Are We Growing in Our Walk with Jesus?

By Dr. C.B. Glidden, Senior Pastor of Generations Church of the Nazarene

With nearly four decades in ministry, I have accumulated a couple of shelves of conference notebooks. Most focus on leadership, church growth, shepherding, and discipleship—each filled with valuable insights, motivation, and practical instruction. Yet no matter how helpful these resources may be, they hold little value unless put into practice.

One of the most impactful experiences in my ministry has been attending the Master’s Plan of Discipleshipconference in Cali, Colombia, at the International House of Prayer. Over the course of nine years, we have not only learned but implemented many of these principles. As a result, a strong percentage of Generation Church is now engaged in discipleship—ranging from one-on- one relationships to small groups of varying sizes.

Our largest demographic is made up of individuals in their 20s and 30s. This group has become one of our strongest in evangelism, invitation, and discipleship. Along this journey, several key lessons have emerged. An important milestone in every ministry is measuring effectiveness, so it’s crucial that we consider these questions:

• Are those under our ministry growing in their faith?

• Have they made meaningful progress over the past months—or even the past year?

• Are they standing on the Word, living by the principles of the Lord?

• Are they walking in freedom, and is their worldview biblical?

• Basically, is the person sitting in your church week after week growing in their walk

with Jesus?

Discipleship must be both intentional and relational. We cannot be content with simply telling people what to believe—we must also help them understand why they believe it and why it matters. Are the disciples of the Lord confident in what they believe, and are they solid in why they believe? These days, we need discipleship that equips believers apologetically if we are going to be an eternally significant Kingdom ministry.