LLMO

CT

20

11

2 10 14Feature Action Discipleship

socialmedia

The number of people currently on Facebook would

be the equivalent of the third largest country in

the world. The number of people using Twitter

grew 900 percent in one year. Sites like Instagram, Yelp

and Foursquare help us instantly share images, reviews and

even our locations. Social networks aren’t exclusive to race,

socioeconomic status or religion. We can’t ignore these

networks. So what do we do with social media?

I remember growing up in the 1980s when some

Christians got scared about music and TV. Parents were

being told that rock music was straight from the devil and “The

Smurfs” cartoon promoted witchcraft. The message was fear.

Social networking can also prompt fear. What do we

do with pictures and personal information? What do we

say and how do we say it? For some people, Facebook and

Twitter seem as strange as smurfs. Yet, social networks

are definitely a Free Methodist idea. Facebook is a church

potluck minus the mac and cheese.

In this issue, we consider what the Free Methodist

Church could look like if each of us applied the message

of holiness to our strategy in these

networks. Our denomination’s new

website (fmcusa.org) and LLM’s

online home (llcomm.org) already

connect to your favorite social

networks. Consider this an invitation

to the table of a more connected

denomination. [LLM]

Lead Writer Jeff FinleyLead Designer Erin EckbergWriter/Photographer Michael MettsCopy Editor Dawn McIlvain StahlArt Director Andrea AnibalCirculation Kelly SheadsProject Manager Julie InnesWeb Director/Rich Media Peter ShackelfordPublisher Jason Archer

Spanish TranslationJaneth Bustamante Carmen HoseaJoe Castillo Karen KabandamaJennifer Flores Samuel LopezGuillermo Flores, Lead Rodrigo Lozano, CoordinatorJoel Guzman

LLM: Light & Life Magazine (ISSN 0024-3299) was established in 1868 by the Free Methodist Church. Pub-lished monthly by Light & Life Communications. © 2011 Free Methodist Church - USA, 770 N. High School Road, Indianapolis, IN 46214. Views expressed in articles do not necessarily represent the official position of the Free Methodist Church. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations, no portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version unless otherwise indicated.

Whole No. 5232, Vol. 144, No. 5Printed in U.S.A.Member: Evangelical Press Association,Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability

Periodicals postage paid at Indianapolis, IN, and additional mailing offices.

Postmaster, send address changes to:Light & Life Magazine, P.O. Box 535002, Indianapolis, IN 46253-5002

1 [openers]

i What’s this? This symbol means there’s more info at llcomm.org.

LLML I G H T & L I F E M A G A Z I N E

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” — John 1:4

D e v e l o p i n g E a r n e s t C h r i s t i a n s S i n c e 1 8 6 8

Website: www.llcomm.orgEmail us: www.llcomm.org/staffNews and submissions: jeff.finley@fmcusa.orgAdvertising: jason.archer@fmcusa.org

Address all correspondence to:Light & Life Magazine, P.O. Box 535002Indianapolis, IN 46253-5002 (317) 244-3660

Potlucks and Friend Requests

Jason ArcherExecutive Director of Free Methodist Communications

i

To receive Light & Life in Spanish please contact our office: (800) 342-5531 or kelly.sheads@fmcusa.org.

Not sure what these boxes are? They’re QR codes. Here’s what to do with them.

1] Download the app QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes that can be read by smartphone cameras. Search “QR code” to find a free QR app for your phone.

2] Scan the code Hold your phone over a box. The app will use your camera to read the code.

3] EnjoyThe code will direct your phone to a site with a video, some music, a photo or other goody.

b y K E L L y S O I F E R

Jason ArcherExecutive Director of Free Methodist Communications

texts,and

theology

tweets,

Full disclosure: I have 1,381 friends on Facebook. Clearly, I spend some time on the infamous social network.

I have worked with youth since 1982. When I realized a few years ago that my youth group was on Facebook, I took the dive. uuu

technology

From my early days of youth ministry

until now, I have certainly seen things

change. I’ve gone from making dittos

in 1982 to advertising events through

text messages today. How does one

keep up with it all?

I teach religious studies at

a Christian high school. Every

night, if I choose to, I am able to wit-

ness many interesting dialogues

between my students on Facebook.

One discussion really cracked me up:

Student No. 1: SO it looks like my

parents aren’t going to let me have

Mass Effect [an Xbox video game] for

another TWO months in all probability.

They want to teach me PATIENCE.

Whoopee.

Student No. 2: Hahahaha!! :D

Student No. 3: dude... you’re 16

and your parents are still having to

teach you patience for something

simple like a video game? c’mon...

Slightly Older Friend: My parents

tried to limit me to “an hour Saturday,

an hour Sunday” of computer

time when I was growing

up. It didn’t stick.

[More grumbling from

several people, especially

Student No. 1, until one hour

later:]

Mom of Student No. 1: okay--parent alert! I see you! Hi

everyone :)

Student No. 1: Ummm hi

mom...

I was proud of the mom

for knowing what her son was

talking about on Facebook,

and I shook my head once

again at how we forget that the Inter-

net reaches millions — not just the

one or two people we are “talking” to.

Digital technology certainly has many

potential dangers. Can anything good

come from it?

People of all ages increasingly spend

hours each day engaging in virtual

community online. How should Free

Methodists respond to the opportuni-

ties and pitfalls of this cultural phenom-

enon? How do we live holy lives in the

uncharted territory of social media?

Wesleyans should know the story

of John Wesley’s experience at the

meeting near Aldersgate Street, when

his heart was “strangely warmed” as

he was confronted with the assurance

of God’s salvation. However, in Stephen

Tomkins’ “John Wesley: A Biography,”

two things stood out to me.

First, Wesley’s shameful return

to England from a “failed” career as

a missionary in what is now Savan-

nah, Georgia taught him many things,

the foremost being that “he saw the

fallacy of his long pursuit of holiness in solitude” (emphasis mine). Try as he

might, Wesley continually stumbled

when he tried to will himself into strict

personal discipleship. He was only set

free when he turned to trusted peers

and mentors for support and account-

ability. One of the great reasons for

the success of the Wesleyan revival

(and of Methodism over time) was

that John and Charles Wesley created

smaller contexts for believers in which

they could spur one another in dis-

cipleship. These meetings and bands

cultivated close relationships and

spiritual intimacy, bonding societies in

ways that transformed an entire cul-

ture. As the motto of the Free Meth-

odist Church in Southern California

states, “It’s good to belong.” To grow

3 [feature]

How do we live holy lives in the uncharted territory

of social media?

in intimacy with our Savior, we need

each other.

Second, after the Wesleyan

revival started taking hold, both

George Whitefield and John Wesley

gave open-air sermons to thousands.

Naturally, this offended some, most

pointedly the parish priests on whose

turf these revivalist preachers were

treading. In defense, Wesley declared

these unforgettable words:

I look upon all the world as

my parish; thus far I mean,

that, in whatever part of it I

am, I judge it meet, right, and

my bounden duty to declare

unto all that are willing to

hear, the glad tidings of salva-

tion. This is the work which I

know God has called me to;

and sure I am that His bless-

ing attends it.

Some 270 years before Facebook

and Twitter, John Wesley opened up

the entire world as our mission field.

Our Methodist roots are anchored

deep in intimate discipleship among

believers and in community transfor-

mation. When we approach things

from this perspective, it is easier to

see how social media could be a tool

to further these goals in the 21st cen-

tury, if we are creative and wise.

Of course, such an adventure does

not come without significant risks. If

you are a member of Facebook (and

a recent National Association of Evan-

gelicals survey discovered that 91 per-

cent of evangelical leaders are on at

least one social networking site), you

know how easy it is to get sucked in,

wasting hours looking at friends’ pho-

tos and wall posts. Worse yet, there is

a temptation to fall into inappropriate

communication patterns. Digital com-

munication can become careless and

hurtful with alarming speed.

Yet, social media has

benefits. Pastors from

the 40-plus churches in

the Southern California

Conference remain

connected through

a password-pro-

tected discussion

hub hosted by

Basecamp, an

online project

management

software. The

spirited discus-

sions swing from

infant baptism

to how many hours

we spend on sermon

preparation — with a good

sprinkling of gentle teasing included.

Several of the churches I work with

have found that Facebook Pages are

useful for building deeper connection

and communication throughout the

week by sharing photos from church

events and sending out reminders for

upcoming activities. Church leaders

give great shout-outs of encourage-

ment to individual church

members via the wall of

the church’s Facebook

Page, and then multiple

members agree

and add even

[feature] 4

more affirmation.

One of our pastors created

escondidobibleschool.wordpress.com

to manage the Christian education

courses at his church, which include

the opportunity to pursue a certifi-

cate. This has proved effective, raising

up disciples and new leaders at the

church.

My prayer is that we would con-

tinue to grow in personal and social

holiness, and bring these disciplines

to every portion of our lives, includ-

ing our use of the Internet. Like peer

pressure among teenagers, the Web

itself is neutral — it is neither a positive

nor negative force. Its dangers and

strengths are found in its users.

I am grateful that our national lead-

ers have endorsed greater engage-

ment by our denomination in digital

technology. This vision allows the new

Free Methodist Church — USA web-

site to provide an outstanding opportu-

nity for the world to hear more about

how the church is being used by God

to move His kingdom forward. More

than ever, social media and creative

Internet design

are allowing

us to continue

to have “the

world as

our parish.”

May God be

praised. [LLM]

5 [feature]

www.fmfoundation.org

i Kelly Soifer is the director of recruiting and training for the Free Methodist Church in Southern California.

Want to

We’re your

Get your message out to at least 75,000 people with our great advertising opportunities. Large range of prices available, plus digital edition and online ads.

Contact us today: (800) 342-5531 ext. 313 or ads@fmcusa.org.

Free Methodists?reach

connection.

Right, like you really need to know how I’m feeling now. Like you really want to

know what I had for breakfast.

On social media, we can over-reveal or over-conceal. It allows us to ridicu-

lously expose ourselves or perfectly hide ourselves. I can share just how drab and shallow

I am with banal status updates, or I can carefully craft my personal brand on social

media, so the real “me” is never revealed.

Most of us don’t go so far as to adopt an

alter identity, but we may forget to mention

unflattering facts. Like the old-time personal

ads — “I enjoy long walks on the beach, sun-

sets, and poetry” — that “forget” to mention

that any day of the week I’d rather watch foot-

ball in my T-shirt.

Facebook isn’t Soulbook. It’s just a face you

choose to show the world. To a whole person,

social media is a healthy way to extend your

reach; to a broken person, it’s another way to

hide.

Sure, Jesus would have tweeted ... some.

Not like, “Just wowed them with flying pigs off

cliff. Everybody was like, OMG! Got that right!”

But maybe like, “Spent the early quiet of the

day in prayer, alone. Try it sometime.”

I don’t know how many friends He’d have had, probably not as many

as you’d think — maybe 12 or so. I remember one night when they all

unfriended him. It was just the next day that he friended them all back.

Social media is a tool. Our work is ultimately larger in intent than

the tool. Use the tool well, and it can bring healing. Use it poorly, and it

just shatters us further. [LLM]

Social media is a tool. Use the tool well,

and it can bring healing. Use it poorly, and it

just shatters us further.

What Would Jesus Tweet?

[bishops] 6

i Bishop DavidRoller

Despite pitfalls associated with social networking, Christians can use the

Internet for the kingdom of God.

Many Bible verses, Christian events, thoughtful video clips, prayer

requests and answers are posted on Facebook, where they reach people who would

never enter a church building. God is not limited in His methods. He does not want

“anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Of course, we need to be careful what we write on Facebook. Our conversations

— oral or written — need to reflect Christ’s character and always be “full of grace,

seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). Paul admonishes us in 1 Corinthians 10:31

that everything we do should be done for the glory of God.

I enjoy playing FarmVille and have found many spiritual insights in it.

One of the key features is an interdependence of online neighbors. Many

things cannot be done without neighbors’ help. I pray for the salvation of

my neighbors, some of whom I would never have met if it were not for this

social interaction.

Another biblical principle illustrated by FarmVille is that skill, mastery and

rewards can be gained through perseverance. I am reminded “whoever

sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will

also reap generously. … Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread

for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the

harvest of your righteousness” (2 Corinthians 9:6, 10).

Some FarmVille work is tedious. Many quit when their farms are just beginning.

In the Christian life, we are encouraged to “not become weary in doing good, for at

the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). After all,

“the one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be

rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you

are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:8–9). [LLM]

SCRIPTURE:

2 Peter 3:9

Colossians 4:6

1 Corinthians 10:31

2 Corinthians 9:6, 10

Galatians 6:9

1 Corinthians 3:8–9

Faith, Facebook and FarmVille

7 [foundation]

B y J A N E T W H I T E

Their methods may be called shortcuts to win souls. — Vivian Dake

Before the advent of modern social-networking mechanisms such

as Facebook and Twitter, early Free Methodists and holiness

evangelists used other tools to communicate the holiness message.

Pastor Vivian Dake (1854-1892) and his Pentecost Bands harnessed

youthful enthusiasm and brought together small groups of itinerant workers

to spread the gospel. Following the railway system, a group of three or four

young men or women traveled from town to town. When they entered a new

community, they networked by passing out tracts, spreading the message by word of

mouth and marching down the street to announce their arrival and subsequent tent

meetings. As people were led to salvation, small groups started and built churches out

of these groups of new believers.

Excitement grew within these bands of young people as they maintained a highly

mobile lifestyle. The bands were self-perpetuating. For each group of three or four, a

leader and an assistant were appointed. When the assistant and helpers had more

training, they started new groups with new trainees coming alongside the leader. In

his “Populist Saints” book, Howard Snyder describes the system as “set up for mobility,

flexibility and rapid expansion.”

Although the Pentecost Bands were not completely under the auspices of the

Free Methodist Church, many of the churches that sprang up in their wake became

Free Methodist. From 1886 to 1894, their most powerful era of influence, the Free

Methodist Church grew 51 percent. Bishop Leslie Marston attributed a great portion

of this significant growth to the work of the bands.

The Pentecost Bands’ method of reaching out in ever-widening networks for

salvation purpose, once called by Dake “shortcuts to win souls,” show the con-

temporary church that using modern methods for the right purpose can yield

eternal consequence. [LLM]

Pentecost Bands’ Social Networking

[history] 8

B y M I N D I G R I E S E R C R O M W E L L

Their methods

may be called

shortcuts to win

souls. — Vivian Dake

p Pentecost Band members. Vivian Dake seated front row right. (Photo courtesy of Marston Memorial Historical Center)

b y M I C H A E L M E T T S

Phot

o by

Mic

hael

Met

tsWith fewer than 800 residents,

La Farge, Wis., may not seem like

the place to find a church on the

cutting edge of social networking, but La Farge

FMC has more than 550 Facebook friends. uuu

facebookpresence

bigsmall-townchurch

has

Pastor Mark Phillips, a La Farge

native, uses the church’s Facebook pro-

file to promote events, spark conversa-

tion about sermons and build com-

munity within the congregation, which

averages attendance of around 100.

Phillips was called into ministry

relatively late in life, after starting a

career and a family. Weekday morn-

ings, Phillips works as an assistant

manager of facilities at Organic

Valley, a La Farge producer of dairy

products. Because of this, his time

for ministry is limited.

“I don’t have that flexibility to go

and visit people, but Facebook gives

me the access for people to reach

me, or I can respond back to them,”

he said. “They can email me, talk to

me online if they see that I’m online,

and that’s a big advantage for me.”

Not everyone in the congregation

is on Facebook, but Phillips uses it to

keep in contact with many members,

ranging from a 90-year-old woman

and her husband to a 10-year-old

child.

“Every day I put something on

Facebook,” Phillips said. During the

week, he posts about the upcom-

ing Sunday’s message. When the

weekend arrives, he invites all of the

church’s Facebook friends to hear

the message at Sunday’s service.

The church’s location in Vernon

County, the third poorest in Wiscon-

sin, doesn’t stop La Farge FMC from

reaching out to the community.

“We are a vibrant outreach

church that seeks the will of God

and reaches out to the needs of the

people,” Phillips said.

The church often uses Facebook

to promote special events, including

Hot Rod Sunday when classic car

owners from the area bring their

vehicles to the church and stay to

hear the service. Every spring, the

church hosts a Blessing of the Bike

service to pray for local motorcyclists.

Recently, the church hosted a 9/11

memorial event to dedicate the new

fire station.

“There are a lot of people who

have come because of Facebook,”

Phillips said. “I think Facebook gives

people a peephole to the church.”

Although Phillips is enthusiastic

about how Facebook can be a valuable

tool, he’s also aware of the dangers.

“I think one of the biggest threats

is becoming too lax about face-to-face

communication,” he said. “The church

needs to be interacting with its com-

munity.”

Phillips acknowledges the poten-

tial of social media to feed negative

energy.

“Outside of the church, I see a lot

of negativity,” he said. “I think some-

times people type before they think.

That’s a challenge with Facebook

overall.”

Phillips feels like the positive ben-

efits of his church being connected

online outweigh Facebook’s few

negatives.

To visit the church’s

profile, search for “LaFarge

Free Methodist Church” on

Facebook. [LLM]

B y M I C H A E L M E T T S

[action] 10Ph

oto

by M

icha

el M

etts

“There are a lot of

people who have

come because of

Facebook. I think [it]

gives people a

peephole to the

church.”

presencebig

Video: Mark Phillips discusses his call to ministry.

11 [news]

Jean Parry, a key figure in Free

Methodist Church – USA

history, never courted the

spotlight.

Parry died July 28 at age 91. She

ministered faithfully and humbly in

small Pennsylvania churches, ac-

cording to family and friends, without

calling attention to the groundbreak-

ing moment on July 19, 1974, when

she become the first woman ordained

as an elder in the Free Methodist

Church.

“If there was one focal point in her

sermon, I think it would be the love

that Jesus showed us,” said her son,

Dave Parry, who noted his mother

often preached at two different

churches on a single Sunday. “She

was an amazing woman. She gave

unceasingly.”

When the Uniontown (Pa.) Herald-

Standard profiled her in 1982, she

told the newspaper: “As a child of 7

years of age, I felt God’s call and the

Lord said to me, ‘Would you go and

tell them?’ And I said, ‘Yes, I’ll go.’”

Little focus was put on the historic

nature of the 1974 ordination ser-

vice, said Bob Neal, pas-

tor of the Glenn Street

FMC in Washington, Pa.

Neal was ordained with

Parry, one month after

the general conference’s

decision to begin ordain-

ing women as elders.

“As many women in

the pulpit do, she faced a

lot of prejudice. Every-

where she went, there

was backlash as far as

the bias toward women

in the pulpit,” Neal said.

Jim Jobes, Pittsburgh

Conference superinten-

dent, said it was remark-

able that Parry did not

face even stronger op-

position in the 1970s be-

cause of the views some

church members had

about female pastors.

“Today we still find some modest

resistance to women in ministry,”

Jobes said.

But Parry consistently treated her

critics with respect.

“She was very kind, very loving, very

nurturing to her congregations,” Neal

said. “She wasn’t the kind to create

controversy or division. She brought

healing.” [LLM]

First Female FM Elder Dies at 91B Y J E F F F I N L E Y

Jean Parry (Photo courtesy of Marston Memorial Historical Center)

[news] 12

LIVING SPRINGS COMMUNITY CHURCH Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Living Springs, a Free Methodist congregation on the edge of the Adirondack

Mountains, is expanding its reach through cyberspace. The church has a website

at livingspringscc.net, a blog at livingspringsccny.blogspot.com and a Facebook

Page at facebook.com/LSCCSS. The Web helps church members stay in touch,

particularly with Navy personnel who’ve moved away from the nearby base.

LIGHT & LIFE COMMUNICATIONSNorth Chili, N.Y.

Jaymes Lackey, a Seattle Pacific University graduate student who

recently served as the assistant pastor at Foothill Community

Church in Oroville, Calif., won a new iPad from Light & Life

Communications. Lackey was randomly selected after winning one

of the daily Twitter and Facebook contests for General Conference

2011.

GENERAL CONFERENCE 2011North Chili, N.Y.

General Conference 2011 delegates approved five resolutions and rejected five

other resolutions during plenary sessions July 15 and 16 at Roberts Wesleyan

College. A summary of the approved resolutions can be found at fmcusa.org and

gc11.org with links to the text of both the approved and rejected resolutions.

GC11 PRAYER TEAMNorth Chili, N.Y.

In matching lime green T-shirts, a 24-member team prayed daily

at General Conference 2011 from 7 a.m. until the 7 p.m. service.

Each day they walked into every venue to saturate GC11 with prayer.

Team members came from the Greenville (Ill.) FMC and Mary’s Place

Ministries, Bowling Green, Ky.

The Rest of the Story

Want to find out more about the stories of these remarkable Free Methodists? Visit fmcusa.org and llcomm.org.

We want to hear from you!

Tell us what your church is doing to impact lives in the United States and around the world. Submit your story at fmcusa.org/ yourstory.

i

13 [world]

As Christians increasingly

experience persecution

in some countries, revival

takes place in unbelievable ways.

Churches in developing countries

are helping churches and communities

in neighboring developing countries.

International Child Care Ministries

is growing. Miracles take place daily.

Free Methodist churches around the

world are at record numbers.

These facts were among the many

reports given at the World Conference of the Free Methodist Church held

Aug. 9 to 13 in Bujumbura, Burundi. The Bishops and delegates from five con-

tinents were also privileged to hear an inspiring, Spirit-filled message from Bu-

rundi President Pierre Nkurunziza, whose wife is a Bible and theology major at

Hope Africa University — the Free Methodist university that hosted the event.

The unity, resolve, collegiality and shared vision of the leadership marked the

event as plans were made to address world problems and re-envision the role

of the church in spreading the good news.

The attendees were treated to cultural drum teams as well as stirring cho-

ral presentations. The U.S. bishops and church representatives were blessed

by their time with the international delegates.

The church outside the United States has come of age, comprising more

than 12 of every 13 Free Methodist attendees around the world. One group

of churches in one of these countries is planning to baptize 3,000 new believ-

ers only weeks from now, on the anniversary of the church. This is a sign of

rapid growth and healthy work. We praise God for His gracious work. [LLM]

Worldwide Church Grows in Numbers, Vitality

BRIEF

International Child Care Ministries

(ICCM) is pleased to offer Free

Methodist churches, sponsors and

child advocates a brand-new DVD

resource. ICCM empowers individu-

als and congregations to change

lives and grow local Free Methodist

churches in 30 nations.

The 2011 ICCM DVD includes eight

new videos on ICCM’s initiatives:

child trafficking in Thailand, Haiti

recovery, India hostels, the Ahon

ministry in the Philippines, the India

Rice Fund and more. The DVD also

includes downloadable and printable

tools for exploring and sharing about

ICCM sponsorships, scholarships

and creative initiatives.

To get a taste,

take just 2.5

minutes to view

the “Faces” video

at fmcusa.org or on the denomina-

tion’s mobile app. Receive a free

DVD by requesting it at

childcareministries.org/contact.

B y B I S H O P M A T T T H O M A S

Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza (right) sits with Bishop Jim Tuan of the Philippines at the World Conference of the Free Methodist Church.

i

“Of course not,” some people would say if asked whether

Jesus would use the most popular social network.

But I get a picture in my mind of Jesus setting up Face-

book Groups.

One is “The Apostles.” That’s an invitation-only group. Another is “Follow-

ers.” That’s an open group with the hope of going viral. Followers are encour-

aged to invite friends.

I can see the wall posts the day after Jesus fed the 5,000: “Dude! That

was seriously awesome food. When are you doing a repeat?” or “Can some-

one let me know what the

menu’s going to be next

time? I’m tired of fish and

bread.”

He loved the masses and often connected with the crowds in the market-

place and the Temple. Jesus was accessible. With more than a quarter of

a billion people on Facebook, it’s one place where there’s a serious crowd.

Whether or not you use social networking, you still need to ask: “How might

God use me to connect with people outside my normal circle who don’t yet

know Him?”

Of course, Jesus would go way beyond online networking. In the ministry

of Jesus, touch (feet washing, healing), taste (meals, communion) and smell

(anointment with perfume) were all important in creating true relationship

with others.

Jesus carefully developed deep relationships with the 12 apostles, Mary,

Martha, Lazarus and the 72 (Luke 10:1). These friends lived up-close and

personal. Together they learned how to love, fight, do ministry and take

steps of faith. You can’t learn these things by staring at a computer screen

or smartphone.

Being a disciple of Jesus is about more than clicking the “like” button. Do

your part to make true Christianity go viral. [LLM]

GROUP DISCUSSION:

[1] Where are you rubbing shoulders with those who don’t yet know Jesus?

[2] How can you “be Jesus”

to these people? How can you

touch them in a Jesus way?

[3] Who are you in real

relationship with? Who knows

your secrets, loves you and

holds you accountable?

Would Jesus Use Facebook?

[discipleship] 14

B Y P A M B R A M A N

Jesus was accessible.

Did you know there are three more discipleship articles on our website? They’re perfect for use in your small group or as a weekly supplement to individual study.

B Y B I S H O P M A T T T H O M A S

i

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