Introduction
One of the most important factors with regard to the successfulness of a discipleship ministry is the methods and messages which are used to accomplish the discipling. The discipling method used will either be effective at growing the believers in their love for Jesus, or else it will be ineffective and leave believers in a stagnant state in their spiritual life. The messages used will also either draw the disciples in toward a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord, or they will push people further away through dull, dry messages given by a disinterested teacher. The obvious desire for the teacher of the curriculum is the former rather than the latter, but how is one to ensure that they draw the listeners in to the messages and grow the believers in their love for Jesus Christ through the method of teaching? Jeffrey Kaster asks the question in this manner: “How effectively do adolescent catechetical curricula actually foster Christian discipleship?”[1] How is one to ensure the effective growth of the believers in their knowledge of Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord?
Devising the Program
One of the main portions of designing and implementing an effective discipleship ministry pertains to the actual designing and structuring of the ministry. Michael Mitchell notes, “Administrators in virtually every venue routinely design strategies for communicating and implementing their organization’s mission and vision. In a church, this strategic activity is generally referred to as creating a program, while in schools it is known as constructing a curricular plan, but the terms are virtually interchangeable.”[2] The design of the program, then, is very important to the successfulness of the ministry. A poorly developed or mismanaged discipleship ministry can leave believers on a plateau spiritually, if not dragging them back down in their spiritual progression. If the believers participating in the program experience this poor handling of the program, it may hinder them further in the future by putting a very negative impression on any further discipleship through other programs. John Johnston notes, “Effective discipleship must be intentional and ongoing. A hit-and-miss, parttime, seasonal effort produces little fruit.”[3]
The development of both the methods and messages delivered is very important to the success of the program. A successful program will foster growth in the believers attending, and will stir them to further growth. This will be accomplished through fervent effort by the administrator in planning the program. The administrator must think in terms of both scope and sequence to determine the relevance of the program to the audience involved. If the group being discipled is not prepared for the level of depth involved in the program, the program will cause the group to be lost in the messages and hinder their growth in knowledge. Effective programs will consider the audience involved by understanding the level of depth into which the program will plunge. The amount of information covered should also be divided between the allotted amount of weeks and/or months appropriately. Attempting to implement a program in which a great deal of material is covered in a very short time could have overall negative consequences with regards to message retention. Both scope and sequence should be considered when developing a program for any discipleship ministry.
Scriptural Ministry Development
As Christians, the most important question to answer whenever asking practical ministry questions is, “What does the Bible have to say?” The development of a discipleship program is no different in this regard. Questions regarding the implementation of any program should be taken to the Scriptures to test for Biblical faithfulness. The Apostles in the New Testament may not have had to develop “discipleship ministry programs” in the same way in which modern believers do, but there is no doubt they had much to say regarding the development of general ministry toward the believers within the local churches.
Paul, in I Corinthians 1:5-7, says of his time spent with the Corinthians, “that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (ESV) The result of this “program” of ministry with which Paul engaged Corinthians resulted in a very remarkable result—“you are not lacking in any spiritual gift.”
What type of program did Paul implement? A part of this “curriculum” is given in I Corinthians 2:1-4, “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power”. Paul did not “fluff” his message to the Corinthians with high-minded rhetoric. He spoke to them of “Jesus Christ and him crucified”; and—judging by his messages to the other Christian churches—he would have spoken of the application of this to the lives of the Corinthians as well. Paul discipled the Corinthian church by teaching them the Gospel and its implications for their lives.
Peter, in II Peter 1:5-7, encouraged the believers, whom he was discipling to, “make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” (ESV) Peter’s method of discipling believers included encouragement toward growth in Christian virtue in their daily lives. This method of discipleship would be a great aim toward which any leader should lead his disciples. The Biblical model of discipleship encourages progressive growth toward Christ with Christ as the main focus.
Practical Examples
The discipleship ministry’s program development will have many practical implications for those involved—both leader and disciple. Many ministries have experienced the success of a well developed program, and many methods have been implemented for use in successful discipleship ministries. Dean Blevins notes a Wesleyan method of discipleship: “the means of grace provide a framework for exploring and organizing contemporary Christian education practices.”[4] The AWANA program goes in a related, but slightly different, direction with their ministry, “Obedience and submission to Scripture represent core beliefs of the AWANA ministry. Therefore, Scripture memorization constitutes a vital tool in the curriculum. Although it is not the sole purpose of AWANA, as previously described, Bible memorization is the major thrust.”[5] Some, as evidenced by Randy Frame, take discipleship too far, however. He notes, “The ICC teaches "the biblical principle of discipleship as a necessary part of the salvation process." To qualify for baptism-and thus salvation-a person's behavior undergoes rigorous scrutiny by local church leaders who look for signs of godly living.”[6] Ministry development has been successfully implemented by many organizations within churches, following Biblical patterns which lead to effective ministry.
Conclusion
The discipleship administration principles set forth by Mitchell form a great foundation for forming a successful ministry within the local church. The most appropriate form of message from his list of messages would be the Teacher method of messages. Demonstrating that the leader is actually “preaching what he practices” is important to ensure the success of the discipleship program. This will be very helpful in ensuring that the ministry program will end with disciples who have grown into a deeper love for Jesus Christ and a deeper knowledge of Him as Lord and Savior.
Works Cited
Blevins, Dean G. "Renovating Christian Education in the 21st Century: A Wesleyan Contribution." Christian Education Journal, 2005: 6-29.
Firmin, Michael W, Perry C Kuhn, Jared D Michonski, and Terra N Posten. "From Outside-In to Inside-Out: A Qualitative Analysis of Childhood Motivation by Achievers in AWANA Programs." Christian Education Journal, 2005: 77-96.
Frame, Randy. "The cost of discipleship?" Christianity Today, 1997: 64-66, 88.
Johnston, John G. "DISCIPLESHIP: STEPPING STONES TO DEVELOPING YOUR CHURCH’S STRATEGY." Masters Thesis, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, 2009, 133.
Kaster, Jeffrey. "Evaluating Adolescent Catechesis." Religious Education, 2009: 63-81.
Mitchell, Dr. Michael R. Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples. Bloomington: CrossBooks, 2010.
[1] Kaster, Jeffrey. "Evaluating Adolescent Catechesis." Religious Education, 2009: 63-81. 63
[2] Mitchell, Dr. Michael R. Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples. Bloomington: CrossBooks, 2010. 267
[3] Johnston, John G. "DISCIPLESHIP: STEPPING STONES TO DEVELOPING YOUR CHURCH’S STRATEGY." Masters Thesis, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, 2009, 133 p.
[4] Blevins, Dean G. "Renovating Christian Education in the 21st Century: A Wesleyan Contribution." Christian Education Journal, 2005: 6-29. 15.
[5] Firmin, Michael W, Perry C Kuhn, Jared D Michonski, and Terra N Posten. "From Outside-In to Inside-Out: A Qualitative Analysis of Childhood Motivation by Achievers in AWANA Programs." Christian Education Journal, 2005: 77-96.
[6] Frame, Randy. "The cost of discipleship?" Christianity Today, 1997: 64-66, 88.
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