** This response is right on theme for our focus on discipleship this month and a good reminder that the work is ultimately the Lord’s. What a privilege that He invites us to participate and gives us joy in doing so! As a response, this is biblically sound, answers the question asked, gives ample scriptural support, points to the centrality of the gospel, and has a personable tone. **

Question: When you disciple or evangelize are you to brag how many you get in church?

Profile: Female, North America, 46–60

Answered by: Ramil Corpuz, who has been serving on our Q&A Answer Team since August 2013.

Answer: Good day!

No, we should not brag about how many people we get into attending the church or how many people we have discipled or evangelized or served in the ministry. Bragging has no place in the ministry. After rebuking the Corinthian Church for having favorites, apostle Paul said, “Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become ‘fools’ so that you may become wise” (1 Corinthians 3:18). Paul encourages the believers in Philippi not to boast about their status in life or accomplishments by modelling Christ, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:3–7).

The only thing we can boast about the cross of Christ—not our own accomplishments in the ministry. “As for me, however, I will boast only about the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; for by means of his cross the world is dead to me, and I am dead to the world” (Galatians 6:14). We don’t have any contribution in our own salvation, how much more in the salvation of others? (Ephesians 2:8–9). Therefore, boasting about our accomplishments especially in the ministry is contrary to Christian faith and practice and has no place whatsoever in the ministry. 

Hope it helps you in any way.