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Making Disciples Jesus' Way: A Few at a Time
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The crisis at the heart of the church is a crisis of product,” writes Bill Hull.1 Is there any more important question for a pastor to answer than “what kind of people are we growing in our ministries”? According to pollsters such as George Barna and George Gallup, we are not producing people who are a whole lot different in conviction and lifestyle from the rest of society. This has been well documented, so I will not bore you with a recitation of the bad news. I will get right to what I consider the solution.
Jesus made it crystal clear that there is a singular product that He equates with the mission of the church—“Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Every church’s mission is the same. There is only one mission: making disciples of Jesus. We may prefer to express it in a fresh, contemporary way, such as “to turn irreligious people into fully devoted followers of Christ,”2 but it will still just be a restatement of the Great Commission. When I have had opportunities to speak to pastors on the subject of disciple-making, I have taken an informal poll: “Raise your hand if you have a few people in your weekly schedule with whom you meet for the purpose of helping them to become reproducing disciples of Jesus.” Sadly, I get minimal response. It would seem to be a natural expectation, since Jesus modeled for us the way to grow disciples. He called twelve “to be with him” in order to shape their characters and transfer his mission to them. I believe we have a crisis of product in large part because pastors are not following the model that Jesus gave us. And we are missing out on a most joyful and fruitful opportunity. In this article I will describe an embarrassingly simple, yet reproducible way to grow disciples of Jesus who will leave your practice of ministry forever changed and your church populated with self-initiating, reproducing disciples of Christ. In my experience, the following three elements form the necessary building blocks to grow disciples, which, in turn, address our “crisis of product”: The Model for MultiplicationI call it my major “aha moment” in ministry. It has shaped my approach to growing disciples more than anything else. Frankly, it was a discovery breakthrough that I stumbled on. I had been frustrated that I was not seeing a multiplication of disciples. The one-on-one model was the paradigm that I had assumed was the way to make reproducing disciples. After all, wasn’t the Paul-Timothy relationship the biblical pattern? Discipling meant to give myself to one other person for the purpose of seeing the life of Christ built in them, which would then lead them to do the same for another and so on. The only trouble was, I wasn’t seeing them doing the same for another. In other words, there was no multiplication. What was I doing wrong? We have all heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, while expecting different results. Frustrated, I would redouble my efforts: make sure I had good content; ratchet up my prayer life; teach skills such as Bible study and witness; and yet I was not able to instill confidence, pass on the vision, nor empower the other person to disciple others. All my refinements only led to the same results. Then the breakthrough came. I had written a disciple-making curriculum3 that became the basis for my final project for a Doctor of Ministry degree. My faculty mentor thought it would be a worthy experiment to test the dynamics of this material in a variety of settings. So in addition to the one-on-one, I invited two others to join me on this journey. There was no way I could have anticipated the potency to be unleashed. Just by adding a third person, it was as if the Holy Spirit was present to us in a way that was life-giving and transforming and laid the foundation for multiplication. I have never gone back to the one-on-one model for making disciples because of what I experienced. Now, twenty years later, I have had considerable opportunity to reflect on the difference in dynamics between triads and quads, and the one-on-one approach. What are the limitations of the one-on-one model? 1. In the one-on-one model, the discipler carries the full weight of responsibility for the spiritual welfare of another. The discipler is like the mother bird that goes out to scavenge for worms to feed to her babies. With their mouths wide open, the babes wait in their nest for the mother bird to return. The discipler is cast in the role of passing on their vast knowledge to the one with limited knowledge. 2. The one-on-one relationship sets up a hierarchy that tends to result in dependency. The one-on-one creates a father-son, teacher-student, mature-immature relationship. As appreciative as the Timothy might be, the one in the receiving position is more often than not unable to see themselves in the giving position. The gulf between the Paul and the Timothy is only accentuated when the relationship is between pastor and parishioner. The pastor is the trained professional who has superior biblical knowledge that the non-professional, ordinary lay person will never see themselves achieving. 3. The one-on-one limits the interchange or dialogue. I liken the one-on-one discourse to a ping-pong match. It is back and forth, with the discipler under continuous pressure to advance the ball. The discipler must continue to press the interchange on to a higher plane. 4. The one-on-one also creates a one-model approach. The primary influence on a new disciple becomes a single person. The parameters of the discipling experience are defined by the strengths and weaknesses of one individual. 5. Finally, the one-on-one model does not generally reproduce. If it does, it is rare. Only self-confident, inwardly motivated persons can break the dependency and become self-initiating and reproducing.4 In my opinion we have inadvertently held up a hierarchical, positional model of discipling that is non-transferable. As long as there is the sense that one person is over another by virtue of superior spiritual authority, however that is measured, very few people are going to see themselves as qualified to disciple others. We may tout this as a multiplication method, but in actuality it contains the seeds of its own destruction. As a result of my experience, I commend a non-hierarchical model that views discipling as a mutual process of peer mentoring.5 In order to avoid the dependency trap, the relationship needs to be seen as side-by-side, rather than one having authority or position over another. An Alternative Practical Model of Disciple-Making (Triads/Quads)Here is my best take on why triads/quads are energizing, joy-filled, and reproductive: 1. There is a shift from unnatural pressure to the natural participation of the discipler. When a third or fourth person is added, the discipler is no longer the focal point, but a part of a group process. The discipler in this setting is a fellow participant. Though the discipler is the convener of the triad/quad, they quickly become one of the group on the journey together toward maturity in Christ. 2. There is a shift from hierarchy to peer relationship. The triad/quad naturally creates more of a come-alongside mutual journey. The focus is not so much upon the discipler as it is upon Christ as the one toward whom all are pointing their lives. Even as a pastor, I found that though the relationship may have started with a consciousness that I was the “Bible answer-man” because of my title and training, within the first few weeks the triad/quad allowed me to be another disciple with fellow disciples who are attempting together to follow Jesus. 3. There is a shift from dialogue to dynamic interchange. In my initial experiment with triads, I often came away from those times saying to myself, “What made that interchange so alive and dynamic?” The presence of the Holy Spirit seemed palpable. Life and energy marked the exchange. As I have come to understand group dynamics, one-on-one is not a group. It is only as you add a third that you have the first makings of a group. (Think trinity.) 4. There is shift from limited input to wisdom in numbers. The book of Proverbs speaks of the wisdom that comes from many counselors (Proverbs 15:22). It is often those who are perceived as younger or less mature in the faith from whom great wisdom comes, or a fresh spark of life, or just great questions. In a current quad, one of the men at our initial gathering announced, “I have never opened the Bible.” I had observed an eagerness and hunger in Mick, so I was sure that I had misunderstood his comment. So I responded, “You mean you have never studied the Bible seriously.” “No, I have never opened a Bible.” Since that first session, Mick has demonstrated a voracious appetite for Scripture. Yet what have been particularly challenging are his perceptive questions, which have led to engaging dialogue and deeper exploration. 5. There is a shift from addition to multiplication. For me there is no greater joy than to see a Christian reproduce. All of the above adds up to empowerment. For more than two decades, I have observed an approximately 75 percent reproduction rate through the triad/quad model of disciple-making. In summary, a smaller unit encourages multiplication because it minimizes the hierarchical dimensions and maximizes a peer-mentoring model. A discipleship curriculum specifically designed for this intimate relationship creates a simple, reproducible structure that almost any growing believer can lead. Leadership in these groups can be rotated early on, since the size makes for an informal interchange and the curriculum provides a guide to follow. Disciples Are Made in Relationships, Not Programs
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Notes:
1. Hull, Bill. The Disciple Making Pastor (Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell, 1988), 14.
2. Mission Statement of Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, IL.
3. Ogden, Greg. Discipleship Essentials: A Guide to Building Your Life in Christ (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1998).
4. These generalities are in no way meant to demean the positive and powerful experiences that a one-on-one relationship has meant to many. When it comes to the multiplication of disciples, my experience teaches me that this generally does not lead to reproduction.
5. “Discipling is an intentional relationship in which we walk alongside other disciples in order to encourage, equip, and challenge one another in love to grow toward maturity in Christ. This includes equipping the disciple to teach others as well” (Ogden, Discipleship Essentials, 17).
6. Alicia Britt Chole, “Purposeful Proximity—Jesus’ Model of Mentoring,” Online Enrichment, A Journal for Pentecostal Ministry.
7. In Greg Ogden’s Discipleship Essentials, page 14 provides an illustration of what a mutual covenant might look like.
1. Hull, Bill. The Disciple Making Pastor (Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell, 1988), 14.
2. Mission Statement of Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, IL.
3. Ogden, Greg. Discipleship Essentials: A Guide to Building Your Life in Christ (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1998).
4. These generalities are in no way meant to demean the positive and powerful experiences that a one-on-one relationship has meant to many. When it comes to the multiplication of disciples, my experience teaches me that this generally does not lead to reproduction.
5. “Discipling is an intentional relationship in which we walk alongside other disciples in order to encourage, equip, and challenge one another in love to grow toward maturity in Christ. This includes equipping the disciple to teach others as well” (Ogden, Discipleship Essentials, 17).
6. Alicia Britt Chole, “Purposeful Proximity—Jesus’ Model of Mentoring,” Online Enrichment, A Journal for Pentecostal Ministry.
7. In Greg Ogden’s Discipleship Essentials, page 14 provides an illustration of what a mutual covenant might look like.
Greg Ogden
PastorGreg Ogden, (D.Min., Fuller Theological Seminary) served as Executive Pastor of Discipleship at Christ Church of Oak Brook, IL. From 1998-2002, Greg held the position of Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Fuller Theological Seminary. Prior to coming to Fuller, Greg enjoyed 24 years in pastoral ministry. He is the author of six books: Essential Guide to Becoming a Disciple, Transforming Discipleship: Making Disciples a Few at a Time, The Essential Commandment: A Guide to Loving God and Others, Discipleship Essentials: A Guide to Building Your Life in Christ, Leadership Essentials: Shaping Vision, Multiplying Influence, Defining Character with coauthor, Daniel Meyer; and Unfinished Business: Returning the Ministry to the People of God.
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Greg Ogden
PastorGreg Ogden, (D.Min., Fuller Theological Seminary) served as Executive Pastor of Discipleship at Christ Church of Oak Brook, IL. From 1998-2002, Greg held the position of Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Fuller Theological Seminary. Prior to coming to Fuller, Greg enjoyed 24 years in pastoral ministry. He is the author of six books: Essential Guide to Becoming a Disciple, Transforming Discipleship: Making Disciples a Few at a Time, The Essential Commandment: A Guide to Loving God and Others, Discipleship Essentials: A Guide to Building Your Life in Christ, Leadership Essentials: Shaping Vision, Multiplying Influence, Defining Character with coauthor, Daniel Meyer; and Unfinished Business: Returning the Ministry to the People of God.