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Lately, I've been listening to the title track from Steven Curtis Chapman's CD, 'The Great Adventure.' The prologue and song energize me as I'm driving up I-95 to the office. I turn up the volume for two reasons: one, to cover up the rattles the engine makes; and two, I think this song should become the Official Baltimore-Washington Conference Discipleship Adventure Anthem.

If you aren't familiar with the music, I highly recommend it. The prologue starts out with strings and piano playing in the background. Ever so gently, the horns enter. In the next 90 seconds or so, the music swells until it reaches a grand crescendo of sound and a final, triumphant chord is sounded.

And just when you think that's done?in three-part, thunderous a capella harmony:

'Saddle up your horses!!!'

Rock guitar thumps in, and Chapman's energized voice takes over and we are off on the Great Adventure.

'Started out this morning, in the usual way,' he sings. 'Chasing thoughts inside my head of all I had to do today / Another time around the circle try to make it better than the last / I opened up the Bible and I read about me / Said I'd been a prisoner and God's grace had set me free / And somewhere between the pages / it hit me like a lightning bolt / I saw a big frontier in front of me and I heard somebody say 'let's go'!'

The Baltimore-Washington's 221st session of annual conference is just around the corner. One of the most important pieces of legislation coming before the body is Bishop John R. Schol's 'Discipleship Adventure.'

The Discipleship Adventure is an inward and outward journey with five pieces: Celebrate the faith (worship), Connect the faith (fellowship), Develop the faith (Bible study), Serve the faith (justice and mercy), and Share the faith (witnessing).

That's it, in a nutshell. That's what local churches are called to do: make Disciples of Jesus Christ and engage them in the Discipleship Adventure.

Sounds easy, right?

Well, in order to align a 'body of Christ' as large as the Baltimore-Washington Conference to provide resources for local churches, some restructuring needs to take place. That's one thing the annual session will be voting on.

Let me boil it down even further for you. Bishop Schol is inviting us to go on a journey; an adventure.

He's asking us to focus on one thing: being a disciple of Jesus Christ. And as I understand it, this is important for at least two reasons.

The first, obviously, is because a disciple has a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. If you don't know why that's important, I beg you to ask me ? or your pastor, or your lay leader or your district superintendent and yes, even your bishop.

The second reason is because disciples of Jesus Christ make other disciples.

Bishop Schol is clear that he's not inviting us on the Discipleship Adventure merely for the sake of numbers. No, it is the relationship that is important. And to strengthen (or begin) that relationship, we utilize the Discipleship Adventure.

Let me try an illustration.

I heard the other day that an African word for 'journey' is 'safari.' Say you're going to go on a safari this summer. What would you take? Remember, you're going to be gone a while, and space is limited and you'll be away from the conveniences of home. What you take is absolutely critical.

Now, what if your journey was your relationship with Jesus? What 'baggage' would you tote along? What baggage would you leave behind?

Bishop Schol is asking us these hard questions. The good news is that together, as an annual conference, we will have the chance to discuss how the Discipleship Adventure looks, feels and behaves.

The bad news is, is that Bishop Schol is asking us these hard questions. We are being invited to look deep within our lives. What do we need for our journey? What can we do without? What do we need less of? What do we need more of?

Hard questions, yes. And sometimes, hard if not scary answers. But that's okay. Because this is an adventure, one that never stops, that has as it's only destination a stronger relationship with Jesus.

And who knows where that will lead? The only assurance ? a blessed one, I might say ? is that in the end, we have a home made with hands that are not human, and in this house are many, many, many rooms.

Which leads me back to Steven Curtis.

'(Chorus) Saddle up your horses we've got a trail to blaze / Through the wild blue yonder of God's amazing grace / Let's follow our leader into the glorious unknown / This is a life like no other ? this is The Great Adventure.'

So, sisters and brothers; get ready to ride. We got us an adventure.