Discipleship
"I (Paul)...beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said, ‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.’ The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ."
(Ephesians 4: 1-8, 11-13)
What is Discipleship?
Discipleship is the ministry of all the baptized. Through our baptism, we are called into a mature realization of our faith through which we engage in spiritual growth, discernment of God's call in our lives, and the desire to share God's gifts with all people to pattern our lives after Jesus and his teachings. While our discipleship journeys are unique, we are all formed through faith and are called to share our gifts of ministry within and outside of our congregations. One simple way to describe basic Christian practice is: Pray, Learn, Serve, Connect. This isn’t an original insight, but rather a model that’s been around, in various forms, for centuries.
Christians who take discipleship seriously pray and worship regularly. They are always learning more about the faith, especially through immersing themselves in the Bible and seeking ways in which to enrich their faith. They serve and advocate for the vulnerable, both through various ministries of the Church and in daily life in their families, workplaces, and communities. And they connect with others: with fellow Christians, the vulnerable, and all people, wherever they may be.
We all tend to gravitate to some practices over others. Learning may come easily, but serving often feels less natural, for example. But, as Paul reminds us, God gave us different gifts to equip us all for ministry to build up the body of Christ. It is when we embrace our gifts, in community with others, that we will be more likely to experience God’s abundant grace in our lives.
The School of Discipleship
The School of Discipleship in the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma seeks to support the ministry of all the baptized by offering opportunities for discernment, formation, and encouragement for the ways in which God calls each of us into ministry.
There are two types of opportunities for engaging in discipleship:
Ongoing formal training and formation for those interested in deepening their faith, engaging discernment, and participating in lay orders of ministry.
Lay Orders: For those called to specific ministries in the Episcopal Church including Catechists, Evangelists, Preachers, Worship Leaders, Pastoral Leaders, Eucharistic Ministers, and Eucharistic Visitors.
Faithful Innovation Training: Training to respond to God's call in your congregation by learning how to engage the 12 vital signs of congregational vitality.
Diocesan Catechumenate: An annual diocesan-wide, hybrid catechumenate course for forming individuals for baptismal living.
Rotating and ad hoc programming intending to resource all the baptized, lay and ordained, for ministry in the world.
Past Programming has included: Small Church Conference, Marriage Retreat, Walking the Mourner's Path Facilitator Training, Enneagram Retreat
Lay Orders
The School of Discipleship is launching the first opportunities for training as Lay Catechists and Lay Evangelists. Lay Orders are areas of ministry in which lay persons may be formally licensed for leadership. Applications for Lay Orders are due by November 1st.
Lay Catechists
Lay catechists walk with people in their journeys of faith planning, assisting, and leading opportunities for people to grow closer to God through prayer, scripture study, and relationships. Lay catechists primarily work within their local congregations but may also contribute to Dioccesan-wide formation. Lay catechists may desire to work with a particular age group or generalize in lifelong formation.
Are you called to be a Lay Catechist?
A relationship with God and a commitment to deepening your faith
A commitment to your congregation
A desire to engage the ministry of teaching with a particular age group or across all age groups
A passion for learning, creative thinking, and working collaboratively
Lay Evangelists
Evangelists are those who desire to share the Good News of Christ in the world. Evangelists have a particular ministry of sharing Christ’s love in order to help others identify where God is active in their own lives and desire a closer relationship with the living God. Evangelists are those people already gifted, or desiring to develop the gifts, of sharing their faith in their everyday lives with others.
Are you called to be a Lay Evangelist?
A relationship with God and a commitment to sharing your faith with others
A commitment to your congregation
A desire to help people in your congregation learn how to connect with those in their community and share their faith
The ability to connect authentically with others through sharing and listening
We are the Episcopal Church in Oklahoma.