Tag Archive for: Discipleship

Ryan Wiesner

A privilege to be on board!

It is a great privilege to be on board the Rosebank team.

As a family we are very excited to see God at work in the hearts of young people over this next season of our lives. Some of the things I am passionate about are sport, the bible and young people desiring to follow hard after Christ. My prayer is that God uses these passions to build his kingdom. As the Head of Business Science at St Stithians Boys College it was sad to leave the boys and staff, but we are extremely excited to see God at work in what he has set before us.

Since I came to know the Lord 10 years ago I have always had a desire to go into full time ministry and when this opportunity arose I prayerfully sought the Lord with the counsel of trusted friends and the call committee. Step by step I sensed God leading us in this direction.

My vision for the Next Generation is to glorify God by building long term labourers for Christ, both in schools and the city through the process of discipling a few men and women who in turn will disciple others. I long to see God raise up faithful labourers, men and women, boys and girls who in the future plant churches, love their spouses, raise their children and run their companies in a way that glorifies God. Hopefully through vibrant corporate gatherings, Christ-centred preaching and the growth of multiplying labourers God will be gracious enough to use the Next Generation and a church like ours to become the spiritual hub for Africa and instrumental in finishing the Great Commission. I look forward to and am honoured to be a part of such an exciting adventure.

– Ryan Wiesner

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admin

Next Generation Pastor

Great News! We’re delighted to confirm that the members of RUC have extended an invitation to Ryan Wiesner to become our new pastor of Next Generation Ministries!

After a search which began in November 2012, the RUC Call Committee has received and processed 34 applications for this important position from across the country and even internationally.

It is with great joy and thankfulness to God that we announce that he will be joining our pastoral team early in 2014.

A Brief Bio of Ryan:

Ryan is widely educated and is a multiple Honours graduate of UJ and North-West University having studied strategic management, marketing, logistics and theology. He also has a Post Graduate Certificate in Education.

He has significant ministry experience, having been active in the Campus Outreach movement at UJ, actively involved at the Johannesburg Bible College, a leader at Melville Union Church and active in their Sophiatown Church Plant. He and Kirsten have been members of RUC for the past 4 years. Ryan has played a key role in the leadership of our Young Adults Ministry, leading worship in the evenings and preaching on occasions.

He has much experience in working with the high school age group. His working career has recently included teaching and leadership positions at St David’s Marist School Inanda where he was Head of Department (Religious Education) and at St Stithian’s Boys School where he has been the Head of Department (Business Studies) and Boarding House Master amongst other roles.

Ryan is an active sportsman and is a keen cricketer and hockey player, still playing and coaching school teams. He is a talented musician and solo artist.

Ryan has a deep commitment to discipleship and is passionate about the Gospel and reaching the lost. We are excited to see how God will use Ryan in furthering our church mission of Calling, Equipping and Sending Disciples!

Ryan’s Role at RUC

Three key ministries make up our Next Generation Ministry cluster. The Next Generation Pastor will provide overall leadership, direction and co-ordination of these ministries as well as taking full leadership responsibility for the Young Adults Ministry.

Please join us in Welcoming RYAN, KIRSTEN & JOSHUA! Ryan will God-willing be inducted into his postion in January 2014.

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Gerhard Venter

Teaching Discipleship in Ukraine

I spent a week in Odessa at the Seaside Mission Training Centre, operated by International Messengers, the organization with which Rosebank Union’s missionaries, Arkadiy and Anneke Naydenov, are associated. The centre offers a three-month training programme for people from the region, who would never be able to go to the USA to receive the same training (where Olivia, our own short-term missionary in Odessa, trained). After the three-month training period the graduates are required to complete an internship in various places around the world, most of them in former Soviet Union countries. The Centre has been operating since 2004 under the leadership of Arkadiy and Mark Huffman (a full-time missionary from the USA).

The 2013 group of students at the training centre includes two families with children, one with a two-year old boy, the other with twin girls of 6 months – nogal a challenge to teach when the children (at times) are not with baby sitters! The 8 students come from Poland (5), Ukraine (1), Lebanon (1) and USA (one of the husbands, married to a Polish wife). Most of them understood English so that I did not have to work through an interpreter. Arkadiy, who normally teaches discipleship, also attended the course and was there to assist in translation into Russian, if and when needed.

I spent the mornings (9am to 12.45pm) of Monday to Friday to teach the basic principles and approach of Life on Life Missional Discipleship. Since we were working in a very small space (filling a bedroom become classroom!) it was impossible to break into workshop groups. However, we had lots of participation, discussion, ideas and questions during the class time, and some homework (mainly from the Ignition Guide) to reinforce the principles. The response was extremely good, although it remains to be seen where and how the graduates would be able to implement the principles in the future. Arkadiy, who is already using discipleship principles and practices in the church plant, is very interested in using the LOLMD model at the Odessa Living Hope Church. The Ukrainian student, Andrey, has an Odessa Baptist Seminary qualification and is an assistant Greek lecturer at the Odessa Seminary. He is planning to use the LOLMD approach in a church plant near a university area in Odessa. I met for about 2 hours on the other side of town (about an hour-and-a-half travel time by bus and by foot!) with a small group of people with whom he is working to talk to them about the LOLMD approach.

In addition to teaching, I also preached at the Living Hope church over the weekend, participated in the English Club on Saturday, met separately with Arkadiy and Anneke, Olivia (and an intern, Kimberley) and Mark and Kim Huffman (American missionaries working with Arkadiy). I received very positive feedback from both the Naydenovs and the Huffmans about Olivia’s involvement with the team and fitting into the ministry at the church. She herself seems to enjoy her ministry, especially working with the Living Hope team.

Thank you to Rosebank Union Church, the leadership who gave me the opportunity to go and to the Mission Committee for approving the budget to make it possible for me to participate in this mission. Eternity will tell how much this has done for the extension of the Kingdom of God. It was a wonderful opportunity to pass on the LOLMD principles and teachings that we have received from the Perimeter Church in Atlanta.

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Justin Tamlin

A trip to Perimeter Church

How much can you learn in 32 days?

A lot! In January 2013 I had the most amazing privilege of visiting Atlanta, Georgia and spending a month at Perimeter Church for “Intensive Training” in “Life on Life Missional Discipleship” (LOLMD). I was part of a delegation representing almost 10 countries. It was my first time in the USA and so everything was a new experience for me. There were a number of key highlight areas of learning:

Personal growth: the time refreshed and restored me in an incredibly deep way. The time of extended input was deeply impactful. I learnt so many things about myself and my ministry. The input gave me fresh hope for the local church; it renewed my zeal for discipleship and connecting with people; it gave me fresh perspective on myself, my marriage and family, RUC, Johannesburg and South Africa. I came back with a renewed sense of vision and purpose.

Perimeter Church is a church that is making a deep impact on Atlanta and indeed the world. Atlanta has some unique challenges. Perimeter Church through the outworking of developing mature and equipped followers of Christ, is making a significant difference. We were exposed to the lives of many members of the congregation making a difference in education, business, media, child-sex trafficking, poverty, and local government.

Ministry growth: I was exposed to many learning areas in a holistic way as regards ministry. Things like: discipleship, worship, leadership skills, exercising faith, preaching, witnessing, pastoring, time management and prioritising, city wide partnerships, living holistically as a pastor, intentionality in ministry, etc. In fact I have a black notebook where I jotted down over 100 pages of insights and impactful statements that I am seeking to distill and apply.

Perimeter has planted over 40 churches in their 30 years history and has formed a partnership with over 200 churches to impact Atlanta in a movement called Unite! They have intentionally chosen to be a church of intentional influence that seeks to model themselves on the discipleship principles that arise from the life of Christ.

It was also great to spend time with ordinary people on the ground who are seeking to give their lives away and live missionally where they live, work and play. I was impacted by the caliber of depth and outward focus that LOLMD has produced in members of the church.

We also had the opportunity to spend some time with Laura Story, one of Perimeter’s worship leaders and Grammy Award Winner. Her humility and philosophy of worship ministry was very special to see.

What else did I do?

  • Attended different church services, including Northpoint with Andy Stanley
  • Was part of a LOLMD group for 4 weeks
  • Taught a Grade 7 class at the local school on: South Africa
  • Attended a seminar by Dr Michael Goheen around thinking through a biblical worldview
  • Visited the World of Coke and Coca-Cola headquarters
  • Visited other churches that Perimeter partners with
  • Visited the Duluth City Hall to engage with the mayor
  • Spent a whole day in prayer and meeting with the Lord
  • Visited various university campuses in Atlanta, as well as the Alma Mater of Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • Visited Clarkston, an area where refugees are given housing and exposed to the ministry there
  • Lots of fun stuff: ten pin bowling, Atlanta Hawks Basketball Game, the Superbowl final, the Tennessee aquarium, Ruby Falls, Rock City, CNN Center, and lots of shopping at Walmart and Target!

Spending such an extended time receiving input instead of giving out was a blessing worth more than gold to me. Also the impact of spending time with fellow believers from other countries (especially those more closed to the Gospel) for such an extended period of time was a beautifully deep privilege.

Thanks to RUC for making this investment in my personal life and ministry. Words cannot fully express the life changing encounter it has been!

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Gerhard Venter

Moving to the Right

What’s this heading all about? Are we getting involved in politics?!

Are these dance movements?

Well, no…. read on and find out what it means to “move to the right”.

Every person is on a journey of faith, with the need to continue to grow in his or her walk with God. We all start out as unbelievers, who (ideally) become believers in Christ and then move on to continue to grow in Christ. Although the words may differ, most of the illustrations to explain this pathway or journey look similar.

One possible way to explain this movement is to look at it as a continuum:

Unbelief >> Belief >> Maturity >> Leadership

Another illustration shows this continuum pictorially, with many options to “plot” the place where people find themselves on the pathway.

As one looks at this continuum, whether just the words or the picture, the journey starts on the left and moves to the right. Hence the concept, moving to the right!

Each one of us faces as least two challenges:

Challenge 1

What am I personally doing to “move to the right”? In other words, am I continuing to grow spiritually? If you “plot yourself” on this continuum, where do you find yourself? And what will you do during 2013 to move to the right, to grow in your relationship with the Lord?

Challenge 2

How do I help others to “move to the right”? As I visit with people, have a conversation with a friend, work with colleagues, rub shoulders with Christians and non-Christians, have I moved people in every encounter to the right?

Opportunities to Move to the Right at Rosebank Union

Rosebank Union Church offers us many opportunities to “move to the right”. The list of moving-to-the-right opportunities include at least the following,

Sunday worship

Coming together with fellow-Christians to praise God and hear his word proclaimed.

Community Groups

These include Small Groups, Discipleship groups, Bible studies, etc. Most of the groups will be focusing on the Gospel-Centred Life study for the first part of the year.

Missions

Short-term mission trips arranged throughout the year.

Parkhurst church plant

Either joining the launch team or filling the gap left by some leaders who are going to Parkhurst.

Leadership development

We are developing and will be offering leadership training to existing and potential leaders during the course of 2013.

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Leigh Robinson

The Danger of Discipleship

Discipleship can be dangerous. Let me explain what I mean . . .

Over the past few weeks, from the pulpit and in our small group studies, we have been challenging every person who is part of the Rosebank Union family to a life of deeper discipleship. We have focused on Jesus’ mandate to make disciples (the Great Commission) and have sought, in broad terms, to describe what a disciple of Jesus looks like. We have taught that a disciple of Jesus will be characterised by—

  • Personal DEVOTION
  • Corporate WORSHIP
  • Significant COMMUNITY
  • Sacrificial SERVICE
  • Redemptive INFLUENCE

You will undoubtedly have noticed that certain activities are involved in each of these areas. For example, we read the Bible and pray, we attend worship services, we belong to a small group, we are involved in a ministry in the church, we give to missions, we seek to share our faith in the workplace. All these things, and many more that we have mentioned and will suggest, involve doing. Discipleship demands doing. It is active. It can be measured in terms of time and energy and money.

That’s fine. That’s biblical.

But the truth is that unless those activities are the overflow of a vital and growing relationship with the Lord Jesus we can end up being nothing more than religious professionals–even religious fanatics– driven by the need to impress God, look good in the eyes of other people, or compensate for our own feelings of guilt or inadequacy. This is the danger of discipleship.

While it is true that discipleship activities have the potential to feed our relationship with Jesus, it is also true to say that they must be fed and fuelled by that relationship. To use Jesus’ analogy of the vine and the branches, the fruit on the branch must be the expression of the life of the vine. As born again believers we are “in Christ” – branches in vital union with the Vine—and our discipleship activities need to be the fruit of that union, an expression of the grace of God and the life of Jesus in us. That’s why we talk about “Gospel-Centred Discipleship” and have the cross at the very centre of our illustration depicting the different characteristics of a disciple’s life.

I will say (and perhaps write) more about this later, but for now think about this and chew on Jesus’ words in John15:5-8

 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains (abides) in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing . . . This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

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Gerhard Venter

Belonging

Join the Family of Discipleship

Jesus knew the importance of living in community. He was born into a family, with parents and siblings. And when he launched into ministry, he called people to be his followers, his disciples, to be with him, to support him and, ultimately, to fulfill his purposes. It was within this community of disciples that Jesus found both the best and the worst of times. But despite knowing that Peter would deny him and Judas betray him, he still underlined the importance of living and working in the context of community.

When we respond to Jesus’ call to follow him, to be his disciples, we also commit to belonging to his family. Jesus himself referred to his disciples as his family (Mark 3:31-35) and friends (John 13:13-15). When we respond to God’s call to become his children (John 1:12), we also enter into a relationship with other followers of Jesus Christ.

Christmas time was a reminder to me that it takes some time and effort to connect with my family. We had to make arrangements, appointments and come to some agreement about where we would meet and what we would do for Christmas. It may sound like a great effort but now that I’ve been with my family, I treasure the memories of love, laughter and fellowship.

It’s no different in our discipleship. We all need the fellowship of believers, fellow-disciples, to help us grow in our relationship with Christ. Although it takes some effort to reach out to others, the joy and fulfillment it brings cannot compare with a life lived in isolation.

Rosebank Union Church provides me with the family in Christ that I need in order to become what God has called me to be. In a church the size of ours, there are many different ways in which we connect with others. The worship services on Sundays, as important as they are, do not provide enough opportunity to connect deeply with our Christian family. Therefore, we need to look for additional ways of making sure that we belong. The small groups (and other groups, such as Bible studies and ministry groups) provide us with the means to ensure that every member and adherent of RUC is connected to some other Christian friends and family. 

Rosebank Union’s vision is to see person in our church involved in a significant discipleship relationship!

Why is community so important to a life of discipleship?

There are several dynamics within the small group or other groups at RUC that provide us with the opportunity to be good disciples of Jesus Christ:

  • A place to grow. Discipleship is about growing closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. My family in Christ stimulates this growth by praying for me, giving me opportunity to raise my questions and helping me to deal with the difficult issues in life.
  • A place to serve. True discipleship results in a desire to give my time and resources back to God in gratefulness for all he has done for me. In the small group and the larger church I find opportunity to serve others with the gifts that God has entrusted to me.
  • A place to be held accountable. Disciples of Jesus need encouragement, direction and input. Members of my small group (my Christian family) ask the hard questions about my relationship with God, which helps me to grow closer to God, to live life for God and to deal with sin in my life.
  • A place to connect with others. Discipleship means belonging to Jesus Christ and his wider family. My small group members remind me that I have a family that cares for me, where I can receive help and where I can help others.
  • A place to be encouraged to reach out to those outside the family. Jesus called us to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). In our small group we encourage one another to live for Christ in our own circle of influence. The small group also provides me with a relaxed, informal place where I can invite an unsaved friend, colleague or family member to experience the warmth and love of Jesus.
  • A place where I can be myself. Discipleship is not always easy, but my small group understands that I need them to listen to me, to love and accept me as I am, to support me when I am weak.

As a disciple of Jesus Christ, YOU NEED to belong to a Gospel-centred community where you can build significant relationships and grow in Christ together. Small groups (or other similar groups) in the church provide one such opportunity.

So, GET PLUGGED IN!

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Leigh Robinson

The “D” Word

The “D” word of Christianity is disciple, or discipleship. When we hear the word disciple we immediately think of The Twelve, that unlikely band of nobodies Jesus called to follow him and change the world. But they were just the first in a long train of disciples of which you (hopefully) are one. When we look at the first disciples of Jesus, we see that their call to discipleship was a call to be with Jesus.

“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him’” (Matthew 4:18-20).

“As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him” (Mark 2:14).

“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve-designating them apostles-that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach” (Mark 3:13-14).

“Jesus’ call to discipleship,” writes Peter Maiden, Director of Operation Mobilization, “is not an invitation to participate in a programme or even to share in a cause but to be with a Person, so that he can make us into the people he wants us to be. The call to discipleship is the call to relationship, a relationship that will gradually make us all God intended us to be. We were made for relationship with God, but sin put distance between our Father and us. Jesus has come from the Father and, at great cost, has opened the door to relationship again. Discipleship is the outworking of that restored relationship.”

As I step into 2012 I want, more than ever, to follow Jesus in a life of discipleship. I want to walk with him. I want to watch him. I want to listen to him. I want to be with him. I want to savour him. I want to imitate him. I want to love him. And I want to enjoy this relationship with him in the company of other disciples who share this passion. I want to follow Jesus with you. Over the last eighteen months or so God has been working in the hearts of the leaders of RUC making us acutely aware that following Jesus is what church is about. It’s the only thing that really matters. We are committed to discipleship.

Join us as we seek to follow Jesus!


Currently – one of the key opportunities for discipleship within our church is through our small groups. If you haven’t already – please consider joining a small group in 2012!

Fill in this webform and let us find a suitable small group for you!


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Leigh Robinson

I Had a Dream

No doubt because of my profession and passion, I have had recurring dreams (nightmares!) about church services that have gone horribly wrong. In these dreams I am often ill-prepared, improperly dressed, or late, and things in the service are chaotic.

I had one of these dreams the other night. I was in a church (not RUC) that was populated mainly by older folk, except for a teenager using a weed-eater while to was trying to talk (someone interpret that for me!!), and I was dressed in my running gear (the plot thickens!). I was seeking to motivate this congregation to deeper discipleship and greater involvement in the church. Then, thankfully, I woke up.

The following morning as I was running, I began reflecting on my dream (nightmare) and on what it does take to motivate God’s people to deeper discipleship and involvement in ministry. Over the years I have discovered, from personal experience and from observing others, that there are several motivation methods that don’t work, even though they continue to be used. One is guilt (or shame). Shaming or guilt-tripping people may work for a while, but it does not produce sustained change. Another is ‘the big stick’, or clobbering people with the truth to make them feel so sinful and bad that they want to change. This doesn’t work either. And then there’s the ‘God-told-me’ trick. Sure, we must clearly proclaim what God has said in his Word and call people to obedience, but using the ‘personal-message-from-heaven’ method to add weight to our message is manipulative and will soon wear thin. And then there’s the ‘hype’ method in which clever oratory and various bells and whistles are employed to stir the emotions of people and get them all revved up. It will work for a time, but then you’ve got to come up with an even bigger ‘hype’ next time to achieve the same effect.

After trying many methods myself, and watching others do the same, I have concluded that “Christ’s love” must be the chief motivation behind all our obedience, sacrifice, and service. Here’s how the apostle Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15—“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

German Count Zinzendorf one day stood gazing at a vivid painting of Jesus on the cross. On a tiny plaque attached to the bottom of the frame was the question: “All this I did for you; what will you do for me?” That question stabbed his heart and, motivated by the realization of Jesus’ love and sacrifice for him, he gave the rest of his life to the sacrificial service of Jesus.

What we need (what I need) is to gaze at the cross more. The more clearly I see Christ’s love for me, the more I will want to love and serve him in return. “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”

 

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