My Journey to Becoming a Disciple 成为门徒的历程
Shared by Bro. Chan Hiang Chye
Translated by Pastor Andrew Xu
Dear brothers and sisters of ECF, shalom. I came to know our Lord in 1979 and is baptized into the body of Christ in 1980, from then on, I started my spiritual journey. I will be sharing my journey to becoming a disciple with you, and I hope that you would be encouraged. As a young Christian, the bible classes, fellowships, and Sunday sermons are important elements of my spiritual growth. Of course, there are older brothers in church like brother Lock Chee Peng who guided me and taught me in the ways and words of the Lord.
As I grew, I started to desire to know God’s word better and decided to join night classes in seminary, I also went for seminars organized by other churches and para-church organizations. I did not know what discipleship is at that time, all I knew is that Jesus had 12 disciples. I did not understand that I too had to be a disciple. Although I grew much in the bible studies taught by older brothers in Christ, we were not taught about discipleship concepts.
After starting a family, I started to serve in the children’s Sunday school and was trained with CEF. In the ministry, we nurtured the next generation of principals and teachers. In my experience serving in the children's ministry, I realized that spiritual growth cannot stop at my own spirituality and personal experience, but we must grow together as we serve together in fellowship and ministries. Planning activities, pushing through agendas, and training to become more mature as we serve.
There was a period of 11 years where my family and I were in FCBC, in that period, I started to understand what disciple-making is. To become a cell group leader myself, and to train my cell group members to become a cell group leader in the future. To train cell group leaders, I must be very hands-on, to become an example for them and to care for every cell member’s family, kids, career, ministry, etc… Not only I must walk closely with God daily, but also with my cell members daily. Leading them in their spiritual growth and also to pray and overcome challenges in life as they come.
This journey is not easy and is fraught with many difficulties and challenges, I have thought about giving up many times. But the steadfast love of our Lord renews daily, and He gives new strength every morning. By relying on Him, I continued to walk on despite all. If God has truly called us to do it, we will obey and follow. In this environment, the concept of disciple-making started to seed in my life.
Taking all these experiences, I got to know that Jesus wants us to become a disciple that produces other disciples. When I observe how Jesus interacts with His disciples, how He led by His life, bringing them to heal the sick and giving them authority to cast out demons. I knew more about how I can help, encourage, and train my own cell group members. Guiding them to seek the truth and encouraging them to seek God’s will in their life daily and not waste precious and finite time and resources we have been given on earth by God.
Today, our church is a disciple-making church, and I have a clearer picture of how I should do it. How do I help the next generation become disciples of Jesus Christ and soldiers in the kingdom of God?
口述:曾宪财弟兄
代笔:许燕杰传道
亲爱的中国布道会弟兄姐妹，大家平安。我1979年认识主，1980年受洗归入教会之后就在本会成长。今天我要大家分享我成为门徒的历程，藉此语大家共勉。初信的时候教会的查经班、团契和主日崇拜讲道都是我灵命成长的重要因素。当然教会中的兄长如宇平弟兄也在旁陪伴并教导。
成长中的我渴慕更认识神的话，在圣经知识上增长，就决定到神学院上夜校，也到其他机构或教会主办的特会中学习并吸取经验。当时的我对成为门徒的概念相当模糊，大概只知道耶稣有12个门徒。对自己是否要成为耶稣的门徒更是不清楚了。虽然兄长们带领查经都很好，但也没有教导成为门徒的有关概念。
成家之后，我开始参与在儿童主日学事工，并与儿童主日学的同工一起参加了万国儿童布道团的培训。我们在服事中也开始培育下一位的校长和老师。在儿童主日学的事奉中，我意识到灵命成长不能停留在个人灵命成长和经验的累积，而是要在团契和事奉生活中学习彼此配搭、策划活动并推动事工，也在其中磨练自己更成熟。
有一段时期我一家到了FCBC教会，那11年里，我开始明白需要门训。自己成为小组组长，同时也要训练组员成为将来的组长。要训练出组长和领袖，我们必须亲历亲为，并成为组员的榜样。还要关心组员的家庭、孩子、事业、事奉。不但个人天天与主同行，也要与组员们同行。带领他们的灵命成长并以祷告与他们一起渡过人生中的风风雨雨。
这过程非常不容易，也遇到了许多的困难与挑战，甚至多次感到气馁想放弃。但神信实的爱日日更新，靠着天父每日赐予的力量，我一步步继续靠着祂走下去。虽然辛苦，但因为知道这是耶稣的呼召，我们就愿意顺服去做。就在这样的环境中，门徒的思维架构也进入了我的生命。
吸取了这些经历，我渐渐明白了主耶稣要我们成为一个能够训练门徒的门徒。当我看到耶稣怎样与门徒相处，怎样以身作则带领他们，让他们参与医病，赐他们权柄赶鬼的时候，我就更加明白自己应该如何去帮助、鼓励并训练自己的组员。引导他们寻求真理，激发他们愿意天天明白天父的旨意，不浪费天父给我们在世上非常有限的时间和精力。