Equip Disciples

Foundational Principles

Equip Disciples was founded for the purpose of putting these Biblical truths into practice:

1. The Body of Christ is the spiritual embodiment formed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the life of every person who is by faith born again.  The Spirit incorporates all believers into the Body of Christ.
    
2. All members of the Body of Christ have been endowed with spiritual gifts for use in ministry to the glory of God. Every believer is a disciple and a minister.
    
3. The role of leadership within the Body of Christ is to lead in maturing every believer for the work of spiritual ministry, and there should be no clear cut distinctions between clergy and laity in the Body of Christ. Nor should there be distinctions of rank between missionaries and nationals or men and women.
    
4. Human organizations, such as local church governments and mission agencies, can be useful for organizing and encouraging ministry of every member of the Body of Christ, but must not be mistaken for the Body of Christ itself, which is the spiritual reality formed by the presence of the Holy Spirit in each believer’s life and inter-connecting them with each other.
    
5. The Great Commission that Christ gave to his Body is to disciple every people group on earth. This begins with our own families, church members, and friends, and extends to the Unreached People Groups of the world.
    
6. Discipleship is the process of following Christ to learn from him and to become mature like him. It begins when a person begins to learn about the Good News of Jesus. It continues to the point the disciple commits his/her life to Christ. At this point of salvation, the Holy Spirit baptizes (immerses) the new believer with his presence and births a new life with unique expressions of God’s grace for ministry. Discipleship continues on with growth and obedience, manifesting itself in ministry and service to others. Together, disciples effect the ministry that will accomplish Jesus’ mission to all people groups.
    
7. In obedience to Christ the King, disciples are an integral part of his Kingdom—his Kingship over all things. Jesus is Lord of their lives. Individually and together they seek to live lives of transformed obedience, and to bring all things into a relationship of obedience to God, his righteousness, and his love.