Discipleship with a (the Right) Purpose
Walter Bennett
Discipleship without the express purpose and outcome of equipping and preparing Christians to effectively reach the lost is an exercise in the creation of Pharisees.
Discipleship that, in and of itself, leads Christians to spontaneously erupt into evangelism and outreach is a myth at best and a distraction from the pit of Hell at its worst.
Satan would delight in nothing more than for every Christian to be so focused on discipleship for their own betterment that they eschew the lost altogether. Let’s face it, we are already saved! Can discipleship for our gain through feeling closer to God in this world enhance our time here on earth? Absolutely! But that is not His will for us and I can guarantee that it will not bring the sense of fulfillment that comes from growing in spiritual maturity to effectively share the character of Jesus Christ with those who do not know Him.
The challenge with the way discipleship is done in most churches is that it tends to cater to a model of pursuing that which is the most interesting to us personally rather than that which is most challenging. We gravitate to the areas we like rather than those in which we are weakest and have the greatest opportunity to grow. So how do we develop a strategic plan for our own personal discipleship? How do we, as church leaders, ensure that the discipleship opportunities we offer through the church are the ones that are most needed by our congregation? We measure!
Kevin Harney and Shoreline Church in Monterey, California have developed an assessment that measures overall Fruit of the Spirit as well as seven individual markers of spiritual growth identified in scripture:
- Biblical Engagement
- Passionate Prayer
- Wholehearted Worship
- Humble Service
- Joyful Generosity
- Consistent Community
- Organic Outreach®
Along with the Outreach Culture Assessment, the Markers of Spiritual Growth assessment is available on the Organic Outreach International website in both adult and youth versions. If you are already registered on our site, you can now add your church to your registration. This will allow you to access a single link to use for your church to take this assessment, allowing us to generate an aggregate report for the church in addition to each individual getting their own results. Unlike the Outreach Culture Assessment, which is intended to be taken only by leadership, this assessment is designed to be taken by every member of your congregation.
"How do we, as church leaders, ensure that the discipleship opportunities we offer through the church are the ones that are most needed by our congregation? We measure!"
The results of this assessment will equip every member of your congregation to develop a strategic plan to grow in the markers where they need it the most. Likewise, the aggregate report will provide a roadmap for leadership to plan to strengthen the weakest areas of the church overall. As with the Outreach Culture assessment, you will be able to regularly repeat the assessment to measure your progress and adjust your course to continually focus on those areas identified as the weakest across your congregation. There is no cost for this assessment.
At the time I am writing this, Zondervan is set to release the newest book in the Organic series, Organic Discipleship, in late December. This book addresses each of the seven markers of spiritual growth with the same three treatments:
- How did Jesus demonstrate this area of spiritual maturity?
- What does this area of spiritual maturity look like in our own lives?
- How does this area of spiritual maturity lead us out with the Gospel?
Through this approach, Kevin and Sherry Harney give us clarity regarding discipleship to equip and prepare us to fulfill the Great Commission. I like to refer to Organic Disciples as the prequel to the Organic Outreach® books. There is also an eight-week sermon series and a small group study guide to accompany the book. The sermon outlines, notes, graphics, and recordings are all available for free download through the Organic Disciples website (www.OrganicDisciples.org).