Book Review by the North Texas-North Louisana Synod, ELCA

In his book, Power Surge, the Rev. Michael W. Foss presents six marks of
discipleship, which he defines as “practices of faith that will help bridge the gap between
beliefs and behaviors.” He presents these marks not as religious rules, but as a method of
strengthening faith and bringing one’s faith into the real world.
The marks have the effect of bringing the disciple into a closer relationship with
God and compelling the disciple to increasingly look to God to guide all aspects of his or
her life. In so doing, faith and life are intertwined, and the disciple is equipped with, as
Foss writes, “a real faith for real life.”
Foss believes that this real faith for real life has the power to energize and
transform our congregations. Let’s look then at what Foss defines as the six marks of
discipleship.

Daily Prayer
The ability to speak to and listen to God in prayer is a powerful gift. To have a
truly strong faith, one that is active in shaping our lives, we must use this gift. A disciple
uses prayer to grow closer to God and to find God’s will for his or her life. For a disciple,
prayer is a way of asking for help, giving thanks for blessings received and seeking
guidance in all situations.
Foss also believes that a church should be a “school of prayer,” equipping its
disciples with the ability to turn to God to lead their lives. He challenges churches with
“creating a context in which conversation with God is as natural and expected as
conversation among families, friends, and acquaintances.”

Weekly Worship
Most of us are pretty accomplished at feeding our bodies when they are hungry.
We need very little prompting to drink when we are thirsty. But our spiritual hunger and
thirst must also be satisfied. Worshiping each week is the fuel on which a disciple’s spirit
runs. Gathering for public worship reaffirms the disciple’s faith and prepares the disciple
for service to God in the coming week. Foss states that a disciple worships weekly “not
out of obligation, but out of eagerness.” Disciples worship because their relationship with
God drives them to want to be together with other disciples, whether in their home
congregation or as visitors in another when they are away from home.
A poorly prepared meal might cause even a hungry person to leave the table
unsatisfied. A church, then, must provide a worship service that feeds the spiritually
hungry. Foss writes that worship leaders must themselves be worshiping if the service is
to be truly satisfying. A discipleship church must be led by disciples that also feel the
need to worship God publicly and enthusiastically each week.

Bible Reading
The Bible is the Word of God, given to teach us and guide our lives. How could
disciples of Jesus Christ, then, not turn to that Word as a guiding light for their lives?
Reading and studying the Bible are important to disciples because these practices help
them to know God and to embrace God’s love, mercy and grace. When we read the
Bible, we are in His presence and can grow closer to Him.
Foss, though, likens the Bible to a carpenter’s toolbox. It contains many useful
tools, but only to those who know how to put the tools to use. A discipleship church must
make teaching, reading and understanding the Bible a top priority. Small group Bible
study and classes on using resources such as concordances, commentaries and Bible
dictionaries are vital ministries at a discipleship church.

Service
Service is a discipline that grows out of faith in the perfect love of God. A
disciple understands that no deed is great enough to earn God’s love. But a disciple who
feels God’s love is unable to keep from expressing gratitude for that love through service
to others. Service is one of the ways disciples express their faith by, as Foss states,
“participating in God’s love for the world.” Service, both to a congregation and outside
the church, is not so much something we do to become a disciple as something we do as a
result of being a disciple.
A discipleship church should be a place where service is expected and where
disciples are prepared to perform service. This starts by valuing and acknowledging those
who serve, which will attract others to service. It continues by giving people
opportunities to get involved in service and by training them to serve.

Spiritual Friendships
Encouragement, commitment, accountability, support—these are some of the
words Foss uses when writing about spiritual friendships. Another is growth. Spiritual
friendships are relationships disciples have with other disciples. It is in these friendships
that disciples encourage each other, reinforce their commitment to the marks of
discipleship, hold each other accountable as disciples and support each other in their
successes and failures. These friendships lead to the growth of faith in the disciple.
The importance of these friendships should not be underemphasized. As Foss
writes, “It is in interpersonal, caring relationships between committed disciples that real
growth takes place.”

Giving
Generous giving, or tithing, is the final mark of discipleship. It is in this mark that
the difference between a membership church and a discipleship church is often most
clearly seen. In a membership church, giving can often become akin to paying
membership dues and expecting certain services in return. But in a discipleship church,
tithing is done with joy and thanksgiving. Tithing is a way of keeping our focus on the
fact that all that we have comes from God. It also serves to remind us that we must keep
things in perspective and understand what is truly important in life.