Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." NIV .

At The Vine we are keen to fulfil Christ's basic commission to all Christians, and to develop leaders for the future (particularly those that will lead others to Christ AND teach them to observe all things). Our learning to follow all that Christ has taught is what makes us disciples and this is not just achieved by reading His Word, Holy Spirits instruction, attending church or home group etc. it is achieved by each one of us actively discipling in a disciplined manner each other. We encourage each Christian to be discipled by one other person within the church, and wherever possible to disciple at least one other person. In our Celebrate Recovery course those who are currently discipling people through the course are called sponsors, other churches use the terms mentors, and accountability partners. The primary function is to model being discipled (teachable, correctable) and to make yourselves available to disciple others.

The leadership team above, our pastor & elder their wives and our deaconate (Operational Team) are all being discipled and make themselves available to disciple members of the fellowship. This is more than pastoral care, it is active seeking the growth of the Body at The Vine to the fulness of Christ.

Church Discipline is often a touchy subject, transparency and integrity in discipleship should remove any need for formal discipline. The whole purpose of discipline is to encourage growth in the individual and to maintain the integrity of the witness of the fellowship, with the ultimate aim of restoration of any brother and sister to a right place within the Body of Christ. The pastor has extracted the attached notes from the internet on church discipline which explains its purpose and when it is required, he believes these are well balanced and those which he tries to adopt if and when necessary. Our church members/partners are asked to read these and discuss with the pastor if they have any concerns. Please download these notes by clicking here.

The teaching on discipleship/leadership development is available in powerpoint for download, or as a podcast of the home group where this was discussed.