Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Interview with Jay Moore

Terry Dorsett
I want to introduce my readers to Jay Moore, a man with a tremendous passion to help ordinary people be a light of the gospel to those a round them. Recently I interviewed Jay about his ministry and about a book he has written. You can read that interview below.

Terry: Jay, you have been in ministry for 30 years. You have served as a pastor in a local church, but also have done a lot of work in the area of church planting. Can you tell us about the current ministry you are involved in and how you got involved?

Jay: At this time I serve as the Strategy Coordinator for Fellowship Of the Cross in Tucson, Arizona. FOTC is designed to be a network of small organic churches that meet in homes, offices or any place where a small group of people can gather. Also, through FOTC we provide Reproducing Disciple Making Basic Training for other existing churches that want to develop a more missional posture in their communities by training their church members to be missionaries in their own communities. We use the T4T Training process that was developed by Ying Kai while he was in China as an IMB strategy coordinator. This training was used by God to ignite the largest church planting movement in modern history and has been adapted in many other cultures around the world with tremendous success.

Terry: In this ministry you speak to a lot of leaders in churches. Tell us 2-3 key things you have learned about church members in your conversations with them.

Jay:
1) The most compelling thing that I hear from church members all around North America is that they are tired of being spectators watching a religious performance. They have a Holy discontent and feel there has to be more than just going to a church building a few times a week, participating in church programs, watching a few people perform on Sundays and giving their money. Many Christians have trouble articulating this discontent, but they do know that God wants more from them and whatever that is has to be more significant than what they have been offered to participate in thus far.

2) I have also learned that ordinary Christians who have been trained to develop a lifestyle of reproducing disciple making can’t get enough of it. They are sharing with me that being involved in the Great Commission and living with that purpose has brought them the greatest satisfaction they have ever known.

3) Perhaps surprisingly, church members have shared with me that they wish their pastors would trust them more, train them better and provide more opportunities to go make disciples in their communities and not just in a church building or within the confines of a church program.


Terry: As you have learned these things, you wrote a book. Tell us about the book.

Jay Moore
Jay: THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE: A Journey Into Missional Living was written for the purpose of empowering, encouraging and equipping ordinary Christians to live powerful missional lives where the Light of Christ shines brightly through them and into their part of this dark world. It is written primarily for ordinary people who have no special theological education so they can become competent and confident in making disciples. However, even though it wasn’t written for pastors I do believe it would be beneficial for pastor to read so as to use it as a tool for training their members.

The book starts off with a missional parable of Two Brave Little Lights that leave their well lit, safe home to venture out into the dark and shine their light in obedience to what the First Light has commanded. The reader will get to join them in their missional living discovery, their fears of leaving the safety and comfort of their home and the challenges and lessons learned by going out into the dark world. This parable is intended to show how North American Christians need to leave their church buildings and get out into their communities to share Jesus – to shine the Light of Christ.


The book teaches the Three Basic Skills that every Christian needs to learn and master in order to effectively live a missional life. It will emphasize the turning of these skills into a natural part of a Christian’s lifestyle. The book will reveal Three Common Roadblocks that hinder a Christian from developing the three basic skills. These roadblocks will prevent them from forming into a habit and lifestyle. It will also give the solutions to overcome those roadblocks. Finally, the book will lead the reader through a step by step process that will help them develop their own personalized strategy for missional living.

Terry: Who will benefit the most from reading this book and why?

Jay: Ordinary Christians who are tired of going to church a couple of times per week to watch a performance and are ready to get out of the bleachers and onto the field to be part of the game. They are the Christians who feel there has to be more to this Christian life than what has been offered and they are ready to discover what it is and wholeheartedly go after it.

Terry: What is the main thing you would like people to walk away with after reading your book?

Jay: YOU CAN DO THIS! Being part of the Great Commission and becoming a reproducing disciple maker is not rocket science! Jesus made disciple making so simple and reproducible that even common fishermen could do it powerfully.


Terry: If you could offer one piece of advice to Christians and the churches they attend, what would it be?

Jay: Pastors & Churches need to intentionally raise up, train up and unleash their church members to be missionaries in their communities. Churches need to train their members to be reproducing disciple makers.

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