In a recent webinar, Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, defined “discipleship” by saying: My simple definition of discipleship is when a follower of Christ becomes more like Christ.
I want to encourage you to watch the entire webinar which features Thom Rainer, Jim Sheppard, and Larry Osbourne.
Definitions are important. Without a definition for discipleship, your strategy will tend to falter. How can you accomplish what you cannot define?
On the other hand, without a target (what a disciple should look like), your direction will tend to drift. How can your strategy help your disciple-making efforts move in the right direction, when you don’t know where that is? And even if you start well, how can you maintain correct direction? Even a few degrees off can lead you to be miles from where you intended to be.
Define discipleship and the terms used in your strategy. Keep it simple! Carefully describe your target. Then consider the actions necessary to move followers to become more like Christ. How will you communicate those actions? Your strategy is your plan for communicating with and involving followers in actions that help them become more like Christ.
Evaluate your current strategy. Check your definition and target. How are you doing? Not there yet? Start now. Make disciples!
For more ideas about disciple-making, check out these posts:
