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| My Library |
Organic Discipleship
This book was different than most of the Christian/Self-Help genres I have read. I have never heard anyone discuss the importance of discipleship in such depth as Dennis McCallum and Jessica Lowery did in Organic Discipleship. Right from the introduction, I was amazed at how discipling one person can lead to the salvation and mentorship of thousands of more Believers. Discipleship spreads and God has no limits! The first section discusses discipleship within modern and Bible times. The book starts out by defining the term disciple. I completely agree with the authors’ point that Jesus wants more than just our salvation. He wants our discipleship as well! It is very common in the Christian world today for Believers to lead others to Christ then forget about them. Christians cannot leave new followers of the Lord in the dust. They must come alongside them after their salvation and teach them how to walk in the faith and how to have an intimate relationship with God. McCallum and Lowery point out that continuing to minister to people will also help them to disciple others. In addition, discipleship requires more than just words, but action. The chapter one examines Paul’s method of discipleship. Paul not only taught his disciples, but took them out on the mission field. They actually participated in his ministry and saw God work through Paul first hand.
The next couple of chapters in section one serve as an overview for discipleship. I was sad to read that most discipleship programs that exist today do a poor job of developing mature, reproducing disciples. I agree that raising a disciple that can then make more disciples is the ultimate goal. If the disciple is a mature Believer, making other disciples should be a natural result. I also learned that it is possible to disciple more than one person at a time, in fact, the authors encourage it. If one experience fails, then there are other disciples to focus on. McCallum and Lowery explain in chapter two that one-on-one discipleship can become possessive and controlling. I can see how this could happen, but I wish the authors would have offered some tips on how to prevent this problem. They did; however, mention that just because this may be the case of one disciple maker, it does not mean the entire discipleship program should end. Another truth this chapter mentions is that discipling takes more than one year. Wow! In order to raise a strong, reproducing leader, it will most likely take longer than a year. I agree with this, although, I think it depends on how strong the disciple was to begin with. If they were already far along in their relationship with the Lord to begin with, they may quickly evolve into a Christian leader.
Before I started reading, I was interested to know if there were any qualifications of a disciple maker. In chapter three, McCallum and Lowery explain that the Bible offers little information on this subject which means more freedom in who can disciple. Obviously those who struggle with sins that reap huge consequences should not disciple, but I was amazed to read that even new believers can disciple! For any Christian on any spiritual level, discipleship speeds up their growth. It keeps the disciple maker in check so that they will not be hypocritical in their teaching. I thought it very interesting that the authors suggested that discipling for Christians can be beneficial because they would not be tempted to seek attention. While, if they went straight into a pastoral position, they may seek fame more than the work of the Kingdom.
The next section talks about the main components of discipleship. Chapter four was one of my favorites. It points out that, in order to disciple, disciple makers must first pursue a friendship with their disciple and genuinely love them. People cannot just simply like the person they disciple, but must be willing to sacrificially put the disciple’s needs above their own. It is all about the disciple. They must actually initiate this kind of love which will require a lot of effort and energy. Disciple makers may even face rejection because of their love. One of the ways the author suggests loving the disciple is doing activities they like. Their hobbies may even turn into the disciple maker’s hobbies! Deep friendship also requires vulnerability and eventually prayer times, Bible studies, and accountability. Even in conversation with the disciple, it is about them. The discipler must listen for their talents, passions, and spiritual gifts that they can encourage them in the future. Noticing their weakness can also benefit the disciple as they can improve in areas that they previously did not realize needed attention.
Chapters six through twelve emphasize the importance of the Bible, prayer, accountability, and ministry. Disciple makers should help their disciple want to read the Word on their own by reading it with them. I agree with the authors that the motive for reading the Bible is key. In my own life, I struggle with reading the Word out of duty instead of out of joy. McCallum and Lowery say one should read God’s Word for discernment, to battle sin, for ministry, and to reveal sin. It is also important to pray with disciples even multiple times throughout the meeting no matter the length. Prayers must be filled with thanksgiving as well as requests. The texts says that it is not necessary for personal matters in a group setting, but I disagree. I think that even if the rest of the group cannot relate with the request, they can still take joy in lifting up the need of a fellow Believer. Praying for strangers can be just as beneficial than praying for loved ones. I was glad to read that the book included the difference between counseling and disciplining. The authors state that although the two are not synonymous, counseling is necessary within discipleship. Disciplers must be able to address conflict and work with the disciple to resolve it. I love that the authors point out the necessity of laying down a foundation of grace before trying to solve problems. The disciple needs to know that they can overcome besetting sins through God’s continual stream of mercy. Finally, chapter twelve highlights the cruciality of ministry. Ministry should be something that one enjoys not one does out of duty. Both the disciple and discipler need to continually give their time, money, and talents for the Lord as this is how one grows closer to Him.
The last section examines the transformation of the discipler from one who encourages spiritual growth to a coach that pushes the disciple to make more disciples. I realized that just because my disciple begins to disciple others, it does not mean my time with them is over. The chapters in this section encourage the disciple maker to befriend those their disciple’s disciples to monitor and guide their experience. Eventually, my disciple may want to cut off our meetings due to time and that is the end point of the discipleship process.
After finishing Organic Discipleship, I realized I needed to apply so much of this to my life and renew my way of thinking about discipleship! First of all, I did not fully understand how crucial discipleship really was. I always thought sharing the gospel and encouraging others in their faith was enough. I pictured myself spurring on others to good deeds, leading small groups, having spiritual conversations with friends, but never teach someone how to live for the Lord one-on-one. Discipleship is better than classroom teaching! The idea of discipleship is still intimidating for me, let alone discipling more than one person at a time! I know it will be a learning process and one that will require a lot of faith. I am prepared for God to humble me during my discipleship experience. I know I will have to fight to overcome the temptation that I am not qualified to disciple.
One of the biggest challenges for me when I disciple is participating in a ministry with them. Discipleship is like a built in accountability partner. I must live my life as an example for my disciple and this requires going out of my comfort zone to serve others and preach the gospel. Other than the occasional service project or mission trip, I have never been involved in a consistent ministry that involved witnessing to others. But, in order for my disciple and I to fully experience and know God, we must be apart of a ministry. I know that in order to encourage my disciple to be bold and share the gospel, I must do the same.
Another major point of application for me is sacrificially loving my disciple. In doing so, I may not receive the feedback that I would like, but it should not matter because they are the ones that matter to me, not how I feel. Vulnerability has always been tough for me, but I love how this book describes how one can achieve a deep friendship by taking baby steps. I first must acknowledge that I enjoy the friendship then slowly move on to initiate in depth conversations. Pointing out their strengths and weaknesses is also important in the relationship I have with my disciple. Sometimes, I have a hard time listening to people point out my flaws. I must be ready for my disciple to critique areas in which I need to grow. Even if they are younger or less spiritually mature, I need to take their advice seriously.
❊Question for the Comments❊
What is your view on Discipleship?
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