Hi Guys quite new here so be gentle
Just looking for everyone’s views on Discipleship, How does it look with you ?
I am in the middle of creating a discipleship program for the church I am at. I have been thinking along the lines of something that should be at least a year long with small groups meeting every week except the holidays.
Ok please share your thoughts and examples of how your church does things. What works , what doesn’t and most importantly why it works or doesn’t.
Thanks in advance
First, it is important to define discipleship.
“The term "disciple" itself is derived from the Greek word "mathētēs," meaning a learner or follower. In the context of Christianity, discipleship is not merely an academic pursuit but a transformative journey that encompasses the whole of a believer's life.”
https://biblehub.com/topical/t/the_importance_of_discipleship.htm
Disciple in the Jewish culture was expected to learn from their Rabbi (teacher), mimic His ways, and in return eventually, they would carry forth the Rabbi's teachings under the Rabbi's authority, they would then take on disciples themselves, teaching and expecting the process to be repeated.
These students would even go as far as mimicking the way their Rabbi spoke and walked. It provides great insight into the Jewish culture.
Of course, we may have teachers and disciples but the foundation passed down can never be manipulated or changed. The first Rabbi being Jesus Christ is the same foundation of the apostles just as it is for us today.
So ultimately the student strives to become like the master, and the master (any teacher after Jesus) must never be above being taught.
The biggest problem we see today is a lack of intention and time. The disciples of Jesus spent almost every day with Him for years.
Then you see the early church through Acts, they met regularly and often to worship God and study the teachings of Jesus through the letters and words of the Apostles.
Paul expected the Christian to mature rapidly out of infant doctrines and to reach a place to teach.
If it takes us 10 years to
1. Make disciples
2. To train them
3. And then release them to repeat the process.
Then I believe the intention is not a whole-heart movement.
Those who are truly on fire for the Lord will be all-in to the point, that nothing else takes their eyes off of the mission at hand.
I've done the community groups which are great for fellowship and learning but you have to be very intentional in building disciple makers.
Otherwise, it just becomes a house church where you teach, people come, and they leave. If those people are not inviting, evangelizing, and disciplining others, then ultimately it just becomes a fellowship.
Also, the pulse must always be monitored. Is the group providing life or death? Has it become a group of only close friends? What about gossip?
Hopefully, this helps with seeing the vision of how discipleship should work out.
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