This “mini-course” from the Verge Network in disciple-making is full of practices that I have learned over the years as I’ve ministered to women through the principles, proclamations, prohibitions, and promises of the Word. Disciple-making has a simple blueprint, but it is not easy. Know where to start. Know that it takes time. The fruit of a disciple-maker is not a disciple. It is other disciple-makers! It is the call of every disciple.
1.) Point always to the centrality of Christ, not letting anyone make you the object of their faith. (Too many are prone to the cult of personality!) Teach them to be dependent on Christ! (Chan and Platt)
2.) Identify the right people to disciple. Look for the person of “peace” who welcomes and receives who you are…receptive and teachable because of what they see of Jesus in you but who also wants to bring what they have to serve Christ and his people, too. Are you looking for them? (Jo Saxton)
3.) Share your faith in culturally relevant ways. Live the kingdom right where you are. Don’t just share information. Invite them into the kingdom where you are. (Hugh Holter)
4.) Make discipleship an intentional rhythm in your life and the life of those whom you disciple. LIVE LIFE WITH THOSE GOD HAS ENTRUSTED TO YOU. Relationship is the reality. (David Platt)
5.) Observe and practice the simple pattern in the New Testament in the 2-3 person relationship pattern. Be authentic and participate in their lives. Put off- put on, breathe in- breathe out. (Neal Cole)
6.) Practice hospitality. Use your resources as a tool. Be authentic, exposing others to your own life. (Ahati Lewis)
7.) It must be done in the power and authority of Christ. The Spirit has to do the work…..in us and in those to whom we minister. (Jeff Vanderstelt)
My passion is not simply to help women in their life transformation from dysfunctionality to living as disciples of Jesus Christ. It is also to help equip them to be disciple-makers when they leave Titus 2…among their families, in their workplace, with their friends, wherever God leads them.
Francis Chan and David Platt in talking about disciple making made the point that individuals have to stay focused on Christ….Keep pushing them toward relationship with him….Otherwise they will be tempted to become dependent on us as disciplers. Make Christ central!!! I see that again and again in recovery ministry. If an individual will not understand the gospel and move toward attachment to God, but rather wants to attach to me or others, the focus, motive, and attitude is not compatible with what we are doing here. As ministers of the gospel we are not about making individuals dependent upon us and what we offer….Our task is to point them always to the sufficiency of Christ in their lives for whatever they need. That will ultimately also lead them into healthy interdependence in Christian community and good, mutually supportive relationships.
Individuals are to “grow up into Christ.” If one simply wants me or others to be her mother, her nanny, her caregiver, her probation officer, her rescuer, her savior, or her co-dependent enabler, I have to tell her, “No, you are not ready for this program.” Grow up. We will help you. We will give you the support you need until you are able to move forward in confidence, assimilated into healthy community.