6 Marks of Discipleship

When people ask what it means to be a part of Zion, we talk about being disciples of Jesus Christ. Simply put, being a disciple of Jesus Christ is about being changed by God’s love into the person God has called you to be, and by living a life with purpose that makes a difference.

Our hope is to build a faith-filled community, while at the same time knowing that most of our lives are lived out in our homes, at work, school, and in community with others.

To live out our lives faithfully as disciples, it is our hope at Zion that all members will strive to live out their faith daily by living the Marks of Discipleship in their daily life.

In 2000, Pastor Michael Foss, published the book Power Surge- six marks of discipleship for a changing church (Augsburg/Fortress). We are thankful for Pastor Foss’ work, and for the conversation that it created to inspire Zion’s leadership to make the transformation from being a membership orientated congregation to making disciples the focus of our life together. Our hope is that central theme of Zion’s life will be about being transformed by God’s Word, and going in Jesus’ name into the world to make a difference in the lives of those who we can impact .

As disciples of Jesus Christ and members of Zion Lutheran Church, we will strive to:

Pray daily – Prayer is at the center of any community or person who wishes to grow in their faith in Jesus Christ. It is in prayer that you can be most intimate with God by sharing your innermost hopes and needs. It is also in prayer, you learn to listen to God’s direction for your life. At Zion, it is our desire that each member practice prayer daily at home, with your family and friends, in worship, and in fellowship with other believers.

Worship weekly – life at Zion centers on our worship life together. Worshipping weekly gives you an opportunity to gather together with other disciples to offer your praise, thanksgiving, prayers, and to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together. In addition, worship not only benefits you, but your presence in worship, benefits others. By worshipping regularly, you can stay involved and aware of what is happening, so that you can help to create a faith-filled community of believers who support each other by being present for one another.

Read Scripture daily – the Bible is central to our life together as a community and individually, as disciples of Jesus Christ. It is in God’s Word that we are fed for our daily life and challenged to grow in our walk as disciples. When we encounter the Bible daily as individuals, in small groups, or in worship, we are asked to stop, listen, ponder, and to be changed by God’s word. There are many different ways to encounter the Word. Bible Studies, a regular scripture reading schedule, worship, devotionals, inspirational readings are all readily available. But they all come down to engaging God’s word daily, and applying what we have learned to our lives as followers of Jesus Christ.

Serve in ministry at Zion Lutheran Church and in the world – Many times, individuals realize the difference faith makes in their life by serving. It is important that each of us practices our faith daily, and one way in which we can do that is through serving in ministry at Zion, and in the world around you. There are many ministry opportunities in worship, education, and the care of the properties of Zion. Those help to benefit the members of the congregation and the lives of those we come into direct contact. But another way to practice your faith is by serving those in need in the world and community around you. While you may have thought of the mission field being in a far off country, the mission field you and I have to serve primarily in, is in our homes, our congregations, and in the community we live in.

Share – God has gifted each of us in many ways. Our way of showing our appreciation to God is by sharing with others. Our time, abilities, and wealth are all gifts from God, given for the purpose of serving God. It is out of our generosity of our time, abilities, and other gifts that we can most intimately say “thank-you” to God for all that we have received. Our goal is for all members of Zion to share of their time and abilities weekly at Zion and beyond, and to make it a goal to share 10% of our financial resources.

Spiritual Friendships and fellowship – the life of a disciple can become lonely and draining when you live without the fellowship of other believers. It is our hope that the life of Zion both as a congregation, and in our homes can be places where you live out your faith in your daily life. It is by developing faith-filled relationships that we can be strengthened in our walk as disciples. It is our hope that each member of Zion can be involved in at least one small group ministry, and practices faith-filled relationships in their homes and in the community in which they live.