David and I were standing on the sidewalk after church. He was a growing leader in the church who was passionate about his faith. He shared his desire to stand in front of the church and preach, but confessed that he wasn't very good at speaking. The thought of it turned his stomach. I asked him why he wanted to preach.
"That's what really mature Christians do, isn't it?"
When Jesus left the earth he told his followers to go and "make disciples." Discipleship is an essential part of God's plan for the church and the world. But like David, we often limit discipleship in our minds or in our practice. It can become just preaching. Just teaching, or evangelizing, or "doing justice," or whatever your church's ministry emphasis is. And this leads us to the crux of our problem: our conception of discipleship is often so unclear it's difficult to know if we're succeeding in Christ's mandate.
As pastors, we know that making disciples is central to our call and one of the things that brings us the most joy in ministry. That is why we must remove barriers from doing it effectively. In my experience, these fall into two common categories. First, our focus is too narrow, and second, we don't use common language.
1. Our Focus is Too Narrow.
At a recent seminar I attended, a businessman was asked how evangelism fit into his work. He replied, "Often we have the opportunity to share our faith, but while evangelism is important, so are compassion, service, justice, and discipleship."
I cringed. Too often, discipleship is seen as one thing among many in the life of a Christian, instead of our central organizing directive. One pastor told me he appreciated discipleship but wasn't passionate about it. He felt God calling him to focus on worship—discipleship was relegated to other pastors at his church. But that's crazy! Discipleship is not one item on a list of disciplines to choose from—it is essential to all Christians.
Viewing discipleship as one item on a list has consequences. Though we'd never admit it, it marginalizes following Jesus and finding new life in him (the core outcome of discipleship). Not everyone is a worship leader. Not everyone is a teacher. Not everyone works daily with the poor. But every Christian is called to discipleship, and all of our ministries relate to this central endeavor.
The way we go about making disciples is also too narrow. Mostly, we just give people information and pass it off as discipleship. There aren't many who would claim discipleship is only about learning, but our methods tell a different story. When people aren't serving the poor, we preach on how much Jesus cared for them. When they don't love their neighbors, we distribute small group curriculum on being a good neighbor. By and large, we take the robust call to discipleship and reduce it to the transfer of knowledge.
In Romans 12:12 Paul says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Renewing our mind—growing in knowledge and changing the way we think—is essential. Without learning we can't know what it looks like to be transformed. At the same time, we cannot assume that people will be transformed just by learning enough. It may lead to growth, but not necessarily. Some people are content to soak up knowledge without practicing any of it. That is not discipleship. Successful discipleship requires moving from narrow definitions and methods to holistic ones.
2. We Don't Use Common Language.
I work in a community that is 50 percent Hispanic. I learned Spanish in high school and remember almost enough to be dangerous. Our church wants to connect with our whole community, which means building relationships with people who speak a different language. We work diligently to do this, but the language barrier is limiting. There are a lot of misunderstandings.
Of course this will not make us rethink our ministry, but it does highlight an important principle. Much more can be accomplished, and more quickly, when we have common language. How we talk about our processes and philosophies of discipleship are important. Most churches are missing effective common language for this. Effective common language about discipleship has to be clear, concise, and consistent.
When I began the non-profit I currently lead, I thought I had a clear vision. In my head there was no confusion. But I realized how deluded I was when I shared the vision at a board meeting. During my presentation, I went on an aimless twenty-minute verbal excursion. By the end, it was obvious to everyone that I had no clarity, and wasn't ready to move forward yet. People cannot actively pursue something that is unclear. Effective common language must be clear and concise.
But you must also use common language consistently. Repeat it until people are sick of hearing it. Use it enough that anyone in the congregation could share it. And be very slow to change it. Sometimes changes are needed, but constant change will lead to confusion and people will tune out.
Unique Conformity
I think that holistic discipleship can be summed up in two words: unique conformity. Using this as a framework for discipleship has numerous advantages:
- It frames discipleship as a holistic pursuit. Discipleship should touch every part of life—family, work, recreation, church, and all the stuff in between. It transforms us in regard to identity, thoughts, and behaviors.
- It uses effective common language. I assume you could already go and explain this to someone else. It is clear and concise.
- The concept itself can be grasped quickly. But fully understanding yourself, conforming to Christ, and applying these principles will take a lifetime of discipline and work.
We are called to conform to Jesus and his way. Paul said he wanted Christ to be formed in the Galatians. Romans 8 says we were predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus. Jesus said if we love him we will obey what he commands. Disciples of Jesus must consistently draw nearer to God, being transformed by the Holy Spirit into the image of the Son, learning to walk in his way.
But people are also unique. This uniqueness is not ancillary to our discipleship; it's essential. Discipleship that does not address the unique personalities, passions, gifts, jobs, relationships, challenges, opportunities, strengths, and weaknesses of each person is insufficient. Unfortunately we often put everyone through the same curriculum with the same questions expecting the same answers. Instead of helping people understand and embrace their unique calling, we tell them which volunteer slots need to be filled in the church. It is at the intersection of uniqueness and conformity that real disciples are forged.
Jesus has called us to live as and make disciples. Unique conformity is not a "silver bullet," but it does address overly narrow conceptions of discipleship and provide effective common language. Holistic discipleship will help people find their unique part in the mission of God. This promotes fulfillment, purpose, wholeness, and action. We will see true change as our people uniquely conform to Jesus.
A Holistic Disciple
Instead of preaching uncomfortably in front of the congregation, David is now leading our congregation's Welcome Team. He loves interacting with people one-on-one, so he sets a great example of authentic welcome for others.
We've also had great conversations about his job. David delivers flowers. He's always appreciated having a job, but it was hard for him to see the point in it beyond the paycheck. But as he began exploring the impact of being Jesus' disciple on his occupation, he's found a deeper meaning in it. Almost every day, he gets to interact with people who are celebrating and people who are sick and dying. He has had many conversations with these flower recipients, learning to appreciate the joy on their faces. He's even prayed with some of them.
David's also learned to view his relationship with his adult son through the lens of discipleship. He is praying for him regularly, seeking to understand him deeply, and considering what his son is learning about faith from his example.
David is not just a "solid church member." He is a man learning to view every aspect of his life as something to be uniquely conformed to Christ. David is being discipled—and in turn, he's discipling others.
I don't know about you, but that looks a lot like the Great Commission to me.
Trevor Lee is pastor of Mountair Christian Church in Lakewood, Colorado.
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