Where I live, there are two types of products. Some stores advertise “Amish built.” There are other shops where you can pick up every product, and there is a tiny sticker on the bottom that says, “Made in China.”

Both of those statements generate different thoughts in the mind of the buyer.

One says that the product was handmade and took time. The quality of the product is high and was built with integrity by an individual who cares about his work. These values are then reflected in the price of the object.

The other says that a machine made this product as quickly as possible. The quality is low and built with the bottom line in mind. These values are then reflected in the price of the item.

High quality costs more, but it is built to last a lifetime. Low quality has a lower price and might not survive very long.

I think this is also true for the disciples of Jesus.

Building a quality disciple takes longer and will come at a greater cost of time and resources. Sure, the Church can try to crank them out quickly and for the lowest cost, but it will be reflected in the quality of the product.

Leading people to be disciples who follow Jesus for a lifetime is never quick or easy.

One of my jobs as a pastor is to keep watch over quality control. While I want the Church to grow numerically, I must also ensure that people are transformed into high-quality disciples, not cheap imitations of the real thing.