Programs Are Not The Same As Discipleship

As church leaders, we long for people to grow in Christ. We want children to know Jesus. We want adults to mature in faith. We want leaders to lead like Jesus. We want worship, small groups, classes, youth ministry, and service opportunities to form people into faithful disciples.

• But there is often a gap between the desire and the pathway. Many churches have programs, but not a clear path of discipleship. They offer opportunities, but people are not always sure how those opportunities fit together. They teach biblical knowledge, but may struggle to form people who follow Jesus with heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Discipleship requires more than activity. Renewal leaders need to help churches ask: Do people know how to grow here?

• Here are a few ways to begin.

seven ideas to make disciples

1. name what a disciple looks like

• Before a church can build a discipleship pathway, it needs a clear picture of maturity. What kind of person are we praying people become? What does Christlikeness look like in our homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, conflicts, habits, generosity, and witness?

2. map the actual pathway

• Many churches have an assumed discipleship path, but not an actual one. A person may attend worship, join a group, volunteer somewhere, and serve on a committee. But does that pathway intentionally help them grow? Renewal leaders can help by asking: What is the next step for a new believer, a growing believer, and a mature believer?

3. stop assuming programs automatically make disciples

• Programs can help form disciples, but they do not do so automatically. A Bible study, worship service, youth night, or service project becomes more fruitful when leaders are clear about what kind of formation they are seeking.

4. develop leaders intentionally

• Many churches need new leaders, but do not have a clear process for identifying, encouraging, training, and releasing them. Leadership development cannot be left to whoever happens to volunteer. Churches need systems that help people grow into spiritual leadership over time.

5. teach people to have spiritual conversations

• A church may practice prayer, worship, and Bible reading while still struggling to speak naturally about faith. People need help learning how to encourage one another, share testimony, ask good questions, talk about Scripture, and speak about Jesus without sounding strange or forced.

6. prepare people to engage culture with grace

• Many Christians are unsure how to respond to cultural change. Some become fearful. Some become angry. Some withdraw. Discipleship should help people live faithfully in the world with conviction and gentleness, speaking the hope of Christ rather than simply fighting cultural battles.

7. measure more than participation

• Attendance matters, but it is not the same as maturity. Churches need to ask deeper questions. Are people becoming more loving? More patient? More courageous? More generous? More prayerful? More willing to suffer for the sake of Jesus? More engaged with neighbors who do not yet know him?

The church does not exist merely to keep people busy. It exists to make disciples. That means renewal leaders must keep pressing beyond the calendar. A full calendar may give the appearance of health, but the real question is whether people are being formed into the likeness of Christ. When churches clarify the path of discipleship, they help people move from attending church activities to following Jesus in all of life.