What is the key missing ingredient in whether or not we start discipling? Is it lack of leaders being discipled? Is it a spiritual problem? Is it sin? Is it lack of good materials? Is it lack of a reproducible model? Is it the lack of a strategy?
All of the above contribute. But I believe the missing ingredient is something much simpler, deceptively simpler.
The missing ingredient in disciple-making is not starting.
I have met with a group of church leaders (staff and volunteers) over the last couple of years. They have talked about discipleship. They have talked strategy. They talked about materials. But nothing has happened.
Discipling Cannot Happen if We Do not Start Discipling
Don’t wait until everything is perfectly thought out and organized. Distractions will come. Energy will be drained. Pressing fires will need to be put out. But the Lord said to make disciples (Matthew 28:19).
Just do it. Get started. Pray. Invest in 1-3 disciples. When you mess something up, fix it. When you have a better idea, do it next time. When you discover a better material, substitute. When you find a better conversational pattern, use it.
The point is to learn, improve, and grow as you disciple. That needs to happen even if you take two years to launch your disciple-making strategy! So what is preventing you from starting? Make disciples!
