On This Rock: Building Disciples through Formation and Giving

Jesus asks the question that stands at the center of the church’s life: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” and Jesus says, “On this rock I will build my church.” Peter becomes the rock because of the faith he proclaims. That confession, not bricks and mortar, is the foundation of everything the church builds.

The church at Ascension builds through a capital campaign and an annual giving campaign, but neither effort is simply about raising money. The capital campaign strengthens the physical infrastructure that gives ministry a safe and welcoming place to happen. Annual giving sustains the everyday work of worship, Christian formation, pastoral care, outreach, and the staff who serve the parish. Buildings matter because of what happens inside them and because of the ministry that goes out through the red doors.

Christian formation forms disciples over time. Children learn the stories of faith, young people ask difficult questions, adults grow in Scripture and prayer, friendships deepen, gifts are discovered, and disciples are strengthened. Discipleship does not happen automatically. It is built stone by stone, prayer by prayer, conversation by conversation, Sunday by Sunday, and act of service by act of service. Like an athlete or musician, a disciple learns through practice.

Peter’s first letter calls God’s people “living stones” built into a spiritual house. Every person has a place in building God’s kingdom. Stewardship therefore offers more than money. Stewardship offers time, abilities, compassion, resources, relationships, faith, and life itself. Christ forms disciples, and Christ sends them out to forgive someone, feed someone, welcome a stranger, and carry the gospel into homes, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and a world hungry for hope, mercy, reconciliation, and the love of Jesus Christ.

Jesus says, “I will build my church.” Christ remains the builder. Christ’s church and Christ’s mission give each generation the privilege of participating in what God is doing. Generations before built, gave, prayed, taught, served, and sacrificed so that there would be a church today. Ascension now receives the same calling: strengthen the foundation, sustain the ministry, form disciples, and proclaim Christ so that faith and life truly intersect.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Christ’s confession is the foundation. Peter’s confession names the rock on which the church stands: Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Buildings, programs, worship, and outreach receive their purpose from that truth. The church loses its center whenever its activity becomes detached from knowing and following Christ. [25:36]
• 2. Disciples are formed over time. Discipleship is not automatic, and it cannot be reduced to attending occasional activities. Prayer, Scripture, worship, conversation, service, and faithful repetition slowly shape a person’s life. The patient work of formation prepares Christians to answer Christ’s question for themselves. [30:10]
• 3. Every believer is a living stone. The image of a spiritual house gives every person a real place in God’s kingdom. Stewardship includes resources, but it also includes compassion, relationships, abilities, and the offering of one’s whole life. God builds through ordinary people who give what they have for the life of others. [31:49]
• 4. The church exists for sending. Worship nourishes, fellowship strengthens, and formation prepares God’s people for life beyond the church doors. The gospel becomes visible when someone forgives, feeds, or welcomes another person. A gracious welcome can quietly testify that Jesus is the Messiah. [32:46]
• 5. Christ himself builds the church. Jesus does not merely assign a project to human hands; he says, “I will build my church.” Generosity and service participate in Christ’s mission rather than securing human achievement. This confidence frees the church to build faithfully for people it may never meet.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [24:36] - Christ’s Question to the Disciples
• [25:36] - Peter’s Confession and the Rock
• [26:05] - Building the Church at Ascension
• [27:53] - Why Buildings Serve Ministry
• [28:11] - Forming Children, Youth, and Adults
• [29:46] - Discipleship Through Service
• [30:10] - Formation Stone by Stone
• [31:34] - Living Stones and Stewardship
• [32:46] - Sent Out to Proclaim the Gospel
• [34:14] - Building Together for the Future
• [35:25] - Christ Builds His Church
• [36:14] - Faith and Life Intersect

1. What does Peter call Jesus, and what does Jesus promise to build on the rock of Peter’s confession? [25:37]
2. Besides a physical building, what parts of the church’s life are named as ways people are formed and served?
3. What repeated practices are named as shaping disciples over time? [30:14]
4. According to 1 Peter 2:5, what are believers compared to, and what are they being built into? [31:45]

1. Why is Peter’s confession—“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”—the true foundation for the church’s buildings, ministries, worship, and outreach? [27:09]
2. What does it mean for a believer to be a “living stone” rather than simply a person who attends a church building? How does that image give each person a meaningful place in God’s kingdom? [32:12]
3. Why does discipleship need steady practices such as prayer, Scripture, worship, conversation, and service instead of happening automatically? [30:14]
4. Matthew 28 says that disciples are sent to make disciples. How do worship, fellowship, formation, buildings, and generosity prepare believers to carry the gospel beyond the church doors? [32:52]

1. Jesus still asks, “Who do you say that I am?” How would you answer that question today, not only with words but also with the way you live this week? [34:14]
2. Which practice would most strengthen your life as a disciple right now: regular worship, Scripture reading, prayer, a faithful friendship, serving others, or something else? What is one realistic next step you could take?
3. Every believer is a living stone with time, abilities, compassion, resources, relationships, faith, and life to offer. Which of these gifts do you most readily offer, and which one may God be inviting you to offer more freely? [32:22]
4. The gospel is made visible when people forgive, feed, and welcome others. Is there a specific person you could forgive, a need you could help meet, or someone new you could welcome in the coming week? [33:20]
5. A gracious welcome can help someone encounter Christ and find a spiritual home. What would it look like for you to notice and welcome someone who may feel unfamiliar, overlooked, or alone? [33:32]
6. Generosity helps prepare a place for people we may never meet. How does that truth shape the way you think about giving your money, time, or service to the church’s ministry? [35:01]
7. Christ says, “I will build my church.” Where do you need the freedom and confidence that comes from remembering that Christ is the builder, while you are invited to participate faithfully? [35:25]