The purpose of biblical discipleship is to help you meet the challenges of life in a way that will please and honor the Lord Jesus Christ. As a ministry of The Grove Bible Chapel Winter Garden, we offer discipleship free of charge. Disciples may donate to the ministry, but this is not required as a condition of discipleship. You have no expressed or implied obligation to pay fees for the discipleship you receive through The Grove Bible Chapel Discipleship Ministry. There may be expense for teaching materials used in the discipleship process.
Discipleship is strictly biblical in nature, conducted under the authority and oversight of the Elders of The Grove Bible Chapel. We believe that God, through His revelation in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, has provided His people with thorough guidance and instruction for faith and life (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:3-4). Our discipleship is based solely on principles found in Scripture, and does not accept the teachings and methods of modern psychology when expressly secular. Biblical disciplers are not trained or licensed as psychotherapists or mental health professionals and under Florida law no such licensing is required. The biblical discipler has undergone rigorous training in the application of Scripture to life.
If you have significant medical, legal, financial, or other technical questions, you should seek advice from a competent independent professional. Our biblical disciplers will cooperate with such advisors and help you to consider their counsel in the light of scriptural principles.
More specifically, we urge our disciples to properly care for their physical bodies and to seek proper medical treatment for all physiological problems. Our biblical disciplers will assist you in responding to such problems in a Godly manner, but our assistance is not intended to replace the services of a qualified physician where organic problems are present or where medication has been prescribed.
Confidentiality is an important aspect of the discipleship process. We will carefully guard the information you entrust to us to the fullest extent possible. There are times, however, when it may be necessary for us to share certain information with others. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:
1. Where a person refuses to renounce a particular sin, it may become necessary to seek the assistance of others in the church to encourage repentance and reconciliation (Proverbs 15:22; Proverbs 24:11; Matthew 18:15-20). In such cases, we will reveal only such information as is necessary for such purposes, and only to those biblically required to be involved. Where a disciple is a member of another church, it will most likely be necessary to contact the pastor and/or elder(s) of such church.
2. Where a discipler is uncertain as to how to address a particular discipleship issue, he may seek advice from a pastor or another biblical discipler. Every effort will be made to protect the anonymity of the party involved.
3. Where a disciple threatens harm to himself/herself or another person, it may be necessary to initiate appropriate intervention in order to prevent such harm.
4. Where spousal or child abuse has been revealed or is apparent, the law in the state of Florida requires the appropriate authorities to be notified.
5. I understand trained observers may sit in on discipleship sessions for the purpose of assisting in the discipleship process or for discipler training purposes.
On rare occasions, a conflict may develop between a discipler and a disciple. 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 forbids Christians from bringing lawsuits against one another in secular courts of law. In order to ensure that such conflicts are resolved in a biblically faithful manner, we require all of our disciples to agree that any dispute with a discipler or with this church, resulting from discipleship given, will be settled by mediation and, if necessary, legally binding arbitration. The arbiters will be the elders of The Grove Bible Chapel. If one or more of the elders is a party to the dispute, then three arbiters will be selected from the elders of churches in the brotherhood, with each party to the dispute choosing one arbiter, and the two arbiters then selecting the third. It is expressly understood that, by consenting in advance to such arbitration, the disciple is waiving his right to a trial in the civil courts and hereby agrees to hold the discipler or the church harmless from any advice, counsel, or suggestions rendered during our discipleship sessions.
Having clarified the principles and policies of our biblical discipleship ministry, we welcome the opportunity to minister to you in the name of Christ and to be used by Him as He helps you grow in spiritual maturity. If you have any questions about these guidelines, please speak with your discipler. Your signature below indicates your informed consent to these guidelines.
