• What is the Gospel of Grace and how can the modern Church apply and communicate it?
• What does reformation look like for the church today?
• How do we disciple the coming generation in light of this?
This book is a passionate plea to the UK Church to return to the ‘acorn’ of discipleship from which will grow again the ‘oak tree’ of mature and powerful Jesus-centred Christianity.
In each chapter David outlines where we are as a Church, how we can improve, and practical steps we can take to grow in our faith.
This book is the sum total of what the Lord reminded Revd. David Bedford of during his Sabbatical leave (March 17th to June 30th 2014) as a United Reformed Church pastor. The majority of it took shape as he walked, in its entirety, the 630 miles of the South West Coastal path over 48 days, and as he shared his thoughts with a Facebook group. David has been trying to follow Jesus since accepting Him as Lord and Saviour at a Boys’ Brigade camp in Canada in August 1975, often failing in the flesh but by God’s grace making progress in the Spirit. Trained in Manchester and Jamaica, he has had the privilege to lead and guide the life of many congregations in St Helens (1983-1987), Newham (1987-1992), Hastings (1992-1997), Guildford (1997-2006), Gosforth, Newcastle (2006-2012), and now in Canterbury.
A big turning point came in his life when someone he respected greatly asked him two questions: who is discipling you and whom are you discipling? Ultimately he asked himself the question, ‘What do I want on my gravestone: “Gone to another meeting” or “He helped twelve men follow Christ”?’ In this book he seeks to help all believers in Christ become active, fruitful disciples themselves and at the same time disciple others. He believes that from the acorn of discipleship, once again can grow the oak tree of the Body of Christ.
67 pages