Thursday, October 20, 2011

discipleship resources

A minister friend was asking about discipleship resources. Here are some that I’ve either been recently intrigued by, or explored myself.

D:sign. The way into this resource is via 12 art images, contemporary and created especially. Supporting each image is something to do, share, watch/listen, talkback and small group. What I like about this is first that everyone can access and image. So there is a level of accessibility cf “I am the discipling expert.” Second, it uses the senses – eyes and ears and touch. Thirdly it is activist and communal, it assumes things to do and a group to do it amongst.

Lindisfarne Scriptorium/Mary Fleeson. These are high quality creative resources. They include books with art, words and prayer and wallet sized cards as reminders. There are also multi-coloured mediations, in which black and white original images are provided and you are invited to add colour and life. “As you add colour and life to the pages and ponder over the words don’t worry about going over the lines! Allow the child within to emerge fro a while and have fun!” In doing, so there is space being created for discipleship reflection. All are focused around themes of life journey and life in Christ and provide access through colour.

Labyrinth Journey via Proost. This is a bit older, but still a goodie. It comes as a CD Rom, which holds a virtual labyrinth plus a 7 week discipleship resource. Themes include journey of discovery, relationships with ourselves, each other, God the Trinity and creation, all linked to creativity and contemporary culture. Placing the labyrinth, whether real or virtual at the centre offers a very different concept of movement cf linear models.

Missional practicesHere’s a resource that we designed at Opawa. It is based on Jesus journey toward Jerusalem in Luke. It is based on 7 wallet sized cards, ie a practice as you live type resource. On the cards is an image, a Scripture, a question and a practice ie something to do. These are supported by small groups (resource questions supplied if needed), that encourage folk to work together on reflection.

Growth coaches – which offers one on one; whole of life coaching. A person meets with a coach, together they set a programme, and the coach holds them accountable. This was what started the idea , and the realisation that most discipling programmes are content based, not people based. They impart information and have set starting and ending points. How to be more flexible? It was also important to see growth as whole of life and at all life stage, not just for “new” Christians. So this is some research I did as part of a sermon series. This is our finished publicity product, which is given out to interested people. And this is an article from a New Zealand Christian newspaper about the concept.

Life shapes. This is a discipleship based on shapes – triangles, squares, pentagons etc. Each shape is connected to a different moment in discipleship – change, balance, growth, prayer, witness etc. Some folks dig this, some don’t.

Sense making faith. This uses the 5 senses to engage God. Each sense is explored for ways it brings life, and death, to being human. Each sense is explored in terms of the Christian tradition. It opens up some highly multi-sensory, experiential learning, which I love. But other’s won’t.

Posted by steve at 06:10 AM

1 Comment

  1. […] Steve Taylor from Uniting College in Adelaide talks about some discipleship resources here. images, books, journeys, coaching, senses, faith. Have fun exploring […]

    Pingback by some discipleship resources – growing disciples – uniting church, south australia — October 29, 2011 @ 1:05 am

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