Strategic Plan Emphasizes Discipleship

The last words Jesus shared with His disciples before He ascended to heaven were some of His most important. In this final face-to-face time with His closest earthly companions, He intended to give them hope of His continued presence with them and an indication of the work they were to continue to do in His absence.

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18-20, NKJV).

Christ’s primary directive to the fledgling church was to make and baptize disciples—to call and teach others to also be His followers, and to live and demonstrate His teachings to the world. As they did this, they were assured that they would have the power of the Holy Spirit, and that the message would spread from Jerusalem to the entire world (Acts 1:8).

The work of discipleship is to help people to grow in Jesus, His teachings, and the spiritual practices He modeled and advocated. Through His redemptive power, men, women. and children are called to reflect His love and light to the world.

With this in mind, the fifth objective of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s strategic plan is “to disciple individuals and families into spirit-filled lives.”

Discipleship is Critical

In this objective, discipleship is addressed from several different angles, and a variety of key progress indicators (KPI’s) have been put in place to help our church identify key needs and encourage church ministries to achieve progress in these areas. 

A fundamental part of discipleship is spending personal time with Christ so we can receive grace to live a vibrant spiritual life. Engaging in spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible study, and corporate worship in a spiritual community are vital to strengthening the spiritual life. The Church also plans to increase awareness and use of truth-filled resources, such as Sabbath School lessons for all ages and corporate Bible study and prayer emphases. (KPI’s 5.1, 5.2, 5.6)

Just as Jesus emphasized the importance of following His teachings, the Church emphasizes the importance of understanding and applying fundamental doctrines of the Bible that are either counter-cultural, misunderstood or undermined by society. 

These include the biblical account of creation, salvation by faith. properly understanding death and spiritualism, biblical health principles, the sanctuary and the investigative judgment, and Christ’s soon return. Perhaps most important, KPI 5.3 seeks to encourage understanding of “the nature of the Fundamental Beliefs as a whole as Bible-centered doctrines that reflect a loving, gracious God.”

Church leadership is eager to strengthen and provide resources to members as well as call new disciples through media outlets such as the Hope Channel, Adventist World Radio, and print publications such as Adventist World and the Adventist Review. The church’s various social media channels also provide support for a rich devotional experience through the Bible and writings of Ellen White.

Increasing the availability of Ellen White’s writings in more languages, including braille for the visually impaired, is a key goal of Objective 5. Closely related to this is the plan to increase awareness of the nature of inspiration so the Church has a proper understanding of the nature and role of Ellen White’s writings. (KPI’s 5.4, 5.5, 5.7,5.8)

The importance of connecting with Jesus through study, prayer, and an empowered witness is not only critical in the family and the church, but also in our Adventist schools, where well-trained, spiritual teachers seek to uplift Christ through a spirit-filled curriculum that promotes biblical values and worldview. (KPI 5.9)

The call to be a disciple of Christ is extended to all of us—young and old, in the context of the home, church, and school—in every language and culture. We’re called to both follow Jesus, and invite those we meet along the way to follow Jesus on the path to hope and wholeness.