Define Your Terms (Followup)

This is a followup to my previous post (http://sanfordfamily.org/2012/11/29/define-your-terms).  I must say that I am disappointed in the lack of comments and interaction on this post.  I know that most of my blog posts are informational, but this post provided an opportunity for great discussion.  Ok, I am turning my teacher voice off and letting you into my world by revealing my definitions.

Disciple– Someone who’s end goal is to abide in Christ, grow in likeness and understanding of Christ, and leads others to do the same.

Doctrine– A biblically based systematic understanding of a certain aspects of God, the Bible, the Church, etc. and how that aspect of Theology is lived out, interacts with our lives.

Theology– The study of God through careful examination of the Bible and general revelation.

Gospel-The Good News of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for our sins by His death on the cross, His resurrection from the grave, and the forgiveness and transformation that is available in Christ alone.

Evangelism– Sharing the Gospel with those who are not believers in Christ, through words, actions and relationship.

Elder/Pastor– One who leads, equips, teaches, cares for and encourages a group of believers.

Deacon– Servant leaders who take care of needs of people of the church.

Leader– An individual who walks alongside others, points them toward Christ, and encourages others to seek after Christ.

Missions- Carrying out the ministry of reconciliation as an ambassador of Christ in the world, from our home to the ends of the world.

Church- A local gathering of Saints, who desire to make disciples, worship God in spirit and truth, and minister to the world around them.

So now that my ideas are in black and white, let me know what you agree with, disagree with and help us all understand why you feel that particular way.

Define your terms

Inside our cells we have a DNA code millions of characters long but only made of 4 molecules arranged in such a way to create the exact definition on a cellular level of a singular individual. The specific language in a cell is important because one misplaced molecule could be detrimental to the whole individual. Likewise in the Body of Christ we must define our terms carefully and allow them guide us toward a healthy organization, the Church.

Over the past few weeks I have been taking a hard look at language; the very basic thoughts and ideas of what scripture commands us live out. I have always been a person who asks questions and sometimes to my detriment but now I am having to ask hard questions about things that are dear to my heart and mission and the purpose of the church. Many times the issues we have in church are not because of bad theology but differing definitions for terms that are widely used but have many different acceptable expressions.

Have you ever stopped to define your terms? I want you to join me in this exercise. Here are list of terms that are common terms used within the church take your time and give the best biblical definition of them in the comments below.

Disciple, Doctrine, Theology, Gospel, Evangelism, Pastor, Elder, Deacon, Leader, Missions, Church

In a few days I will give you what I have come up with and I am eager to hear your thoughts on those definitions.