A few of our Anderson Hills gang and their families

Last weekend Carolyn and I had the opportunity to return to Anderson Hills United Methodist Church in Cincinnati where we did youth ministry from 1976-79. I preached in the three morning services and got reacquainted with friends that we hadn’t seen in over 31 years. Leatha Graham, a youthful 98-year-old, told me that I didn’t look the same, "You used to have such beautiful dark hair!"

Anderson Hills was my first appointment out of seminary. I was 24 years old. Our time there would be a brief two years and ten months, but we got right to work on the mandate given to us by our Lord--“Go and make disciples!” That first summer we started a Wednesday evening Bible study with a group of 13 students who would become our core. We went to work identifying a group of adults who had a passion to work with teens. I remember the summer evening in 1976 when I drove the River Road east out of Cincinnati to recruit Dan and Sue Meckstroth to work with middle school students. They both made a commitment to Christ that year and now over 34 years later serve at Ginghamsburg Church. We met in our home one night a week to disciple teen leaders and another night to disciple adults. Each of the disciples that we worked with recruited groups of their own. We organized strategic trips and retreats. From Ocean City, New Jersey, to Port au Prince, Haiti, we worked, witnessed, studied, prayed, laughed and loved together.

The teens and adults that Carolyn and I left on the first Sunday in April '79 are now hovering around the 50-year-old mark. A few of our former adult counselors are approaching 80. The work of discipleship that Carolyn and I committed ourselves to in that brief 34 months continues to bear fruit through our Anderson Hills gang, who continue to reproduce themselves in others.

When Carolyn and I were moved from Anderson Hills to Ginghamsburg by our Bishop in 1979, we got right to work--identifying a core group, equipping and sending. Thirty-one years later, Tom and Elaine Sampley are reproducing themselves in the Czech Republic. John Ward has restarted two churches while he continued in his regular employment. Dennis Mikel has been instrumental in discipling Lay Pastors for the care of thousands. All of us are called to this work of discipleship. Carolyn and I are currently meeting with a group of 26 young adults in our home on Tuesday evenings. Carolyn is taking time to meet with the women and I with the men apart from our regular meeting time. Whom are you discipling? Discipleship doesn't happen apart from the hard work of mentoring. Church programs don't make disciples. Disciples make disciples! The process of discipleship is the focused work of moving people from believers to followers: from donation to sacrifice, from moralistic principles to lifestyles of self-denial, from the pursuit of success to true significance. Disciples learn to drop everything they have into the hands of Jesus to be directed by God’s purpose.

God bless…