Pastor’s Perspective: June 2026
Last month I wrote about discipleship. I did so to introduce the subject of disciple-making. Why? Because we started the RENEW process. RENEW is about “Renewing Peace Lutheran in Disciple-Making.”
The heart of disciple-making is being a disciple. A key passage for both making and being a disciple is the Great Commission (Matt 28:19‑20a): “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
The article concluded by defining discipleship. “Discipleship is living out your baptism in communion with the Church, bearing witness to your faith, and beginning to lead a godly life until the day of Jesus Christ.” If you want to read the article again, it is online at: https://peacelutheranrockdale.org/discipleship/
Onward to disciple-making. Making disciples is not as easy as wetting a crowd with a Super-Soaker™ and expecting them to magically be Christians. Nor is it baptizing the babies of unbelievers. Infant baptism happens in the context of family in which parents are committed to raising the children into their baptismal covenants. (Acts 2:37-41, 10, 16:15, 16:25-35, 18:8, 1 Cor. 1:16, 7:14.)
There are three aspects of disciple-making: pre-evangelism, evangelism, and bringing wandering sheep back into the fold. Entire books have been written about each of these. In the future I may return to each of these.
Briefly, pre-evangelism is preparing someone to hear the good news that God even cares for them through Jesus Christ. We must first build trust and remove barriers before they can really hear the gospel for good news. Pre-evangelism is the patient work of friendship, presence, and witness that prepares soil for the Gospel seed. This happens through ordinary Christian living. It means listening. It means asking genuine questions about their life, struggles, and longings. It means being a friend.
Second, some who once followed Jesus have drifted away. They were baptized and perhaps active in the Church—but life, doubt, disappointment, or simply neglect has created distance. These are the wandering sheep. Reconnection begins with genuine care, not judgment. Listen to their story without defensiveness. What pulled them away? What wounds or questions remain? Often, wandering happens quietly, and the person feels shame about returning.
Finally, evangelism is simply telling the story of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. You can tell the Gospel—you can speak it in conversation, in testimony, in answer to a friend’s questions. The gospel is what God has done for us, especially the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, to win for us the forgiveness of our sins. Invite them to church which is uniquely positioned for this work. In worship, the Gospel is proclaimed week after week through Word and sacrament. When you invite someone into this space, you are placing them where the Holy Spirit works most powerfully.
Disciple-making is participating in Christ’s Great Commission and announcing the same good news that gives you hope: God loves you. He gave His only Son to death for you. His resurrection is good news for you too. Whether someone is hearing it for the first time through your faithful witness, encountering it afresh in worship, or returning to it after years away, they meet the same merciful Christ. He seeks the lost. He welcomes the wanderer. He calls all of us, through our baptism, to share this gift with others. That is the heart of disciple-making. Pastor
“What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2.