One church in our community, in a well-meaning way, I am sure, broadcasts that it is a place where "Discipleship begins in the home, and is celebrated in the church."
Think about this statement for a few moments. Now, can you imagine the Lord Jesus Christ ever teaching this? Did He expect His disciples to be trained in the home, and then to bring their Christlikeness into the church? This notion is absurd, from a Biblical point of view. No. Instead, Jesus called His followers *away* from their homes, to follow Him, in order to learn from the very Head of the church. After they had been fully trained, they then took their doctrine into their homes, and the rest of their world.
You might be saying, "Well, big deal. Who really cares?" Well, actually it is a huge deal. Unless the church re-asserts its proper role and makes disciples, which is one of its primary functions, there will be no opportunity for anyone to be able to even *pretend* that discipleship "begins in the home." In that world, it would certainly not be "celebrated in the church." There would be nothing to celebrate.
No. Discipleship begins in the church. It starts with the Head, Jesus. He then disseminates it down through His ministers and elders, who then bring it to the parishioners. They then take it home with them.
The Forum for Ecclesiocentricity is designed to educate Christians and non-Christians alike to understand the Biblical teaching concerning the Church (the "Puritan" church in particular), with regard to its principal role on the earth. When this is achieved, it is hoped that the Church would then be in a better position to convey Christ's redemptive virtues to the civil government (state), and the family. (You may email me at: markjhenninger@gmail.com)
