Making Christ-like Disciples in our cultures
Rev. Billie Hanks, Jr, and Rev. Randy Craig, in their book, "Becoming A Disciple-maker: Develop Spiritual Growth Skills and Help Others to Do the Same", write:
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"This course’s mission: is to help churches train a group of disciple-makers to personally befriend and equip each new believer and member with the needed ministry skills to enjoy a lifetime of spiritual growth and evangelistic multiplication." They add, "This course's relational format is designed to implement one-on-one, life-to-life disciple-making in today's churches." They continue, "disciple-making refers to a healthy biblical relationship in which a more mature Christian spends quality time with a younger believer, showing him or her how to walk by faith, develop godly character and gain proficiency in ministry skills." The Disciple-making model they practice with emphasis on one-on-one discipline (in an individualistic culture) is different from the model of the Apostles in the Early Church.
The model for Disciple-making in the Early Church had as its emphasis the Small Group Life. The first-century, the Early Church's example of disciple-making was so natural, transferable, and achievable that any congregation can experience it. John Wesley's model for making disciples: the Class Meeting, followed the Early Church's example and had its emphasis on the Small Group Life. Rev. Michael D. Henderson writes:
"John Wesley's model, the class meeting, most properly expressed several of the key principles of the Early Church, New Testament Christianity: personal growth within the context of an intimate fellowship; accountability for spiritual stewardship; "bearing one another’s burdens"; and "speaking the truth in love."
People grow best spiritually in Small Groups! John Wesley was able "to recapture the spirit of 'koinonia', the supportive fellowship of New Testament Christianity." The Wesley model harmonises well with the communal culture in Africa. People will more likely grow best spiritually in Africa in the context of supportive communal relationships.
Therefore, in the John Wesley Model and in models that are likely to be effective in the African culture, people are encouraged "to join others in a Small Group Life into a journey of spiritual formation into Christ-likeness—to grow in every way more and more like Christ; in every area of their lives, and into every area of human life and work."
Indeed, non-Western or Majority World churches with communal life culture will more likely embrace more emphasis on the Small Group Life Model for effective Disciple-making. Some church communities in the Western culture still use the Small Group Life emphasis for Disciple-making with significant good results. An example is Pastor Rick Warren's church, Saddleback Valley Community Church.
Evangelism and Discipleship efforts should pay careful attention to the people being reached and also the culture in which they live. Rev. John Stott says, “God disclosed Himself to humanity in terms of a particular culture. And we have a solemn responsibility to present it in terms meaningful to our own culture. Indeed, there is only one gospel, and in its essence, it never changes.”
Dr Visser’t Hooft writes, “evangelism and discipleship is in the first place the transmission of God’s question to man. And that question is and remains whether we are willing to accept Jesus Christ as the one and only Lord of Life. We must try to relate God’s question to the day-to-day existence and situation in which people live and show that, as they answer God’s question, they find at the same time the answer to their deepest concerns.”
There have been several approaches and efforts to carry out effective disciple-making in Churches and Fellowships, in Communities and Nations. Many curriculums of different Disciple-making models have been produced in teaching Christian Doctrine to Church members.
In fact, in the time of John Wesley's Class Meeting Movement, leading to evangelical revival and awakening in the Church in England, more than a million different types and forms of catechisms were developed and printed for use in the Church in Britain.
What is most important is achieving our goal in Disciple-making and Discipleship, hopefully, in the biblical way. Our ultimate goal in Disciple-making and Discipleship is:
- Change (Transformation; metamorphosis)
- Character (Exemplary lifestyle of godliness with integrity−1 Timothy 4:12; Daniel 6:1−10)’
- Charity (The fruit of the Holy Spirit, living a life of love−deep love for God and genuine love for neighbour)
So, whatever model, or set of discipling materials, or curriculum (Disciple-making and Discipleship content) out there that you adopt and use, please make sure that:
- People are experiencing new birth in Christ and are being transformed into Christlikeness.
- People are being changed and are truly ripening more and more the fruit of the Holy Spirit and developing more the character of Christ.
- People are continually in-filled with the Holy Spirit and they demonstrate living spirit-filled behaviour, conduct or lifestyles, and do Christian service in the power of the Holy Spirit.
- People are truly joining Christ in His mission and have the capacity to raise others as true or authentic Christ-like Disciples and Disciple-makers.
Disciple-making of all people groups in all cultures is the mandate God has given to the Church. And this is a possible mission. "After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. (Revelation 7:9 NLT)
(The author is a consultant in authentic Christian Spirituality and Discipleship and former CEO of Scripture Union)