My journey as a believer has allowed me to cross paths with some wonderful Christian men and women. The most influential soul mates I’ve encountered are the ones who burn with a passion to see Jesus Christ formed in others. I’m talking about “disciple makers,” people who take the Great Commission to heart. They exemplify that being an authentic disciple is more about being than doing. They’ve shown me that making disciples is an intentional process involving more than telling people what to believe, but in “Whom” to believe. Disciple makers understand that bringing people to a transforming relationship with Jesus requires vulnerability and transparency. Being a disciple maker involves allowing ourselves to be relational conduits through whom God works to express His love and grace.
During the 20 years I spent in collegiate ministry I often had to learn and relearn the basics of what it takes to bring people closer to Jesus. I became convinced that disciples are made one conversation at a time, through patient investment in lives. Discipling involves teaching, but it’s more involved than expounding doctrine. It is a process that requires participation in the life of another person – life-on-life. Making disciples requires standing by men and women as they strive to mature in Christ. Disciples need mentoring, counseling and encouragement. Jesus spent between 2 – 3 years discipling twelve men. His method was effective and the results long-lasting.
New born babies don’t come running from the womb. Human development is a process. Newborns need a lot of support and nurture for healthy growth. It’s no different with the spiritual man. Newborn disciples need time to mature. They need models and helpers. A new Christian need to be discipled. Real spiritual growth demands spiritual care from those more mature in the faith. Discipleship does not occur in a vacuum. Christianity is relational! It’ to be lived out in community.
Jesus said, “Come, follow me” (Mark 1:17). Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). The old adage, “Christianity is more caught than taught,” reminds us that we are to model Christ life-on-life and to purposefully build Christ-centered relationships with the intent of seeing Christ formed in others. This is how we become fishers of men.
It is our vision and passion to build a grassroots discipling ministry that follows Christ’s example. It is our hope to equip men and women by following the example of Jesus with the twelve, and Paul with Timothy (2 Timothy 2:1-2). Jesus took twelve ordinary men and turned the world upside down. Paul effectively made disciples and planted churches all over the ancient world by focusing on a few. Paul’s relationship with the young disciple Timothy gives an important example regarding making disciples who in turn make other disciples. His admonition to Timothy was to share the things he had heard with “reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” Two striking mandates emerge from Paul’s instruction:
- Personal teaching (discipling) is key, and
- Disciples should reproduce/multiply (e.g. Paul > Timothy > reliable men > others).
In his book, The Lost Art of Disciple Making, Leroy Eims reminds us the church has ground to recover when it comes to making disciples. While “church growth” is a hot topic, and “church growth experts” are in high demand, it seems that we have failed in the basics of making disciples who in turn make other disciples. Our culture’s insatiable hunger and impatience for quick fixes and big numbers sometimes bleeds over into the church. Marketing has often replaced mentoring, and programs have at times caused us to lose sight of individual people. Eims reminds us that disciples are made one-at-a-time by the patient process of one Christian investing into the life of another person and so on. One life poured into another should produce a ripple effect leading to many lives being touched and many disciples made!
“Each one, reach one,” may sound simplistic, but do the math! Spiritual reproduction is the responsibility of every Christ-follower, and multiplication is more efficient than addition! We all need to get involved, but workers must be equipped and new disciples must also be taught how to reproduce. (See blog on “Multiplication Matters”)
Several years ago, I was the recipient of one-on-one relational discipling, and I’m here to affirm that it was a defining and life-altering experience for me. Two Christian brothers invested a significant amount of time in patiently helping me to grow in my relationship with the Lord. They invited me into their lives, spending time to teach me the love and mercy of Jesus and to pray with me. They showed genuine concern that Christ be formed in me (Galatians 4:19). They also encouraged me to find others to disciple. (More elaboration on this story under my blog titled “Fan into Flame.”)
The direction, passion and philosophy of my work in ministry has been shaped by the authentic and purposeful way my friends discipled me. Because of what I was blessed to experience, I’ve worked to pass this teaching on to men and women who are also now sharing their lives with others, too.
Spiritual multiplication is an exciting thing to witness and a deeply gratifying process in which to partake. I am convinced that the church can greatly benefit from a more focused and specialized effort in disciple making. I envision The Timothy Network as a tool for bringing souls to Christ and maturing them for works of service in the Kingdom of God.
Mike Stroud, June 2005