Dear Leader,
Are you a believer?
I don't simply mean, "Are you a Christian?" I mean: Do you really believe, deep in your soul, that discipleship works? That discipleship is not simply a class, a program, or one ministry among many, but the mission Jesus gave us - and therefore should shape everything we do?
Do you believe that discipleship changes everything? Men, marriages, families, churches, communities...even the world?
Do you believe the kind of discipleship that changes lives doesn't happen primarily through an event or an exchange of information, but in the context of relationships?
This has been stirring in me since last month's focus on Meaningful Relationships, and was sparked again after reading chapter three of The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. He tells the story of Tony Dungy and how he helped reshape football teams - not by asking players to do extraordinary things, but by helping them do ordinary things extraordinarily well.
Dungy wanted players to develop habits and responses so deeply that they became almost automatic. But those routines only worked when the players believed in them - especially under pressure. When things got hard, the temptation was to revert to what was familiar, overthink the process, and complicate what was proven.
Sound familiar?
This year I have been rallying leaders around the idea of "Playing the Long Game" - the belief that perseverance in discipleship will bear fruit. So, when life and ministry become challenging, what will we do?
Will we continue to do the ordinary things with extraordinary faithfulness - praying with men, opening God's Word together, having honest conversations, calling one another to obedience, and showing up day after day?
Or will we succumb to pressure and revert to old habits and comfortable practices - busy calendars, bigger events, and more activity that looks like ministry but doesn't necessarily produce disciples?
The real question isn't whether we believe in discipleship. It's whether we believe it enough to stay faithful even when the fruit is slow, the work is hard, and the results aren't obvious.
In Christ,
Nate Flynn
Area Director
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