My theme for my life and the Church I lead this year has been discipleship. In some ways, it has been my priority for the past four years, but this year it is at the top of my list. I am trying to learn as much as possible about discipleship while doing it and attempting to lead others to do it too.

While I am only seven months into this venture, I am learning a great deal and wanted to share a few lessons from my journey.

1. Discipleship needs a definition. When we say someone is a disciple, what do we mean? I love Real Life Ministries’ description from Matthew 4:19, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Disciples are people who follow Jesus. He is transforming them (“I will make you”). And they are now on a kingdom mission (“fishers of men”). A simple, clear definition that everyone can remember.
2. Developing daily habits is a must. To grow as a believer, we need to cultivate the routines of daily Bible reading, reflection, and prayer.
3. You have to move past Sunday School answers. The first weeks of developing someone will result in them saying, “Jesus, read the Bible and pray” repeatedly. Moving into a more profound understanding of faith in our lives is a big transition.
4. It takes time. We live in a microwave culture. We want everything, and we want it now. The shortest discipleship material I found is 12 weeks. Still, many are 26 weeks. And one Church is doing a three-year program with great success. It takes time to develop spiritual maturity.
5. There are many facets to discipleship. One-on-one meetings are powerful. But we also need large group worship and preaching. Small groups with up to 20 people also assist in growth. Serving is vital to increasing your faith. It takes more than one thing to grow in the Lord.
6. Poor disciples produce poor disciples. You reproduce what you are. Someone who is an infrequent Church attendee, barely reads their Bible or prays, or is not actively serving in the local Church will produce disciples who behave the same way. You reproduce your strengths and, unfortunately, your weaknesses too.
7. A willing spirit is the key. If someone wants to grow as a believer, they are easy to disciple. Someone willing to listen and learn is a great candidate to become a disciple. A right heart proceeds growth.

There are other things I am learning, but these are the most significant ones I have seen in the past few months. I am definitely growing as a leader through this process. Personally, I did not receive much formal discipleship over my lifetime, and I managed to thrive despite that fact. I hope to make the journey easier for others as they mature spiritually.