Part 2 of 3
Last week, we discussed how members/attenders are the conduit through which the Church accomplishes its objective in the world – the Great Commission. We looked at how few of our members and regular attenders are actually disciples, exhibiting the key attributes of Jesus. We promised to talk more this week about why churches aren’t providing the level of depth necessary to build congregations full of disciples – and what they should do differently.
How Do We Make Disciples?
If as we’ve assumed members are the Church, then they are “insiders”, much more like employees of a company than its customers (“outsiders”). When a company hires a new employee, training is the first priority. Would a company consider a 30 minute presentation each week to be adequate training? What if it added weekly group discussions with fellow employees for a few months each year? Would the combination of those two be enough? Of course not. Companies know that proper training for employees entails 1-on-1 mentorship, group classes and on-the-job (OJT), in-the-field experience.
However, the issue with most churches in America today is simply (as we’ve maintained all along in this blog series, now in its 15th week) that few see members as the church (i.e. “insiders”). Therefore, they are careful not to challenge them to the point where they may leave. Since discipleship is hard work, costly and risky, pastors don’t push it on them. Churches provide “LITE”, easier versions of discipleship instead and nudge them toward those options.
As a result, most members and attenders are improperly trained to be effective ambassadors for Christ and His church. Pastors understand that 1-on-1 and group training classes led by professionals work best in business, but most consider those too demanding and risky to employ with members/attenders. OJT is also poor with most churches because they know members have little time in their busy schedules for living out Jesus’ model for evangelism (i.e. compassionate service as the door opener to sharing the gospel).
Disciples must be well-trained, but we’re not training members well. The Church today is feeling the effects – collateral damage from churches full of members/attenders who are generally under-equipped to fulfill the Great Commission (i.e. to pursue the real “customer”).
The Discipleship Process
- Relationship Building – Engendering trust through personal connections
- Conversion – This is just the starting point – it’s someone else in heaven, but it’s not a disciple. How many are still walking with the Lord, living changed lives, 3 years after accepting Christ at a crusade or concert? Very few according to George Barna’s findings.
- Ongoing Discipleship – Intensive training
Small Groups Should Not be a Church’s Primary Discipleship Method
People come to Christ through personal discussions, events or maybe small groups. Small groups are effective for relationship building as well, beginning the process of living in community with other Christians. However, as we said, when it comes to discipleship, no effective organization would rely on occasional group gatherings led by untrained professionals as the primary means for delivering the intensive training required for “insiders” (and once people come to faith, they are “insiders”). Successful, healthy organizations know 1-on-1 and OJT are required.
Yet when pastors are asked about their discipleship strategy, their first response is typically, “small groups”. It’s no wonder the Church isn’t growing, in number or impact. It’s not surprising that more members aren’t taking on more of the attributes of Christ. As long as churches don’t fully buy-in to “members ARE the church” they won’t dare challenge them to endure training at the same level of a corporate employee.
So Why Do Churches Push Small Groups So Hard?
Given all this, we have to ask – why do churches push small groups so hard? Do pastors really believe that’s the best method for discipleship, or is there another reason? As we’ve mentioned in a prior blog post, the most common church growth model today is “Invite, Involve, Invest“. In that model small groups are the predominant method for the “Involve” phase. Small groups do help bring people somewhat closer to the Lord, but they also build relationships and relationships are “sticky” – increasing the likelihood they’ll come back next Sunday.
Each church should examine its own heart – is it promoting small groups more to get people involved (more loyal to the church) or more for discipleship (more loyal to the Lord)? If it’s the latter, then that presumes the church is very concerned about discipleship – but a church that’s discipleship-driven would certainly have additional, deeper methods of discipleship than just small groups. Our contention is that a church which sees small groups as its primary means for discipleship can’t be that concerned about discipleship. All churches say that building and sending disciples is key to their mission, but is that reflected in how they spend their time and in how willing they are to prod members in that direction? In business, goals and intentions often don’t line up with a company’s allocation of resources.
The alternative, pushing 1-on-1 discipleship, will scare off many of those who don’t feel like “insiders”. Leading a series of meetings with another person over a long period takes a lot of time, studying and effort. And look what Jesus says about the costs of discipleship – possibly leaving those you love and being homeless. None of this is pretty when you present it as an “action plan” to the congregation! Yet if pastors know 1-on-1 (or triads) is the best method for discipleship, then any hesitancy to promote it is further evidence of the tendency to cater rather than challenge, treating members as a “customer” and not as the church.
Why 1-on-1 (or Triads) Work Best
- The process of becoming a disciple is personal
- The best mentors in our lives were those who interacted with us personally, whether it was a teacher, a coach or some other role model
- People won’t say in public environments that they would in private/intimate ones
- One of Jesus’ favorite method of discipleship was personal questions, allowing for self-discovery, not just telling them the answers but letting them find them out for themselves
- Sermons can only cast vision around what it means to be a disciple and encourage them to take the next (personal) step
Assuming All That…What Should My Church Do Now?
- Pastor disciples leaders 1-on-1
- Those leaders then disciple a couple people each 1-on-1 or in triads
- Encourage all discipled members to disciple others – OJT
- Sunday School – Consider resuming this dying tradition, making sure it’s taught by disciples
- Small groups – Facilitated only by discipled leaders
- Immersion Bible Study – One night a week (several hours)
- Greater emphasis on private devotion – The fundamental blocking and tackling of Bible study, journaling and prayer
- Lay out a discipleship track for members
This approach will quickly and exponentially grow a base of disciples who can make more disciples. This is a significant part of the turnaround strategy for today’s church. It was Jesus’ model. However, are we willing to chase members this far out of their comfort zones, knowing so many will leave our church and go to another one that will cater to them?
It’s Your Turn…
Have you seen churches where deep discipleship took hold to the point where it was truly part of the DNA of the church? What other effects have you seen from churches reducing insider “training” to small groups led by “untrained” members?
35 Responses
This is a great article with many great points. I have led small group ministries and am now a church planter that focuses most of my time (yes, most) on making disciples in all of life.
However, I have a couple of things that I would quibble about (that is what blogs are for, right?). One, is that discipleship does not happen after conversion. You listed 1. conversion 2. relationship building 3. discipleship. I would argue that teaching or telling someone about Jesus in all of life is discipling and that if you are to follow the model of Jesus it will be as you build relationship. So disciple making is a much broader scope of showing someone what it means to obey the teachings of Jesus (sounds familiar) and that conversion happens along the way.
Second, you stated that disciples are most effectively made 1on1. This is not the case. The is much support (mainly biblical) that triads are most effective. This is not a massive deviation from what you are advocating but I think it is worth taking notice of. Triads allow for personal connection but also keep from one person being the one that has all of the knowledge and is giving it to the less knowledgable. This sort of relationships keeps the one with less knowledge from thinking that they can replicate the process. And if you have not made a reproducing disciple then you have not made a disciple.
Finally, I would argue against resurrecting a Sunday School structure. Mainly because it is never a part of the New Testament model. Instead teach one another how to teach the Scriptures outside of classrooms and pulpits. Display how to unfold God’s story in every facet of life and at every place life is taking place. If you can’t teach people the Gospel without outlines and whiteboards then your work is not done. Do the rest and make it real and relevant and beautiful. Trade your Sunday schools for Starbucks…or McDonalds…or your lunch hour.
Again, great article and great points that deserve greater and greater emphasis. We cannot say these things enough. We have lost how to make disciples and it must be recovered at any cost.
Excellent points, Michael. In fact, they were so compelling that you convinced me to make a couple edits to the post and republish it. Thank you!
I LOVE onion soup and you've reminded me it's time to make some! I have my "gold stn&dardaquot; as well — from a small cookbook that I bought early on in marriage. It is the best . . . and yes, it starts with making your own stock!
Great post Jim! Thanks for approaching a subject that is the underbelly of most churches. Everyone knows is critical but it seems like no one wants to talk about it.
I am thankful that you have begun this series and dialogue so that we, as a church, can begin to be intentional about our mandate “to go ye therefore” and make disciples.
I think Michael’s comments above are nicely done as well. I can understand why he advocates for a triad model.
For me, I would state that the best biblical model would be one that has accountability of the discipler through a church that is fundamentally sound, and would follow the biblical model of an Acts church.
At the heart of a church that is centered on making disciples, would be a pastor who realizes that he has no control over the Spirit of God- so he would be intentional about building up disciples to be sent out wherever the Lord would lead.
Inherent in that mindset would be the pontential to lose your congregation’s population to a world in need of a Savior.
There are certainly lessons here to be learned about how to help churches and groups be more effective in their training of leaders and the making of disciples. However, let me say first that if triads are at least part of the healthier approach then “small groups” actually can grow disciples. However, I would add that disciples seemed to often be made in Scripture through just living life together one on one, as families or in group settings. There were no formal meeting times per se or training sessions. People just learned to live like Jesus and then actually live that way every day. That natural approach also makes disciples in my thinking and experience perhaps more effectively than any other way.
That’s way more clever than I was extngpiec. Thanks!
Hey, you’re the goto extper. Thanks for hanging out here.
Have you employed any of these softphones? Are you able to say for certain whether it can document the whole phone rather than just odds
and ends, and especially not or whether one of them actually works?
I’m cautious of spending good money for garbage program, especially specialized software that’s not
properly-tested.
Foi em boa parte com um sistema económico deste tipo que os paÃses asiáticos (Japão, Coreia, etc) se devFlsonveram.eormalmente reinavam a livre iniciativa e o mercado livre, mas na prática o Estado tinha um papel muito importante na orientação dos investimentos para determinados setores industriais considerados mais importantes.E tenho a impressão de que não foram apenas os paÃses asiáticos que se desenvolveram desta forma.
As an effect, we’ll all graduate to responsible adulthood and citizenship.
“The Donald” fully endorses not simply multilevel marketing, but ACN as well.
This is concerning deciding to become listed on an MLM or
Network Marketing business making another individual rich selling and promoting their items for
the kids but not starting your own personal venture and branding yourself and your personal products.
I was extremely pleased to uncover this site. I want to to thank you for
ones time due to this fantastic read!! I definitely enjoyed every part of it and I have you book-marked to look at new information in your blog.
Thanks a bunh for sharing this with all folks yyou really recognise
what you’retalking approximately! Bookmarked. Kinhdly also consult with my website =).
We could have a lin trade arrangement among us!
If some a person wants being up-to-date with newest systems then he must be shell out a have a look at this great site and become up-to-date each day.
Depois disso, ganham pouco peso perdido de volta.
Admiring thе persistence уou put into your blog and detailed informаtion you provide.
It’s nice to ϲome acrⲟss a blog еveгy once in a
while tһat iѕn’t thе same old rehashed material.
Wonderful read! I’ѵe saved yօur site ɑnd I’m adding your
RSS feeds tо mʏ Google account.
Hi, I do believe your site may bе having web browser compatibility ρroblems.
When Ӏ takе a ⅼ᧐оk аt your website іn Safari, it
lօoks fine but when оpening іn I.E., it’s got somе overlapping issues.
І simply wanted to giνe you a quick heads ᥙp! Beѕides that, excellent blog!
Asҝing questions are in faϲt nice thing if you aгe not understanding ɑnything fully, еxcept this article provіⅾеs pleasant understanding еvеn.
Really excellent visual appeal оn tһis site, Ι’d rate іt 10.
Rigһt away І am gοing to dο my breakfast, after having my breakfast
ϲoming again to read additional news.
І just coսldn’t depart ʏoսr website ƅefore suggesting that I actually enjoyed the
standard info ɑn individual provide fⲟr yoᥙr visitors?
Iѕ going tо be back continuously іn order to check up on new posts.
Perfect work you haѵe done, thіs web site is really
cool ᴡith superb іnformation.
Individuals visiting the booth are used a flipbook.
A fascinating discussion is definitely worth comment.
I believe that you need to write more on this subject matter, it may not be a taboo matter but usually folks don’t
speak about such subjects. To the next! Best wishes!!
Marketing has actually completely transformed to among the absolute most demanding
and important parts of having to operate an organisation. This
inevitably means that the overall effectiveness of your
company is actually visiting depend primarily on the effectiveness of your ad campaign.
Marketing has actually improved to one of the most requiring
as well as critical parts of having to manage an organisation.
This essentially suggests that the total effectiveness of your business
is actually going to depend generally on the efficiency
of your ad campaign.
Quality content is the secret to interest the viewers to go to see
the website, that’s what this site is providing.
A good way to enhance your SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING is to create
native connections, so i’ve compiled a listing most influential folks in and around Boston, Lincolnshire.
In our generation there are a few great reasons to study how to make disciples. The first great reason is that as members of small groups we have access to one another and therefore, we can help one another. The other great reason to study small groups is that you will learn from others’ experiences. You will be able to use your past experiences to move forward and become more informed. By learning from others in small groups you are not only inspired but you are also making disciples.
Agradeço ! Muitas redações .