Disciple-Making: Where to Start

I had a discussion with a church leader yesterday. It centered around how to get started in disciple-making. He had reviewed some good materials and was thinking about next steps in his context.

Where is the starting line for disciple-making. Consider these ideas:

• PRAY. You don’t have to pray about whether God wants you to make disciples (see Matthew 28:19-20). But ask for His help. Ask for His guidance about where to start and with whom to start. Ask for courage and discernment.
• REVIEW YOUR CONTEXT. Prayerfully look around at the resources God has given you, including people. Look at the needs of the church and community. Examine the strengths, gifts, passions, and abilities of the body.
• GATHER A TEAM. Prayerfully gather a small but diverse team who can help plan and launch disciple-making efforts.
• FOCUS. Don’t try to do everything. Determine the starting point with the most potential. Don’t try to disciple everyone–at first. Focus your efforts and your effectiveness.
• GET STARTED. Don’t wait until you have a perfect system developed or perfect leaders enlisted. Get started. The need is great. The need is now.
• REVIEW/ADJUST. Stop. Assess how things are going. Affirm strengths. Identify weaknesses. Adjust your plans and improve your efforts.

Whatever you do, get started soon. Disciples are needed. Disciples need to go. They need to make disciples…of all nations. Don’t wait too late. Let’s do this thing. Make disciples!

For more ideas about making disciples, check out these blog posts:

• Support for Six Expectations of Disciples
• Tracking Your Disciple-Making
• Key New Member Class Questions, Part 1
• Key New Member Class Questions, Part 2
• Addressing Transition Weakness: Assimilation and Disciple-making
• Discipleship Encourager Actions
• The Best Assimilation Strategy
• How to Keep New Members