First Steps Discipleship Presentations

It is The Commission of the church ...

... go make disciples, baptizing them in the name ... and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. - Matthew 28:19-20 NIV

Are the members of your local church engaged in discipling others to love and follow Jesus? Join Pastor Ray Willis from Springfield, Ohio on August 10th or 11th to learn about First Steps One-On-One Discipleship. First Steps will equip you with tools and confidence to disciple another to love and follow Jesus.

Presentations are scheduled in the Austin, Texas area for Monday and Tuesday, August 10th and 11th. Meals are served at these presentations and there is no charge for Pastors or Ministry Leaders. Please call or email, if you are interested in attending. Click here to learn more on our web-site >>

For those outside the Austin area, we would be honored to speak with you about bringing First Steps Discipleship to your community.

Jump Start for Jerusalem Pentecostal Church

Rev. Daniel Alderette has a good problem on his hands: eighteen new believers. Rev. Daniel is the Pastor of Jerusalem Pentecostal Church in Taylor, Texas. As Daniel was praying about how to best disciple the new believers, we announced the First Steps pastor luncheon in Taylor. Daniel and I met, and we agreed that we should not wait for the First Steps Seminar coming on April 4th.

Timeliness is one of the key elements in discipling another to love Jesus. The first 90 days of a decision for Christ are critical; Waiting 30 days for a seminar would eat up much valuable time. So, this past Thursday night, I delivered a two hour teaching on how to use the First Steps Discipleship workbook. Daniel and two of his key leaders attended the session, and Jerusalem Pentecostal Church is on their way to discipling these new believers.

More disciplers are needed, so please pray that God will bring more disciplers and quickly equip those that are willing, so the new believers will get firmly established in the love of Jesus. Send an email or call me to learn more about bringing First Steps Discipleship to your area.

America Bless God

First Steps moving in Taylor

Yesterday we held a First Steps Pastor luncheon in Taylor, Texas. Pastor Rick Ives was in from Springfield, Ohio, and made an outstanding case for one-on-one discipleship within the critical 90 days of a decision for Christ.

Ten churches were represented at the luncheon and all attendees gave a favorable response to the presentation, and plan to support the April 4th seminar to varying degrees. Some will be sending a few key leaders, while others plan to invite the congregation at-large. You can read more about the up-coming seminar at www.hismoralbanner.com/firststeps.

I also visited with Rev. Daniel Alderette yesterday afternoon. Daniel had already expressed interest in First Steps, but was unable to attend the luncheon. The church Daniel leads just added 13 new members, and he had been praying about how to best help these new folks. After we visited, he read the Swimming Lessons book, and today he confirmed an order for 20 workbooks and we're scheduling a mini-seminar to help get them jump started. The First Steps seminar is scheduled for April 4th, and Reverend Daniel recognizes the need to start discipling these new believers right away.

Please pray for the renewed commitment to discipleship in your church. We can bring these great resources to your church. Other First Steps Discipleship Seminars are coming to Texas soon!

America Bless God

First Steps in Taylor

The First Steps Discipleship seminar is coming to Taylor, Texas. The First Steps resources make it easy to disciple another in a structured one-on-one setting. Several church in and around Austin have begun to use the material since our seminar held last year.

A pastor luncheon and the seminar are scheduled as follows.

First Steps Discipleship - Pastor Luncheon
Monday, February 23rd, Noon - 1 pm
Taylor, Texas
Pastor Rick Ives presentation
Learn more about the Pastor Luncheon >>

First Steps Discipleship Seminar
Saturday, April 4th, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
TownWest Church
1616 Granger Dr.
Taylor, Texas
Learn more about the Seminar >>

I''ll be teaching the seminar. Please pray for these events, for discipleship in your church and family, and attend a First Steps Discipleship Seminar.

Brent Bullock, Minister
America Bless God

Stretching the Church

This past weekend marked a major milestone in the life of the America Bless God Campaign. It was over seven years ago that I first had a vision for the re-evangelization of the United States. This past weekend that vision became a reality.

Four churches in Rockdale, the Singles Ministry / Brazilian Mission Team from Great Baptist Church in Austin, and the America Bless God Campaign teamed up to bring evangelism and discipleship to Rockdale. On Friday night, folks attended the basketball team to support the home team. NFL Pro and International PowerTeam member, Keith Davis was on hand.

Saturday morning teams of two or three were sent out to knock on doors in Rockdale. The teams were telling folks about the PowerRally, praying/ministering to people, and sharing the Gospel of Christ. Many great testimonies were heard after the morning visits.

On Saturday evening, approximately 150 people gathered in the stands of the local Junior High gym to see Keith Davis and Joe Reed. They heard the gospel Celebration Choir from Great Hills and Randy Stripling. The gospel was preached in its simplicity and power. Cheers for Jesus were heard throughout the nights, and out of that small crowd, over 24 decisions for Christ were made. The power of the gospel is amazing. And the local churches are ready to disciple those that made decisions. Meadowbrook has been training with the First Steps material.

As I reflect on the weekend I see churches that were stretched into the realm were Jesus calls us to operate. While the Brazilian missions team from Austin is familiar and great at missions in Brazil, yet Rockdale is more like evangelizing in your own backyard. The local Rockdale pastors saw a genuine pursuit of the Great Commission. The local Rockdale church members engaged in something that is not common, and something that can be scary to do in your own home town.

I am so grateful for pastors Rick Hertless and Tim Moore. I am also grateful for Meadowbrook Baptist, Rockdale Christian, St. John's UMC and First Christian Church; all of Rockdale. It was inspiring to see some many eager to engage the community and simply amazing to see such a large percentage of the PowerRally crowd make a decision.

For me this is the beginning of the fulfillment of a prayer and a vision God placed in my heart seven years ago. The wonders of His working are mysterious and beautiful. People are very interested in pursuing simple efforts for the future. Let us be faithful in doing as He has commanded.

God Save the U.S.A.

First Steps Discipleship Momentum at TownWest

In early 2008 Pastor Ray Willis from DA2LJ visited Round Rock, Texas for a pastor luncheon hosted by the America Bless God Campaign. John Byrd was one of those that attended. John is a member of TownWest Church in Taylor, Texas.

The luncheon led to a First Steps Discipleship Seminar which John also attended. Now God is at work using First Steps to reach people in Taylor. Below is a sample of the comments made by John at our Third Annual Banquet.

"... when we approach people about [discipling another], their first reaction is “Not me”, “I can’t do it”, “I don’t know enough”, “I won’t know what to say or how to say it”. The book, the First Steps book makes it so easy and so relaxed to be able to do it."

"So, [First Steps Discipleship has] got a lot of momentum going in our church"

Click here to Watch and hear John's Testimony about First Steps Discipleship.

The Undisputed Evangelical Manifesto

"Go and make disciples of all nations ..."

He didn't ask for converts. He didn't ask for "Evangelicals" (i.e. the May 2008 U.S. contemporary political definition). He asked for disciples. He asked for those that love God, love people, and obey His commands. He ask for those that know Him, and therefore the Father.

The harsh reality is that many converts to Christianity simply fall away in the first few months following a profession of faith in Christ Jesus. Maybe they are driven away. The harsh reality is that many churches don't disciple new believers, or old for that matter. The America Bless God (ABG) Campaign and DA2LJ Inc. aim to change that.

ABG, DA2LJ and Abundant Faith Church in Round Rock, Texas worked together to bring the First Steps Discipleship Seminar to the Austin area. On Saturday, May 10th, twenty believers representing eight churches and five "denominations" gathered to become better equipped for one-on-one discipleship. What a blessing! Pastor Art Cardenas of Abundant Faith Church was very gracious in hosting the seminar and excited for the possibilities of further equipping his congregation.

Sylvester Treadway of Abundant Faith led us in several inspiring worship songs. The man is gifted and passionate! Pastor Rick Ives of Springfield, Ohio taught the seminar. Pastor Rick has many years of evangelism and discipleship experience in Russian and the U.S.A.

Pastor Rick covered the material in a way that helped us to become very familiar with the structure of basic discipleship lessons in First Steps, and helped us to be ready and equipped to disciple another. I pray that First Steps will grow wildly in Central Texas and the U.S. as we seek to embrace the undisputed evangelical manifesto.

"Go and make disciples of all nations ..."

God save the U.S.A.

Forgotten Last Words

They were among the last words Jesus spoke before his ascension. I wonder if you remember them or would know where to find them in the Scripture. They should be among the most honored and revered words found in the Bible. Yet, it seems that they may have been forgotten.

I'm sure there are a thousand reasons. I have my own excuses. I know where to find the words, but I don't follow them very well. I know what the phrases are, but I have not taught or exemplified them well to my wife, children, and neighbors. I do have my heart and mind set on changing that.

I'm speaking of the Great Commission, the main ministry of the church, the part about "go and make disciples". It's found at the end of Matthew, chapter 28. Oh, by-the-way it says "make disciples", not "converts". Many Christian churches struggle to follow this command, and we have a great opportunity to strengthen the church; the kingdom of God.

Several years ago, I met Pastor Rick Ives. Pastor Rick was a guest speaker at Grace Christian Center in Round Rock, Texas. Pastor Rick resides in Ohio and does evangelism and missions in Russia and other places. Rick's church has a ministry called "Discipling Another to Love Jesus". What a concept!

The America Bless God Campaign invited Rick's co-minister, Pastor Ray Willis, to tell pastors in Williamson County, Texas about "First Steps". First Steps is a one-on-one discipleship resource that equips Christians to disciple a new believer. The idea is to help build-up new believers with basic Christian disciplines in the first three months after their profession of faith. Twelve local pastors attended the luncheon to hear about First Steps. A First Steps Discipleship Seminar is planned for May 10th. I ask you to examine yourself in this area and join us for this important training.

We'd love to bring the First Steps Discipleship Seminar to your city or town as well. Read more on our web-site, and remember Jesus' last words ... "go and make disciples"...

www.hismoralbanner.com/DA2LJ