HOW DO WE MAKE DISCIPLES?
Jesus primary command to the church is found at the end of Matthew 28:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Simply put, the church exists to make disciples. However, what is a disciple?
Disciple translates the Greek word “mathetes,” which means “follower, learner, apprentice.” A disciple is someone who is following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and is committed to the mission of Jesus.
In Mark 1:17 Jesus gives vision to this idea of a disciple: “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” In this single verse, we find three elements of what it means to be a disciple:
- Following Jesus (“Follow me”)
- Being changed by Jesus (“and I will make you become”)
- Joining Jesus’ mission (“fishers of men”)
Another way to envision this idea of discipleship is Being with Jesus, Becoming Like Jesus, and Doing what Jesus Did.[1]
Discipleship begins when we respond to Jesus’ call, “Follow me,” and we believe this is the greatest purpose, mission, and adventure that humans can pursue. As disciples of Jesus, we don’t go to church; we are the Church. We are the body of Christ sent into the world to be disciples who make disciples of Jesus in the everyday stuff of life. Because life and death, heaven and hell, and the good of our city is at stake, discipleship must be a priority. We’re on a challenging mission to plunder hell and populate heaven and our city with Jesus followers (Matt. 16:17-19).
So how does this happen?
“Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you.” Dallas Willard
Discipleship is relational. Paul defined discipleship as “sharing the gospel and our lives” with persons we feel affectionate desire for (1 Thess. 2:8). Discipleship is transferring truth and love through relationship—forming intentional, adventurous friendships that make, mature, and multiply disciples of Jesus.
However, we know that relationships take on many forms and of various levels. We behave differently in various spaces and we experience various levels of intimacy in certain contexts. This reality is articulated well in the idea of Proxmics which was developed by Edward T. Hall.
Proxemics is a theory based on the relationship between space, culture, community, and belonging. Research revealed that there are four distinct spaces in which individuals will behave differently toward one another: public, social, personal, and intimate.
- Public Space: (50+ people) – A church worship service or a sporting event is what public space looks like. You belong, you are part of the community, you somewhat get to know those around you, but there is not much of an opportunity to really get to know others because it’s so large.
- Social space (20-50 people) – This is a party-like environment where you are safe to decide whom you would like to grow a deeper relationship with. It is big enough that newcomers won’t feel like they are the center of attention, yet it is small enough that no one will fall through the cracks. It is big enough that everyone will find someone to connect wit, but it is small enough that meaningful conversation can take place without people being uncomfortable. You belong, you are part of a community, and it is a safe place to take that next step.
- Personal space (8-12) – This is the typical small group environment where you intentionally are connecting with others to go deeper, share life together, prayer with one another, and allow yourself to be known. Private information is shared, but this is not the place where you are completely vulnerable and baring your whole soul.
- Intimate space (1-3 people) – This is an environment that you only let a few people into. It could be a spouse, a best friend, or an accountability group. This is an environment where nothing is held back, and there is a lot of intentionality in sharpening one another, being accountable to one another, and being intentional in community.
We need a discipleship strategy to fulfil the needs found in each of these social circles. Here is a basic framework for Garden City Church Spaces of Discipleship:
These spaces set a foundation for us to build on as we continue our vision to grow together for the renewal of the city.
[1] John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way