DISCIPLE MAKING
We are called by God to be disciples of Jesus. And the core mission of the church is to make disciples. So the most fundamental question is, “What is a Disciple of Jesus?” At getconnected.church we recommend the following simple answer:
A disciple of Jesus is someone who is following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and is committed to the mission of Jesus.
We find Mark 1:17 (Matthew 4:19) to be a helpful verse that can serve as a useful framework around which we can place the teachings of the New Testament on what it means to be a disciple.
“And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” (ESV)
Notice the three key characteristics of a disciple:
He/she follows Jesus
He/she is being changed by Jesus
He/she is committed to the mission of Jesus
The diagram at the beginning of this post is a simple way that we sometimes picture how people grow as disciples:
Head – in the mind the decision to follow Jesus has been made (now he/she needs to connect in disciple relationships)
Heart – in disciple relationships we are changed by the Spirit to be more and more like Jesus (now he/she needs to minister to others)
Hand – by our actions we actively committed to the mission of Jesus (now he/she needs to share the gospel and disciple others)
