The square is our icon for training at Southside. The training/learning journey begins at the top left corner (D1/L1) and proceeds around the square in a clockwise direction. Two concurrent journeys are described in the square, that of a disciple and that of a leader. The experience of the disciple is in the area of competence. The competence can be in many aspects: skills, knowledge, character, etc. At the outset the disciple is unconsciously incompetent -the disciple doesn't know what she doesn't know! When I am recruited to something I may well not know what I don't know and that can often show up in blind enthusiasm and the pain of spectacular failure! But this learning process is only beginning. The next stage is one of conscious incompetence- the disciple is beginning to identify those things that he doesn't know. This is the zone of great teachability. I am keen to learn what I don't know, to be trained to do what I can't yet do. Then in the maturing of a disciple there is the settled season of conscious competence. We have all felt the tremendous satisfaction of learning something new. Perhaps it was in school at exam time when we were able to understand the test question and feverishly write out the answer all the while thinking "I'm killing this!" Beyond this is the "expert" category in which the disciple has been well and fully trained. While in the D3 stage the disciple is thinking, remembering, rehearsing the ideas or knowledge or skill she has been taught- in D4 her knowledge or behaviour is second nature. We are able to do what we've been taught almost without thinking about it!
The plan for any effective discipleship is very basic, and is described in the square from the leader's point of view. I do and you watch, then I do and you help, then you do and I help and then you do and I watch. Simple.
One key area of training at Southside is that of elders. These are the leaders entrusted with Southside's people and plans. An instructive Scripture for us is the description of what Jesus was intending to do as He trained the Twelve: “He appointed twelve that they might be with him, and
that he might send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out
demons.” (Mk 3.14-15) His plan seems to have had 3 parts: relationship, skills and power. Here is a basic plan for our elder training along the same lines:
Relationship (“with him”): intentionally invite
prospective elder (couple) into friendship, checking in to encourage weekly
before worship service, etc.
Skills (“send to preach”): take mentee along
(3X) on elder tasks- home or hospital visit, serving communion, elder meetings,
elder interviews (membership, etc.) (D1-D2)
Power (“and to have authority”): train
prospective elder (couple) D1-D4 in Sunday prayer ministry.
At Southside we identify elders as the "directors" of the corporation as per our legal requirements and we function as "pastors" as elder couples in the regular life of the community. Would you like to be discipled towards eldership?
I recall a period of "Consciously incompetent" as being quite challenging. But it proved to be a necessary step in the discipleship traing and a fruitful life. One of the key points you have made is the notion of making oneself available for God to work through us, thus taking the pressure off the individual to make things happen. It is not about having the will to do something for God because the will is powerless in the spiritual realm. It is not necessarily about being nice to people or doing good things. It is all about submission to the God who cherishes us and wants to employ us in bringing the kingdom near to those whom He has placed about us. It took me over half a century to figure out that it was not about performance and my initiative but all about availability and submitting to His will. And it took a crisis, in my case (and I hear it is often the case), to get to that place of allowing God to take over – to be Lord. I wonder if there is an alternative to going through the ‘dark night of the soul’ (read 'easier') for us in the western world. For we are driven by the world view of self control and self indulgence, self improvement and self sufficiency, where we have so much to possess and hold on to, and where letting go is a threat to our pride and ego. How can we shake the insecurity “that wears a thousand masks”, as Brennan Manning puts it, and take the risk that the gospel of grace and love is absolutely sufficient, so that we can allow the Spirit of Christ to come alive in us?
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