The Anglican Consultative Council has called on “every province, diocese, and parish” in the Anglican Communion to “adopt a clear focus on intentional discipleship” as part of a “season of intentional discipleship” to run for approximately the next nine years.

John Kafwanka, The Anglican Communion’s Director for Mission

The ACC annual meeting this year also called for “resources to equip and enable the whole church to be effective in making new disciples of Jesus Christ.” The council also commended a resource published last month by the mission department of the Anglican Communion Office, Intentional Discipleship and Disciple making – An Anglican Guide to Christian Life and Formation, for study across the Communion.

The call comes in Resolution 16.01, which was passed unanimously by the Council at the end of their annual meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, in April. It stresses the “gospel and theological imperative to make disciples” as the reason for their call.

“Intentional Discipleship in a World of Differences” was the theme of the annual meeting. Throughout this event, members heard that discipleship was the call to live as a Christian in every aspect of a person’s life, to be a Christian not only in church on Sunday but throughout the week, in work and family life, too.

The role of churches in intentional discipleship is to go beyond evangelism to helping Christians to grow in faith and witness.

The study guide can be purchased from the Anglican Communion online shop or downloaded as a pdf free of charge at

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/media/220191/intentional-discipleship-and-disciple-making.pdf

Originally posted on Anglican Communion News Service website by Gavin Drake.