What are some things church leaders can do to overcome the dangers of using discipline?
Take God at his word. The Bible consistently presents discipline as an act of love and redemption. We have to loose the cultural idea that accountability and discipline are bad things. Secondly, realize that preparation is 99 percent of the battle. Most churches do not prepare their congregations for discipline until a crisis hits. You can’t just teach these things in one sermon. We need to be teaching about the blessings and meaning of discipline long in advance of a crisis. It is also crucial to obtain informed consent. This is a legal term, and it is the only reliable defense against being sued. Informed consent means that the people in the church know what the bible says about discipline, they know exactly what the process involves, and they have agreed to submit to the process sometimes in the form of a membership covenant. If we do not intentionally prepare our congregations for discipline we will undermine its effectiveness, and leave ourselves vulnerable to lawsuits. When prepa
