Post by philiprosenthal on Apr 26, 2006 9:25:00 GMT
WHAT IS WRONG WITH EVERYNATION DISCIPLESHIP TEACHING AND PRACTICE?
Please could everyone put information in this thread on EveryNation discipleship teaching and practices. Here are some questions to answer:
* What does EveryNation teach on discipleship?
* How does this differ from what the Bible teaches on discipleship?
* Is it just the practice of discipleship in EN the main problem or is it also the doctrine that is taught that is a problem?
* Do different branches of EveryNation have different teachings and practices on discipleship? Is for example Rice Broocks teaching different from that of Steve Murrell?
* Has EN discipleship teaching and practice reformed from that of Maranatha or is it exactly the same?
* Has there been reform in this area recently? If so, have these reforms been effective on the ground?
* Are discipleship-abuse problems in EN reported all over the world or just in the USA?
* What advice would you give a Christian who is being told that they need to be personally discipled EveryNation style?
* What parts of the history of the discipleship-shepherding movements do EveryNation members need to know about?
* Have churches which have implemented a focus on EveryNation style discipleship improved in spiritual quality of Christian or have they got worse?
* What are the risks of the discipleship-shepherding relationship?
* What teaching on discipleship is recommended reading for EveryNation members to counter incorrect teachings they are being taught.
Please include links to other websites on discipleship plus links to other parts of FactNet where this is discussed.
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The intensive discipleship movement of which EveryNation is a part was launched by a group of very good Bible teachers in 1974. Unfortunately the movement went off the rails and 'disciplers' started controlling the lives of the sheep in intense detail. The bible teachers then renounced and apologised for the movement. Nevertheless, some people (like EveryNation) didn't learn the lesson and kept on promoting this dangerous form of discipleship.
I found this article 'The other side of discipleship' very helpful in understanding the misuse of the concept of discipleship and found much of it very relevant to EveryNation-His People.
www.ubf-net.de/doc/pile.en.htm
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My concerns with the practice of discipleship as promoted by EveryNation in His People include:
* They interpret discipleship very narrowly and thus exclude from their practice a lot of good Christian church activity and teaching which falls outside this narrow definition. For example, worldview teaching seems to fall outside this narrow definition.
* The model allows an opportunity for abusive religious control-freaks to control in great detail the lives of church members. Unfortunately, the most enthusastic proponents of the methodology seem to like it for exactly this reason: it gives an opportunity for them to satisfy their lust for power and control. Not only does this displace the Holy Spirit, but others learn from them the autocratic control-freak behaviour and thus infect others with the disease. Other perfectly good Christians may also implement discipleship in a positive non-controlling manner - thus not everyone is exposed to such abuse.
* The model has had catastrophic consequences in so many other churches that I don't like the idea that the experiment is being repeated on the members of the His People congregations.
My advice to His People pastors is don't implement it. If you have already done so, then phase it out. If you can't get rid of it, then at least teach against the potential abuse of discipleship relationships (see for example sermon by Steve Murrell on this subject.
Please could everyone put information in this thread on EveryNation discipleship teaching and practices. Here are some questions to answer:
* What does EveryNation teach on discipleship?
* How does this differ from what the Bible teaches on discipleship?
* Is it just the practice of discipleship in EN the main problem or is it also the doctrine that is taught that is a problem?
* Do different branches of EveryNation have different teachings and practices on discipleship? Is for example Rice Broocks teaching different from that of Steve Murrell?
* Has EN discipleship teaching and practice reformed from that of Maranatha or is it exactly the same?
* Has there been reform in this area recently? If so, have these reforms been effective on the ground?
* Are discipleship-abuse problems in EN reported all over the world or just in the USA?
* What advice would you give a Christian who is being told that they need to be personally discipled EveryNation style?
* What parts of the history of the discipleship-shepherding movements do EveryNation members need to know about?
* Have churches which have implemented a focus on EveryNation style discipleship improved in spiritual quality of Christian or have they got worse?
* What are the risks of the discipleship-shepherding relationship?
* What teaching on discipleship is recommended reading for EveryNation members to counter incorrect teachings they are being taught.
Please include links to other websites on discipleship plus links to other parts of FactNet where this is discussed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The intensive discipleship movement of which EveryNation is a part was launched by a group of very good Bible teachers in 1974. Unfortunately the movement went off the rails and 'disciplers' started controlling the lives of the sheep in intense detail. The bible teachers then renounced and apologised for the movement. Nevertheless, some people (like EveryNation) didn't learn the lesson and kept on promoting this dangerous form of discipleship.
I found this article 'The other side of discipleship' very helpful in understanding the misuse of the concept of discipleship and found much of it very relevant to EveryNation-His People.
www.ubf-net.de/doc/pile.en.htm
----------------------------------------------------------------
My concerns with the practice of discipleship as promoted by EveryNation in His People include:
* They interpret discipleship very narrowly and thus exclude from their practice a lot of good Christian church activity and teaching which falls outside this narrow definition. For example, worldview teaching seems to fall outside this narrow definition.
* The model allows an opportunity for abusive religious control-freaks to control in great detail the lives of church members. Unfortunately, the most enthusastic proponents of the methodology seem to like it for exactly this reason: it gives an opportunity for them to satisfy their lust for power and control. Not only does this displace the Holy Spirit, but others learn from them the autocratic control-freak behaviour and thus infect others with the disease. Other perfectly good Christians may also implement discipleship in a positive non-controlling manner - thus not everyone is exposed to such abuse.
* The model has had catastrophic consequences in so many other churches that I don't like the idea that the experiment is being repeated on the members of the His People congregations.
My advice to His People pastors is don't implement it. If you have already done so, then phase it out. If you can't get rid of it, then at least teach against the potential abuse of discipleship relationships (see for example sermon by Steve Murrell on this subject.