lord; giving double portion of honor (regard and respect) to those who have long labored in the work of the Lord (especially our pastors and leaders); and acknowledge the effort others put into the work even above our own.

HOW DO WE SHOW TEACHABILITY?

Let’s read Ephesians 4:27-30; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Romans 13:1-5

Open to correction without feeling like we’re being attacked.