Get Ready, Get Set … Go Ye!: Emerging Disciples In the Postmodern Era

Book excerpt: We are called to be disciples and-once we come into a real relationship with Jesus Christ-to share it with others. But recently we have drifted away from making disciples, focusing instead on other things. In this study, author Rev. Dr. Marsha L. Williams shows that discipling, as the foundational mission of the church outlined by Jesus in the Great Commission, is cyclical and intergenerational and that churches must maintain a current and vibrant message for every new generation. As part of her doctoral thesis, Williams interviewed recent graduates from the Emmanuel Baptist Church of Tinton Falls, New Jersey, to update church practices that attract and keep the postmodern generation by evaluating the effectiveness of discipling programs. She now considers which practices were fruitful and why, explores alternative methods for discipling "generation next," and develops new activities and relationships to grow an intergenerational link, resulting in the discipled becoming the disciples.