THE CHARACTERISTC DAMAGES OF CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

'...because nothing created is untouched by the Fall, Christians should not be surprised when lovely and good, potentially gracious Christian gestures are damaged, or when human beings deploy those Christian gestures in the perpetuation of damage. Because often damage is expressed in a way that is not arbitrary, but is proper to what is expressing it, Christians ought to be able to predict some of the characteristic damages that might be found in those potentially gracious gestures, and Christians ought to be able to predict some of the ways in which human beings put those gestures to work in perpetuating damage.' 

Lauren F Winner, The Dangers of Christian Practice: On Wayward Gifts, Characteristic Damage and Sin, p.3. 

HONEST PARENTING

'When we share our own vulnerabilities with our children, we send a powerful message to their brains that they are not alone in their own weakness.' 

Curt Thompson, The Soul of Shame, p.153. 

CREATING A SPIRITUAL LEGACY

'For me, discipling is the only way I can evangelize non-Christians and equip Christians in that one place where I can never travel - the future beyond my life. Discipling others is how I try to leave time-bombs of grace.' 

Mark Dever, Discipling, p.34.

DEFINING DISCIPLING

'...discipling is deliberately doing spiritual good to someone so that he or she will become more like Christ.' 

Mark Dever, Discipling: How to help others follow Jesus, p.13.

SPIRITUAL PARENTING

'In Acts, the Genesis 1:28 language of "be fruitful and multiply" marks the growth of the Church:

And the word of God continued to be fruitful and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem. (Acts 6:7; our translation). 

But the word of God bore fruit and multiplied (Acts 12:24; our translation)

So the word of the Lord continued to bear fruit and prevail mightily. (Acts 19:20; our literal translation 

....Genesis 1:28 likely does not have in mind only physical children, but children who were also to be spiritual image bearers of God.'
GK Beale and Mitchell Kim, God Dwells Among Us: Expanding Eden to the Ends of the Earth, p.36.