How Do We Mentor Disciple Makers to Also Make Disciple Makers?
By Daryll Stanton, Global Resourcing Coordinator | 16 Feb 2023
It is important for each Christ-follower to be engaged in a lifelong journey of being and making Christlike disciples. Mature Christians need to be committed to guiding other Christ-followers to become more and more like Christ. Unfortunately, the is a shortage of disciple makers. In Hal Perkins’ book Walk with Me, he challenges us to respond to two important questions.
- How can I identify some Christlike disciple makers who are willing to be makers of disciple makers?
- How can I help some Christlike disciples to be makers of more disciple makers?”
Identifying Christlike Disciple Makers Who Are Willing to Be Makers of Disciple Makers
We need to identify some disciple makers who are willing to join a “closed” group of those who meet regularly to be disciple makers. But what qualities do we look for in each member? Perkins points out we need to be prayerfully led by the Holy Spirit to identify these potential mentors of disciple makers. They need to be disciple makers who are FAST:
- F – faithful and dependable disciples
- A – available and willing to establish time and disciple making priorities
- S – submitted absolutely to Jesus
- T – teachable and hungry to learn
Answering three questions can help us identify them.
Question 1. Are they truly committed Christ-followers?
It is important to identify those who are themselves growing as Christlike disciples. We need to see evidence of them growing in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is important that they are prayerful people, depending much on God, being led by the Holy Spirit, and showing evidence of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
These potential mentors of disciple makers are Christ-followers who are first committed to being discipled by Jesus through God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, other Christ-followers, and frequent personal meetings with Jesus. They also give high priority to the church’s worship and educational activities. We seek disciples who are called by Scripture and drawn by grace to worship God and to love Him with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, and their neighbors as themselves. We look for believers who have committed themselves fully and completely to God, believing that they can be or are “sanctified wholly” through a second crisis experience. We look for Christ-followers who believe that the Holy Spirit convicts, cleanses, fills, and empowers us as the grace of God transforms us day by day into a people of love, spiritual discipline, ethical and moral purity, compassion, and justice. We seek disciples who know that it is the work of the Holy Spirit that restores us in the image of God and produces in us the character of Christ.
Question 2. Are they already engaged in discipling their families?
All Christ-followers are given the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts that help us do the work of Christ (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-10 and 28; Ephesians 4:11-14; and Hebrews 2:4). Although each of us has a particular focus of ministry that provides the context of our being and making disciples, these potential mentors of additional disciple makers need to already be engaged in discipleship in and through their families.
In excellence they need to be walking with Jesus as they relate to their families. Their spouses, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives are being discipled by them. They listen to and serve their families in various ways, even though sometimes it must take place through phone calls, writing, or traveling to visit them.
Question 3. Are they already engaged in discipling in their churches?
These potential mentors of additional disciple makers are also engaged in discipleship in and through their churches. They methodically connect with others in and outside of the local churches, showing them kindness and interest but also inviting them to occasions for individual and small group discipleship. We seek people who affirm that they are sent people, responding to the call of Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit to go into all the world, witnessing to the Lordship of Christ, and participating with God in the building of the Church and the extension of His kingdom (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 6:1).
Helping Christlike Disciple Makers to Be Makers of More Disciple Makers
This process requires the disciple maker to be ready to help with questions, addressing issues, and coaching in others in biblical theology and disciple making skills.
Disciple makers must aim to be proactive and not reactive. Modeling the correct attitude and behavior is a primary method by which we pass on the fundamental character qualities and values needed in future disciple makers. Through modeling, we transfer our worldview to new makers of disciple makers with the hope of replication.
We need to be role models who exemplify, in word and deed, the very character qualities and values we most admire in Jesus and other authentic Christ-followers.
It is our hope that you are already finding ways to implement the Journey of Grace denominational discipleship framework in your area of ministry. We would like to discover how you are achieving this.
Would you share with us how you are identifying disciple makers who can mentor new disciple makers? Each of us has our particular area of ministry that provides the context of our finding new disciple makers. Would you also share ways you are equipping mentors of new disciple makers? You can communicate with me at dstanton@nazarene.org.