Transformational Discipleship: A Holistic Rethinking of Discipleship Ministries, Rev. Ben Workentine and Laura Albers

Presentation Description

Most Christians experience a season of “going through the motions.” They can dominate the “Bible” category on Jeopardy, but that same faith fails to breathe in their everyday lives. What if there was a way to better connect a Christian’s head with their heart? What if church discipleship was as much about “knowing” as reawakening zeal and passion? What if we could guide every Christian towards his or her purpose and mission inside their Great Commission calling? That’s what Transformational Discipleship (TD) is all about.

TD is a process, not a program. It seeks to help believers understand how God has designed them to fit into his kingdom while walking alongside (and lifting up) others. This breakout session will introduce the concepts of TD to help orient better discipleship efforts within your congregation. We will discuss what’s working (or not working) in traditional discipleship efforts and guide participants towards a holistic rethinking of their discipleship ministries. God-willing, participants will identify clear discipleship targets in their congregation and walk away with a next step for rethinking the discipleship happening in their ministry context.

Speaker Bio

Rev. Ben Workentine

Ben has been a pastor for eight years, but his love for God’s people, especially those new to the faith, goes back much farther than that: to the foreign mission fields to which his father was called. His passion has always been to share Jesus with people who have no idea who he is. He now serves as Discipleship Pastor and Green Bay Campus Pastor at St. Mark Ministries. In his official capacities, he focuses his time on mentoring and small groups. Ben and Laura have been working together for two years on Transformational Discipleship. He and his wife, Kim, met during Ben’s internship year and have been married for eight years. Together they raise their two sons, Ezekiel (7) and Mav (2).

Laura Albers

Laura began her career using her BS in Human Biology and Chemistry teaching high school science in the public school system. Completing Transformational Discipleship herself fostered her strong belief in the value of the process, and she then became the project manager of the TD ministry for St. Mark Ministries. She continues to use her MS in Curriculum and Instruction background to improve discipleship efforts in the church. Laura’s full-time job is caring for her three daughters with her husband, Mark.