What is Discipleship?  Stop reading and write down what it is to you.

For some churches discipleship looks like a classroom.  It looks like a set of lesson plans.  What is it that a new believer needs to know?

For some of us discipleship looks like a Mentor-Mentee relationship…sitting at the coffee shop digging into scripture, talking about what it means to be Christian, discussing why a new Christian might consider dropping cigarettes.

For some of us, we’re so focused on reaching the lost that discipleship is not considered much at all.  We focus on a person and they’re decision and once they’ve made it, though we wouldn’t say it out loud, our job is done.

I’ve sat through hours of discussion on this topic.  What is the right way?  How do we best do that with students?  What is it that they need to know?

And, at the end of the day, all of those discussion about discipleship seem to be a waste of time.

Here’s why.  In my experience, both in my bible studies and in my personal experiences, people grow differently.  I myself have been discipled by lots of people.  I have had times of great growth and stagnation.  I have been taught well and I’ve been taught poorly.  I have appreciated some folks for the right reasons and been frustrated with people trying to help me grow for the wrong reasons.  In the end, I’ve been discipled.  I’ve grown and…are you ready for this?…I’m still being discipled.

People grow differently.  Discipleship looks different for every individual.  Some grow incredibly early and some are slow to grow.  Some fight the process of denying themselves for years while others drop it like a bad habit only to fight this later within the context of religion.  All that to say, this seems to be a moving target and we fight about it as if there is an answer.

What if we all just decided, there was no best way and quit arguing and doing what works?  Classes are working…Go with it!  Mentor programs are working….Get after it!  Groups based discipleship working?….Do it!

Here is the only non-negotiable that I have for Discipleship.

I think any formal discipleship must follow INVOLVEMENT in The Church.   See my Paradigm on The Church  HERE.

Jesus said “follow me” and then he taught.

The early church was growing so fast, that before anyone could sit and learn the minimums for Christianity, they first had to help “The Church” park camels for service.

We see tons of evidence of the Apostles divying out jobs…to people who didn’t actually walk and talk with Jesus!  That’s crazy talk!  Isn’t it?

Their strategy was that planned growth would follow the simple willingness to take a step in God’s direction.

How many programs do you have right now that a “new Christian” can serve in?

How many program do you have right now that a “new Christian” could serve in but you have a policy that says they can’t?

What if our Paradigm about how to get started switched from a question of “What?” and “How?” to “Are they involved?”

The truth is…Authentically Involved People Grow.

And isn’t that the goal?