When you look around churches and ministries everyone seems to be talking about discipleship but very few seem to be seeing real reproducible success in disciple-making. “Discipleship” has turned into a buzzword more than a reality.
God has placed us in our ministry context to make disciples. This is the primary thing that we are called to do. Everything we do is to serve this goal: to see a footprint be left for Jesus on our campuses. We can look at our stories, we can look at others’ stories around us and we can see the importance of discipleship. But it is also part of the story that God is writing through His Church. Intentional, reproducible discipleship was Jesus’ idea.
JESUS MODELED DISCIPLESHIP.
JESUS COMMANDED DISCIPLESHIP.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20
JESUS DID NOT SAY GO AND MAKE LARGE GATHERINGS. JESUS SAID GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES. Just to be clear, God uses gatherings and large gatherings are not wrong, but they are not the ultimate goal. They are a vehicle.
When we look around at the college campus one thing is clear: Jesus is still building His kingdom. Jesus is still writing the story. He has invited us into it. One of the primary vehicles is intentional discipleship.
Discipleship multiplies, and there is power in multiplication. If we won one person to Jesus every week for the next 16 years we would reach 932 people. If we won one person to Jesus every day for the next 16 years we would reach 5,840 people. If we won one person to Christ every 6 months and discipled them and helped them reproduce their lives into someone else every 6 months (and it worked out perfectly), then in 16 years we would reach 6,442,450,944 people. There is power in multiplying discipleship.
But we have to define what a disciple is. Definitions matter. They bring clarity.
1) A DISCIPLE IS SOMEONE WHO ADHERES TO CHRIST (MARK 8:34)
2) A DISCIPLE IS SOMEONE WHO ABIDES IN CHRIST (JOHN 8:31)
3) A DISCIPLE IS SOMEONE WHO ADVANCES THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (MATT. 28:19-20)
If that is what a disciple is… then how would you define discipleship?
A great working definition is: DISCIPLESHIP IS TAKING THE NECESSARY TIME TO WIN, INVOLVE, AND TEACH SOMEONE HOW TO FOLLOW JESUS.
It is an intentional relationship. It is a time of practical training & accountability. It is a time of modeling. It is about multiplication. What if we could see this happen regularly & in a reproducible way? What could God do if we made this a top priority in our ministries?
When it comes to discipleship we want to see TWO MAIN GOALS ACHIEVED:
1) FULFILLMENT OF THE GREAT COMMANDMENT (SPIRITUAL GROWTH) – MATTHEW 22:34-40.
2) FULFILLMENT OF THE GREAT COMMISSION (SPIRITUAL MULTIPLICATION) – MATTHEW 28:19-20.
College students are a strategic and important group of people in which to see this advanced. You know this. This is why you are in college ministry. They are going to step up and lead in churches, workplaces, and families. We have to disciple our college students well.
What we have done is we have put together a “Discipleship Toolkit” to help you navigate this conversation in your ministries. All of us want to see this be a priority but sometimes we just don’t know where to start outside of gatherings and small groups. These are great but I believe there is another level.
This is why the “Discipleship Toolkit” can be helpful for you. We have pulled together some people seeing real success in this area in their ministries to address critical topics in seeing discipleship move from a buzzword to a reality in your ministry. The “Discipleship Toolkit” has nine sessions that address:
- Defining Discipleship.
- Importance of Culture and how to build it.
- Developing a game plan.
- Developing disciples from spiritual activity to spiritual maturity.
- Packing the right tools.
- Overcoming Distractions
- Disciple to Disciplemaker
- How it starts with you.
- How to partner well with your local church.
There are videos & discussion guides to walk you through major thoughts & questions. You can find it at https://collegeministry.com/ministry-areas/discipleship/.
We pray that it is helpful for you and that God uses you to help real people become real disciples who make real disciples. I believe with my whole heart that God has placed you where you are and has entrusted you with students to see them know and follow Jesus wholeheartedly. What an honor we have to make disciples. Nick Parsons is the Pastoral Ministry Associate for College and Young Professionals at Center Point Church. You can reach him at [email protected] or follow him on Instagram @nickgparsons1 or @collegecpc.
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