Discipleship takes intentionality
Discipleship is contextual, builds on strengths, and evolves. Photo illustration from Adobe Stock.
Throughout our conference, churches of all sizes and types want to find ways to make disciples of Jesus Christ. The more programs they try, the more evident it becomes that there is no quick fix or secret formula to help them. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Movement, once said, "The way to keep a Methodist alive is to keep him moving."
At the 2024 Annual Conference in Bismarck, North Dakota, Rev. Jordan Louks, associate pastor at First UMC in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Rev. Katie Ricke, lead pastor at First UMC in Yankton, South Dakota, led a session about discipleship systems. View the video of the session below.
Pastor Jordan asked, "What do you think of when you think of the term discipleship?" Responses included: "Studying the Bible." "Teaching children through Sunday School." "Learning about Jesus." "Raising new leaders." Relationships." "Sharing experiences." "Worship."
A formal definition of discipleship is, "The active living of the individual Christian in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ, that is, being as effective a disciple of Christ as possible. Discipleship involves a ministry of outreaching love and witness to others concerning Christ and God's grace. Discipleship also calls the Christian to ministries of servanthood and service to the world to the glory of God and for human fulfillment." This definition is from A Dictionary for United Methodists, by Alan K. Walt.
A discipleship pathway is a template or process for how a church makes disciples. There are several ways to create pathways. It begins with an assessment. Church leaders are encouraged to have individuals take surveys or assess how they are living out discipleship.
"We developed our survey and called it a soul scan, based on my experience with CrossFit," shared Pastor Ricke.
Gathering resources and developing a system around people's strengths is important to building a successful discipleship system. Understanding the DNA of the system or church that you are leading creates a solid foundation for discipleship development.
"Understanding our core values and what we are good at is the best place to start. At First UMC, we spent time understanding Bishop Schnase's Five Practices of a Fruitful Congregation," explained Pastor Jordan. "We developed the theme— 'Gather, Go, Grow.' Having opportunities to gather together, to go and serve together, and grow in faith together became the framework for our discipleship pathways."
Providing a variety of opportunities for people to follow their passions is key. People have limited time, but they will follow their passion and make time for it.
"[Our discipleship theme] shows up each week in all kinds of places with opportunities in each area," said Pastor Jordan.
Communicating the opportunities in simple, ongoing ways is crucial. "The ongoing communication that gives people choices to live into their passion welcomes people to connect with their passion," shared Pastor Katie.
Small groups provide a way for people to engage in discipleship. In small groups, relationships are built. People engage in understanding their faith and invite others to a life of faith.
The strength of a successful discipleship process is developing a common language around your context. "Your congregation and community have different passions and strengths. Equipping and resourcing others is what makes it work," said Pastor Katie.
Resources:
#See All the People—What would happen if we stopped fixing our church and started seeing all the people Christ calls us to reach? We are a movement of United Methodists who have decided to keep our focus on the main thing: making disciples of Jesus Christ.
Stride: Creating a Discipleship Pathway for Your Church—Rev. Mike Schreiner and Ken Willard humbly offer the resource Stride: Creating a Discipleship Pathway for Your Church. The book is designed for a small group of church leaders to create a discipleship process specifically for their ministry.
The Real Discipleship Survey—Dr. Phil Maynard of EMC3 Coaching designed the Real Discipleship Survey to support the development of maturing disciples at both the personal and congregational levels. It measures the level of maturity in each of the six dimensions of discipleship.
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations— Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations connects congregations and leaders who seek to multiply their ministries by repeating, deepening, and improving on the Five Practices of Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Risk-Taking Mission and Service, and Extravagant Generosity.
Contact Information for Rev. Jordan Louks and Rev. Katie Ricke.
