Follow Me On Twitter
Subscribe to the Network
GUEST POST: The 4 Pillars of Discipleship
I’m often asked, “What is your process for discipleship?” How can my son or daughter grow deeper in their faith?” “What are the essentials that students need to know before they graduate to ensure they do not lose their faith in college?” I love these questions because it reflects the desire that Peter had for all believers to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18)
As we have carefully formed the structure of discipleship in our ministry, we have four pillars that are important to a strong discipleship program:
Pillar #1: Discipleship is a PROCESS:
The Greek word for disciple means “learner”. Eugene Peterson, theologian and author of “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction” explains that the biblical image of discipleship is an image of forward motion. It is a journey, a pilgrimage, a long-distance marathon. It is not simply an arrival. For students, this means that discipleship is an ongoing, daily process during their school years and beyond.
Pillar #2: Discipleship is a balance between INFORMATION and TRANSFORMATION:
A disciple is not just an expert of information, but someone who is continually learning about what it means to know and live like Christ. As we disciple students, we want them to have a rich understanding of God’s word. We want students to know the faith stories of our forefathers, and to have a grasp of theological doctrine. However, we don’t want to simply transfer information to students; we want it to transform their life. The end goal of the study of the scriptures is not to master the text, but to let the text master us. Jesus spoke about a confluent faith in the Great Commandment when he said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). Jesus wanted those who followed Him to not just to know about God, He wanted what they knew to be put into practice.
Pillar #3: Effective Discipleship consists of a variety of METHODS:
Most of Jesus’ formal education of his disciples was done in with a variety of methods. He used overstatements, parables, riddles, irony, and the use of questions and paradox, which caused his listeners to think, process and to ask questions. Jesus was creative in his teaching methods by using story, object lessons, experiences, illustrations, case-studies and real life scenarios to teach his disciples.
Pillar #4: Discipleship is most effective in the context of RELATIONSHIPS:
To know God is to learn about a vibrant relationship with Him. To be in fellowship with other believers means to learn to live together. To grow deeper in faith means to live in Obedience to God’s will. The apostle Paul said, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put into practice.” (Philippians 4:9) Paul was very relational in his method of discipleship.
Todd Szymczak is a youth worker who blogs at http://livelearnlead.net/ and http://twitter.com/toddszymczak.
View More: discipleship, guest posts, object lessons, relational ministry, relationships, social media, twitter
