63% of American adults claim to be Christians but only a meager 4% agree with the Bible’s teachings,* revealing a striking gap where many identify with the term “Christian” but only a fraction embody the values, practices, and attitudes of a genuine Jesus follower. That’s disappointing news. Which might even leave you a bit disheartened, but it’s also an opportunity for ministry leaders to cultivate a community of genuine disciples devoted to making disciples themselves.
How do ministry leaders equip Christians to become disciple-makers?
While there are mountains of excellent resources on discipleship, from podcasts to courses from well-known Christian pastors, preparing Christians to become disciple-makers can be boiled down to three, intertwined, key practices: Learn it, Live it, and Lead it.
Learn It
The best illustrations of disciple-making can be seen in the gospels when Jesus calls the original twelve disciples to leave their current way of life and join Him on His mission. Jesus isn’t just after surface-level, half-hearted followers; He wants people who are all-in, ready for a deep, purposeful, and joy-filled life.
The most effective disciple-making models allow time for discovery to learn what a disciple is, the correct knowledge of God, and sound biblical principles with the goal of living them out in daily life. Think of disciple-making like an apprenticeship where you learn by doing. As an apprentice of Jesus, a person spends time with their teacher and Savior, and models their life after Him, doing the same kinds of actions Jesus did during His earthly ministry.
Live It
It is also important to know what a disciple or apprentice is not: not an expert with a pristine life, nor is an apprentice purely a reservoir for knowledge about God waiting until they know enough or are filled up enough before they apply their knowledge.
An apprentice is a person who has an ongoing daily relationship with their teacher, Jesus, pattern their heart posture and actions after Jesus, and actively participate in real life. They also contribute to society and interact with a variety of people from different backgrounds.
When implementing a discipleship-making training experience, creating an expectation for people to practice what they are learning and then creating accountability for reporting back is an essential way for them to gain knowledge and skills by “doing.”
Although most people hate to commit, many find it to be a catalyst for positive change and development. Inviting a person to be accountable by mutually sharing feedback within a small group or one-on-one setting tends to foster spiritual growth.
Lead It
Finally, as we journey through the lifelong process of deepening our knowledge and living out our faith, there comes a pivotal moment where a disciple should feel compelled to invest their time and energy in guiding others toward understanding what it truly means to follow Jesus as an apprentice. It is not practical to rely solely on pastors and ministry leaders’ disciple-making efforts to move the dial on that 65%.
Instead, it’s about multiplying discipleship by equipping and then entrusting individuals to carry on the mission of Jesus within their spheres of influence, fostering a movement where every Christian becomes committed to propelling the Gospel forward through personal disciple-making within their communities.
Want to learn more about discipleship training?
*Comer, John Mark, Practicing the Way, p. 32, The Crown Publishing Group, Kindle Edition
