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| This book, Building a Disciple-Making Ministry, is available from Lifeway and will be distributed to all adult LifeGoup leaders |
At a previous church where I worked, a person said to me, “Don't tell me you believe that antiquated myth that Sunday School is the way to make disciples, do you?” He was not a member of our church, and certainly not a Sunday School member, but rather he went to a church where Sunday School was more of a Social Hour.
My response is still the same: “As a matter of fact I do still believe that Sunday School (most of us at FBC Killeen call it “LifeGroup”, but it’s still the same) is the best place to make disciples.”
One hundred years ago, following a pandemic called the Spanish Flu, a Belton, Texas, native was hired by the Baptist Sunday School Board (now called “Lifeway”) to come up with a formula to reinvigorate the church for discipleship.
His name was Arthur Flake and his system has been studied and implemented for more than a century now. It’s called “Flake's Formula” and a new book has been issued to help in this century following this pandemic. I purchased enough books for our teachers to have and see why this tried and true method still works today.
For the next five weeks, I will outline the basics of Building a Disciple-Making Ministry. This week is the overview of Flake’s Formula for a new generation.
My response is still the same: “As a matter of fact I do still believe that Sunday School (most of us at FBC Killeen call it “LifeGroup”, but it’s still the same) is the best place to make disciples.”
One hundred years ago, following a pandemic called the Spanish Flu, a Belton, Texas, native was hired by the Baptist Sunday School Board (now called “Lifeway”) to come up with a formula to reinvigorate the church for discipleship.
His name was Arthur Flake and his system has been studied and implemented for more than a century now. It’s called “Flake's Formula” and a new book has been issued to help in this century following this pandemic. I purchased enough books for our teachers to have and see why this tried and true method still works today.
For the next five weeks, I will outline the basics of Building a Disciple-Making Ministry. This week is the overview of Flake’s Formula for a new generation.
1. Know Your Possibilities: Next week, I will write on why we need to notice people, members, and prospects and know our limitless possibilities in reaching all three through LifeGroup Leadership.
2. Enlarge the Organization: Flake knew that growth was a sign of life and a failure to grow was a formula that leads to death. On Aug. 4, I will expand on the “how come” and the “how to” of growth.
3. Enlist and Train Workers: On Aug. 11, we’ll see that the driving force in Flake’s Formula was leadership and training. If you believe that our world has problems, and that Jesus is the Answer, then our church needs to be a part of the solution to our world’s woes.
4. Provide Space and Resources. I have seen our church run out of space before, and while that is a “good problem to have”, my response was always, “but it is still a PROBLEM”. On Aug. 18 we will see some resources we have right now (even without building a new building, which we will do, Lord willing).
5. Go After People. Flake was no fluke! His formula was rooted in the Bible and the Great Commission. My compadres in education and evangelism ministry are in total agreement: People are hungry for God! I will share in the Aug. 25 newsletter why this is the best time to go after people for Christ.
Flake may have lived and worked a hundred years ago, but his principles of making disciples through the church are still the same. A quote from the book sums it up well:
Methods are many,
Principles are few;
Methods may change,
Principles never do!
