Our philosophy of discipleship flows out of the RMPC mission:

Making disciples who are passionate for God, the gospel, and the world.

Passionate

Intellectual (mind): Biblical and theological content; worldview issues.

Behavioral (will): Application of the gospel to life; equipping and skills development.

Affective (emotions): Enlarging the affections for Christ; character development based on the heart rather than legalistic standards.

These are not three distinct parts of a person, but represent who the person truly is. Therefore, for example, our hearts should be stirred (affect) when we study theology (mind), propelling us into Christian service (behavior). The mark of spiritual maturity is not simply biblical knowledge, activity in ministry, or love for Jesus alone, but the integration of each of these in the life of the disciple.

Passionate for God

Purpose for life. Humanity’s highest calling is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We are to passionately pursue God and find our deepest longings and greatest satisfaction through our relationship with Him.

Worship. Worship is the central calling of individual believers and the covenant community. Disciples worship God in all of life (Rom. 12:1-2; Col. 3:23), as well as when they assemble together for public worship on the Sabbath. The heart-felt, passionate worship of God is the chief goal of our discipleship ministries. It is also what fuels them, because (for example) only the person who loves God will joyfully commend Him to the world (see “Passionate for the World,” below).

Kingdom mindset. The highest concern for the disciple who is passionate for God is that God’s name be honored and God’s Kingdom realized throughout the world. Our chief prayer is “Lord Jesus, Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven!”

Passionate for the Gospel

The gospel is central. The gospel is good news to the Christian and the non-Christian. It is the message that the non-Christian can be right with God, but it is also the means by which the Christian grows in grace. We are rightly related to God and others only and always by His grace.

Applying the gospel to life. Our discipleship ministries are intentional about applying the gospel to every area of life. The gospel is the basis for personal and societal transformation, and spiritual maturity (growth in holiness; character development) is based on understanding how the gospel affects all of life and having our lives actually transformed by its power.

The gospel unites us in community. The gospel reconciles us to God as well as to one another (Eph. 2:11-22; John 17:11b). Furthermore, discipleship and spiritual growth occur primarily in community (Eph. 4:12ff). Thus, mentor discipleship, small groups, family worship, body life, and corporate worship are indispensable alongside private devotions.

Passionate for the World

An outward focus. The Kingdom-minded disciple who is passionate for God and the gospel is naturally concerned for the lost. The church exists, in part, for the world, and we gloriously participate in God’s grand work of renewing the entire creation (Rom. 8:18-25; Rev. 21-22), as well as individual souls. Not only do we welcome non-Christians in our midst, but we proactively go to them. We are seeking to cultivate and develop relationships with non-Christians, and it is our desire to see genuine renewal in our community and city. Because we live by faith in the world while not being of it, we will confidently engage the world in order to see it renewed and transformed by the gospel.

World and life-view. “Christianity” affects all of life, not just the religious. Discipleship ministries casting a vision for the Kingdom of God will show how faith influences all of life.

Kingdom-oriented prayer. The mission of the church is not one ministry alongside of others, but is at the heart of all we do. Therefore, discipleship ministries will stress the centrality of the mission of the Church by making kingdom-oriented prayer a central part of what we do.

Equipping the saints. Discipleship should include development of spiritual gifts and training in ministry skills. Discipleship ministries will focus on equipping believers to minister to the church and the world in word (proclaiming the message) and deed (acts of service and mercy) and will model ministry for believers so that they can be mobilized as Kingdom ambassadors in the world.

The Ethos of the Church

How does the church carry out this mission to “make disciples”? In actuality, this mission is at the heart of everything the church does. Worship, education, community groups, prayer groups, various ministry opportunities, etc. are all spheres in the process of making disciples. It’s also important to point out that these spheres are not sharply distinct from one another, but significantly overlap. For example, community groups and evangelism can be thought of as different spheres or “activities” in the Christian life, but growth through community groups is more effective when evangelism is an important priority of the group (whether or not the group itself actually engages in evangelism, although it could). Disciple-making is most effective when the various spheres of the Christian life are integrated together rather than treated as separate “compartments” of life.

That is, full-orbed encompassing the whole person: mind, will, and emotions.