Relationships are the foundation of disciple making. Jesus modeled the importance of relationships in His own disciple making ministry, and demonstrated that learning happens best in the context of relationships, where lives overlap and are shared. The overlapped life is the space where discipleship happens. This discipleship space is created when disciple making leaders build relationships with others for the purpose of multiplying themselves. Disciple makers must be intentional about creating environments where relationships can be built and discipleship space can be developed. Intentional Discipling Relationships can be illustrated by the following diagrams. Relational One to One Discipling Relational Small Group Discipling Discipling relationships are demanding and require a substantial investment of time and energy, which is why they do not happen without intentionality. Instead, relational disciple making groups are developed when a disciple making leader acts as a catalyst to bring people together for the purpose of spiritual reproduction.
Unfortunately, because of the busyness in the lives of many Christians, there is little room for life overlap resulting in little or no discipleship space. The diagram below illustrates how many Christians relate to one another resulting in ineffective discipleship. Non-Relational Small Group (Discipling rarely happens because there is no discipleship space) Comments are closed.
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Tony HoffmanCampus Pastor at First Baptist Church in Leesburg, FL where his passion is to help people discover and live out their calling in Christ. Tony regularly consults, speaks, and teaches about discipleship and Christian education. Archives
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