HEALTHY CHURCH: Disciple-Making 101
Much is being said and written on disciples making disciples, but is disciple-making becoming a reality in our lives and ministries? Where is it being lost in the translation, and where is the baton of discipleship being dropped? Even with great glimmers of hope and transformation, why do we not see the follow through in this foundational truth that should be observable? Maybe we should step back and make sure we are defining the terms biblically and clearly. A disciple is a learner or follower who binds him/herself to Christ to acquire His wisdom, character and mission.
Discipleship is the expression of a relationship with Christ characterized by learning, obeying and following Him. Notice the word obeying because so much “discipleship” has become content, academic and information transfer, but true discipleship is about life transformation. Being involved in a discipleship relationship should produce change in the individual’s life. Paul said this to the church in Philippi, “Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me. Everything you heard from me and saw me doing…” (Phil. 4:9 NLT). Don’t miss the importance of “saw me doing” because modeling is crucial in discipleship.
Disciple-making is intentionally striving to make others as we are ourselves, followers of Christ. Paul told the Corinthians, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” One pastor stated that he saw discipleship simply as “helping someone take their next steps spiritually.” In Leading Others, Mac Lake states, “I don’t know about you, but when I hear discipleship defined that way, it’s not so intimidating. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar, you simply help people think through where they are in their relationship with God and help them identify a next step.” The good news is that disciple-making does not have to be complicated or intimidating. God’s plan is for you to help others on their spiritual journey, which requires a close personal relationship with them.
Mac Lake refers to “Five Circles of Knowing”that can correlate with the five spaces of:
• Divine space (one-on-one with the Lord),
• Transparent space (3-4 people),
• Personal space (small group of 12-15),
• Social space (70 or so) and
• Public space (the larger crowds).
The circles enable you to get to know those in the crowds far more personally and intimately. The depth of the relationship is critical for discipleship that promotes life transformation to occur genuinely. This challenges you to move your discipling relationship from where people follow you because they have to a level five leadership, where they follow you because they respect you.
In the crowd space, you know the person’s face. You recognize them and associate them as a part of the larger group, and you are glad they are there. The social space is where you begin to learn some facts about the person, like their name, how many children they have, where they work and where they are from. You know the basic information about who they are. The personal space of 12-15 is where you begin to learn and know their feelings and opinions. You discover what they like and what they do not like. You discern their preferences and the things that are their favorites, such as hobbies, sports teams and so on.
The transparent space (3-4) is where you begin to truly know the person because you develop a trust where vulnerability is okay. A strong bond has been built, and you can now share weaknesses, struggles, anxieties, concerns, challenges and fears with one another. This step of closeness and camaraderie enables you, as a disciple-maker, to go even deeper in your relationship with them. Now, you begin to know their faith. You observe how central Christ is to the person’s life and what their level of spiritual maturity actually is. You see what God is doing in their life, what He has brought them through and where He is taking them.
Here is a principle of discipleship that can be easily overlooked. It takes time to build this kind of relationship, and it requires sensitivity to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. You can go too fast, but you can also go too slow. The focus here is spending time with the one you are discipling, not just time for them. What is the difference? Quite often, you will spend a lot of time preparing materials or a lesson “for” the one you are discipling. The temptation is to pour information into them when what they really need is time with you. Iron sharpens iron, and that requires a closeness that can only be provided by spending time together.
The basic fundamentals of creating a disciple-making culture begins with making sure there is a constant movement toward those who are far from God. What rhythms are you building into your discipleship pathway for living out the Great Commission daily? Develop a prayer, care and share culture that seeks to BLESS (Begin in Prayer, Listen to them, Eat with Them, Serve Them, Share His Story) those who are not believers. This moves you into the next step of developing a relationship of love and influence. That takes time, and the process has already been described in the 5 Circles of Knowing by Mac Lake.
The third element is remembering that what is taught must be modeled, and the ones you are discipling need to be coached along the way. That cannot be overstressed or overstated. As you lead others, you model spiritual growth by your own walk with Christ. Mentors pour into other people’s lives, but a coach pulls out of the disciple the challenges, concerns and struggles of the one being discipled by asking good questions. Maybe a better term here than disciple is apprentice because you are sharing what you have discovered and learned on your spiritual journey. Discipleship is as much caught as taught when you make the journey together. People are not an interruption to your ministry — they are your ministry.
Now, ask God to give you two to three individuals to invite into your transparent space that you can disciple by modeling the spiritual journey you are on personally. Show compassion to them by knowing and feeling the struggles they are going through. Model comfort and support by observing their spiritual condition and taking the appropriate steps to walk with them on their journey. That requires time and resources, but is well worth the effort.
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Larry Barker
Director of Church Planting and Church Health Larry Barker submits a weekly column titled, Healthy Church Solutions, designed to strengthen and encourage the local church.
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