A new church planter met several believers who were sent to help him. He asked, "Who can lead someone to Christ?" They all raised their hands. "That's why we're here to help," one said. Then the planter asked, "Who can make disciples of those they lead to faith?" Nobody raised their hands. The planter began his wildly successful plant (now with six satellites in a city the size of Cincinnati) by making disciple-makers from that original core group. It became their DNA.
Wait. Should everyone be a disciple-maker? Yes! Jesus commanded us all to make disciples and He also promised to be with us in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). He also promised to send the Holy Spirit to empower His followers (Acts 1:8). Making disciples is what His followers have continued to do. It's not just up to the paid staff.
Think of disciple-making as healthy church process. It's not just teaching the lesson. When I used to bring people to Jesus I assumed others would disciple them because I had never been taught to be a disciple-maker. Yes, our pastors and teachers help make disciples, but do you know where everyone is in your church is growing spiritually? Or are some people stuck at one level? Willow Creek, a megachurch in Chicago, raised up spiritual infants to become spiritual children. However, as Bill Hybels noted in Reveal, an expose on their ministry, that’s where discipleship ended. CABA churches must prioritize making disciples. And then keep the discipleship process moving along to help all believers be disciple-makers.
Comments