Movement of Discipleship: God’s Kingdom Continuity Plan

Assemblies of God (AG) Singapore celebrates 95 years from the time AG missionaries landed on our shores and established the first AG church. Since then, we have seen the successful passing of leadership batons and the unfortunate closure of some unhealthy churches.

I believe there would be no dead churches if churches were filled with disciples.

I believe there would be no dead churches if churches were filled with disciples. When churches do not produce disciples, the Church will become endangered. Even if we were to have a revival in our midst, it would not be sustained if discipleship is lacking.

Without discipleship, spiritual growth is stunted. New believers remain as spiritual babies—vulnerable, unable to discern truth for themselves, and easily falling away. Large crowds can dissipate quickly. We witnessed this with COVID-19, when churches around the world saw an exodus of congregation
members who had not returned to church even until today.

Without discipleship, the church will lack strength, and tenacity to fulfill her God-given mandate and mission. The church becomes a “social gathering”, void of power for true life-transformation.

Discipleship is God’s Kingdom Continuity Plan.

Without discipleship, the strong foundations of the past will eventually become relics as we compromise and incorporate worldly views. The light that we are called to bear will dim and fade.

Discipleship is God’s Kingdom Continuity Plan. The Bible is very intentional in its words. The Great Commission in Matthew 28 specifically says to “make disciples”. All over Scripture, the Bible reveals the marks of a disciple—one who abides in Christ and in His Word, one who loves one another, one who is
fruitful, one who is filled with the Spirit, and so forth.

Jesus had disciples and followers. But it was the disciples that brought the gospel to the world.

Discipleship is a movement that multiplies. Jesus started with 12 disciples. From those 12 disciples, 70 other disciples joined the fold and were sent out (Luke 10). By the time of the Book of Acts, 120 were in the upper room—from 12 to 70 to 120. At Pentecost, Peter preached the Gospel, and 3,000 people were added to the church.

Discipleship strengthens the church, ensuring that the Great Commission of making disciples continues from generation to generation.

Discipleship enabled the one AG Singapore church that began 95 years ago to multiply into what we have today: 50 churches with 18,500 adherents.

When the church produces real disciples, it transforms from a mere institution into a powerful movement that multiplies itself, transforms communities, and advances the Kingdom of God. Discipleship strengthens the church, ensuring that the Great Commission of making disciples continues from generation to generation.

Discipleship is a movement that strengthens. Look at the journey of Jesus’ 12 disciples. From wondering whether Jesus truly cared for their living when the storm broke out in their boat to the fearless proclamation of the Gospel, they were persecuted but undeterred in their mission.

The call to plant One Million churches by 2033 as the global AG movement isn’t to plant weak churches. It is to plant healthy churches.

Discipleship makes the church resilient in the face of social and cultural shifts. We no longer just become consumers of religious services but become active participants in God’s redemptive mission—to be God’s light in darkness.

The questions we need to ask ourselves are: Am I growing in the Lord? Am I bearing fruits? Is my ministry bearing fruits? How can discipleship be better executed in my ministry? What kind of disciples am I developing? And it doesn’t matter if you are a pastor, a veteran believer, or a new believer.

The call to plant One Million churches by 2033 as the global AG movement isn’t to plant weak churches. It is to plant healthy churches. Healthy churches require a healthy base of disciples, and developing disciples isn’t something left to chance.

I pray we, as the Assemblies of God Singapore, will be excited to see a movement of discipleship happening in all our churches. The vibrant abundant life. A people marked by strong faith, abiding in God, with a deep and meaningful relationship with Him, living out victorious lives, and being God’s agents of change for our world.

As we continue to run toward 2033, when we celebrate the 2000th year of our Lord’s accession, let us present to Him churches that are strong in carrying His heart and mandate.

门训运动：神国度的延续计划

自首批神召会宣教士登陆新加坡，建立第一间神 召会教会，至今已有95年。从那时起，我们见证了领导棒子的成功交接，也目睹了一些不健康的 教会不幸关闭。

我相信，如果教会里都是门徒，就不会有毫无生命的教会。当教会不产生门徒时，教会将变得濒临灭绝。即使我们当中经历复兴，如果缺乏门徒训练，复兴也无法持续。

没有门徒训练，灵命成长就会受到阻碍。新信徒将停留在属灵婴儿的阶段，容易受伤害，无法辨别真理，并且容易离弃信仰。庞大的群体也会迅速消散。我们在冠病疫情期间见证了这一点，当时全球各地的教会出现了会众流失的情况，至今许多人还未重返教会。

没有门徒训练，教会将缺乏力量和坚韧，无法完成神所赋予的使命。教会将变成一个没有真正生命转变能力的社交聚会。

没有门徒训练，过去的坚固基础最终将成为遗迹，因为我们妥协并吸纳了世俗的观点。我们被呼召要承载的光将会逐渐暗淡和消失。

门徒训练是神国度的延续计划。圣经中的用词非常刻意。马太福音28章的大使命明确地说要“使万民作我的门徒”。在整本圣经中，处处揭示了门徒的标志。门徒就是常在基督里并常在祂话语中的人，是彼此相爱、多结果子、被圣灵充满的人，等等。

耶稣有门徒也有跟随者，但将福音带到世界各处的却是门徒。

门徒训练是一场倍增的运动。耶稣一开始有12个门徒。从12个门徒增至70个门徒，且都被差遣出去(路加福音10章)。到了使徒行传的时候，有120人在楼上的房间里祷告。门徒从12人增至70人，再到120人。在五旬节，彼得传讲福音，3000人加入了教会。

门徒训练使95年前在新加坡成立的唯一一间神召会教会倍增成今天的50间教会和18,500名信徒。

当教会培养出真正的门徒，教会将从一个单纯的机构转变为一个强大的运动，这个运动能够自我倍增，转化社区，并推进神的国度。门徒训练使教会得以坚固，确保使万民作门徒的大使命得以一代又一代地延续。

门徒训练是一场使教会坚固的运动。看看耶稣的12个门徒的历程。起初，他们乘船遇到风暴，质疑耶稣是否真正关心他们的性命。直至后来，他们无所畏惧地宣扬福音。尽管受到迫害，他们的使命感丝毫不减。

门徒训练使教会在面对社会和文化变迁时具备韧性。我们不再作宗教仪式的消费者，而是成为神救赎使命的积极参与者，在黑暗中作神的光。

我们需要问自己几个问题：我是否在主里面成长(无论你是牧师、资深信徒还是新信徒，都应该问自己)？我在结果子吗？我的事工是否结果子？如何在我的事工中更好地执行门徒训练？我正在培养什么样的门徒？

全球神召会运动旨在回应呼召，于2033年植堂一百万间教会。这个运动不是要植下软弱的教会，而是要植下健康的教会。健康的教会需要有健康的门徒基础。培养门徒不是随意的事情。

我祷告我们新加坡神召会的每一间教会都能兴奋地看到门训运动的展开。让教会充满活力，有丰盛的生命。让我们成为信心坚固、常在神里面、与祂建立深厚关系的群体。让我们活出得胜的生命，成为改变世界的属神的器皿。

我们继续奔向2033年，庆祝主耶稣升天2000周年之际，让我们献给主坚守祂的心意和使命的，刚强的众教会。