Recently, my wife Deborah and I were in Indonesia, Singapore, and Taiwan teaching Asian pastors, church-planters, and missionaries about discipleship and leadership. Same ole boring strokes, again.
After our Sunday night session a young Indonesian leader asked, “how do you define discipleship?” Good question. Here’s my answer, and more:
1. A disciple is a person who follows Jesus.
2. Every Christian should be a disciple.
3. Every disciple should make disciples.
4. Discipleship is the process of helping others follow Jesus.
5. Discipleship is a life-long journey not a six-week class.
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6. Discipleship happens best in community (small groups).
7. Men disciple men; women disciple women.
8. Evangelism and discipleship should not be separated.
9. Discipleship is relationship.
10. Jesus wants all nations to be discipled.
Making disciples is the job of every Christian every day.
Cultivating a relational discipleship culture, creating discipleship systems, and over-communicating discipleship principles was the core of my job description for over two decades as the pastor of Victory Manila. And I recommend that all of the above should be in every pastor’s job description.
Discipleship is not supposed to be complicated or confusing. In fact, it is so simple that a fisherman explained it to uneducated fishermen in two words: “Follow me.”
Are you a disciple and are you making disciples?
Steve and Deborah Murrell went to the Philippines in 1984 for a one-month summer mission trip that never ended. They are the founding pastors of Victory Manila, one church that meets in 14 locations in Metro Manila and has planted churches in 60 Philippine cities and 20 nations. Currently, Victory has more than 6,000 discipleship groups that meet in coffee shops, offices, dormitories and homes in Metro Manila. Steve is co-founder and president of Every Nation Churches and Ministries, a family of churches focused on church planting, campus ministry and world missions.
For the original article, visit stevemurell.com.
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