Doug Burrier - Be a Disciple – Make Disciples
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Doug Burrier - Be a Disciple – Make Disciples
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Slide DISCIPLESHIP? Is it an education program?| READ MORE GET THE BOOK or UPCOMING RESOURCES Coming this October! READ BLOG [thrive_2step id='8882']GET UPDATES[/thrive_2step] or UPCOMING
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Make Disciples Sustainable Discipleship

A Beautiful Model

August 30, 2019 No Comments
Modeling as a profession was first established in 1853 by Charles Frederick Worth, the “father of haute couture,” when he asked his wife, Marie Vernet Worth, to model the clothes he designed.1 The profession has evolved quite a bit from its humble beginnings, but the definition remains the same:

A model is a person with a role to promote, display or advertise commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows), or to serve as a visual aid for people who are creating works of art or posing for photography.2

Models help us see the product in action. They show us how those clothes would look in real life on a real person. Well, we say, “Real” but most of us do not look anything like those beautiful models. Much of modeling is getting us to hope or believe that maybe we can look that great.

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Reading time: 2 min
Written by: Doug Burrier
Make Disciples Sustainable Discipleship

I’m Jezebel!

August 29, 2019 No Comments

I looked across the room at Sally and saw the oddest look on her face. It was a room full of disciples (guys and gals), but I had to ask. God was queuing me to ask, “Sally, what’s up?”

“I’m Jezebel,” she said.
The room got quiet. I said nothing. The air was thick. Right there in front of everyone, Sally said,
“I am that controlling woman leading my husband astray. I am that woman taking his strength and manipulating.”
It stayed quiet, and I let the moment sink in.
“Well now you know what you need to do, right?”
“Repent?” she offered.
“Yep. Okay, next highlight. Who has the next highlight?”

Sally’s face remained pensive. We went on to cover the next “aha” moment from the group’s bible reading. I shared the moment with my wife (an incredible disciple-maker!), and we committed ourselves to prayer that God would finish breaking up the ground and that Sally would lean in and adjust to God’s truths.

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Written by: Doug Burrier
Sustainable Discipleship

You Need a Plan

August 15, 2019 No Comments
I helped a community daycare triple their profits a few years ago. I listened as the board shared stories of the daycare’s past success. I also heard their frustration at shrinking enrollments despite their community growing. They were down eighty kids over five years, and the mounting deficits were crippling them. The great people who began the project had long since left taking with them the passion and the plan to provide low-cost, quality daycare to the community. The new board had no ownership. Neither the director, staff, nor board had a clear plan to market, manage, or measure their success. There was no control over cash and finances. There were no accountability or reward plans for employees. Worse, there was no marketing—there was not even a sign in front of their new building!

We worked together to develop a simple, three year, no-frills business plan detailing specific goals for marketing, operations, pricing, and management. The chairman began to get involved. He hired an experienced director and pushed the staff to carry out the plan. The daycare moved back towards its original passion and began intentionally providing daycare to the community. They got excited. Teachers and parents talked. They even put a sign out front. And, you guessed it, enrollment grew, deficits turned into profits, and the board sensed a reason for existing.

We all know that we are supposed to make disciples. We want to make fully devoted followers of Christ, but so often we are just doing daycare. We are making disciples, but we are operating at a deficit. We do not have enough disciple-makers. We do not have enough people who want to be discipled. And, most often, we do not have a clear plan for what we will do to “make disciples.”

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Written by: Doug Burrier
Make Disciples Sustainable Discipleship

THE STATE OF DISCIPLESHIP

June 24, 2019 No Comments

I believe that most Christian leaders want to make disciples. And I truly believe that most Christians want to follow God. But, how are all of us doing?

A joint Barna Group and Navigators research project1 revealed confusion among both leaders and followers regarding discipleship. Worse yet, the data indicates that most discipleship efforts are impotent, with only 25% of Christians saying they were in a discipleship relationship. The report concluded:

Churches are in need of new models for discipleship. Current programs capture only a minority of Christians, and most believers do not prioritize and investment in their spiritual growth. At the same time, church leaders desire a clear plan and lack systems to evaluate spiritual health.

The statistics might be shockingly worse than we would have guessed but I am sure this is not new to you. Leaders struggle to make disciples moving from program to program without ever decreasing time. Followers do not seem to engage. So often, it seems that we are only entertaining or educating.

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Written by: Doug Burrier
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About me

Hello, my name is Doug. I make and help others make followers. I teach, consult and speak on the art of following God. Read more…

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