16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”1- Matthew 28:16-20
“Since making disciples is the main task of every church, every church ought to be able to answer two questions. What is our plan for making disciples of Jesus? Is our plan working?”- Dallas Willard.
“Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if He were you.” – Dallas Willard.
Forty days after the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the eleven disciples gathered together on a mountain with Jesus. This was to be their last time with Jesus before his ascension back to his Heavenly Father. Just like a person who is on the verge of death desiring to share wisdom from a life well-lived, Jesus gave the disciples a calling- what has become known as the Great Commission. Much ink has been spilled ever since in seeking to understand and apply this Great Commission given to the disciples by Jesus. Many sermons have been given on the importance of this Great Commission. Many programs, books, curriculum, and videos have been produced, sold, and spread across the globe to both equip followers of Jesus to be disciples, as well as to make disciples. Not only that but plenty of money has also gone into seeking to live and apply the Great Commission to our lives, our communities, our nation, and our world.
But even with all the ink, sermons, money, time, energy, and talents that have gone into the Great Commission, it seems like we all struggle with what it looks like to be and make disciples of Jesus. Making disciples, I believe, just like Dallas Willard (author, professor, philosopher who centered much of his work on Christian Spiritual Formation) has stated above, is the main task of every church. And I believe every church should be able to answer the two questions that Willard asks. Do you and I, as church leaders (Pastors, Youth Pastors, Children’s Pastors, etc..), as husbands and wives, as students, etc.. have a process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were us- both as individuals, as well as helping others in your sphere of influence become who Jesus would be if he were them? But even more specifically, what does discipleship in the way of Jesus even truly look like on the ground, in our everyday lives, and in our various churches (that are different in terms of size, context, demographics, theological perspectives, etc…)?
And it might be as obvious as the hair on my chin, but I am specifically talking, as I have mentioned many times already, about discipleship in the way of Jesus. Why do I have to make this clear? Because everything in our world shapes and forms us in certain ways. Does it (what we read, watch, consume, etc..) form us in the way of Jesus and into the people that live out the Kingdom of God under the rule and reign of King Jesus? Does it form us into being people who are self-sacrificial, enemy loving, cross-carrying, turning the other cheek, empire-confronting, kingdom-building, who ultimately look, live, and love like Jesus? Or does it (what we watch, read, consume, etc.) form and shape us into being people who are selfish, who hate our enemies (based on their theology, their political party, their race, their sexual identity, etc..), who carry the flag either instead of or in tandem with the cross, who hit back when struck, living the way of the empire, kingdom reducing who ultimately make and conform Jesus into the Jesus of our own making, instead of seeking to conform to the image and likeness of the Jesus of the Gospels.
There is another issue at play here when we talk about discipleship in the way of Jesus. In our modern western church, it is entirely possible to be a Christian without actually being a disciple of Jesus. That we want Jesus as our Savior- so that we will go to heaven when we die, but we don’t actually want him to be the Lord of our life. Dallas Willard again speaks to this modern western heresy when he says, “This heresy has created the impression that it is quite reasonable to be a ‘vampire Christian’. One in effect says to Jesus, ‘I’d like a little of your blood please. But I don’t care to be your student or have your character. In fact, won’t you just excuse me while I get on with my life and I’ll see you in heaven.’ But can we really imagine that this is an approach that Jesus finds acceptable?”2
This Great Commission calls us not to make Christians. It doesn’t call us to make converts. It doesn’t call us to make good people. It doesn’t call us to make congregation members. It doesn’t call us to make people brethren. The Great Commission calls for you and me to first and foremost be a disciple. And secondly, the Great Commission calls for you and me then to make disciples. We are called to be disciples that make disciples.
But let me return to an earlier question, a question that many throughout the two thousand years of church history, have asked and sought to answer. What does it actually look like, on the ground in the everyday ordinary spaces of life, to be and make disciples in the way of Jesus? How can I, as an individual, be a disciple of Jesus and make disciples of Jesus? How can we, as a church and a community of Christ-followers, be disciples that seek to make disciples of Jesus?
Three more caveats that I must share before seeking to answer these above questions (that I am sure we all ask…especially if you are a pastor or church leader)
Firstly, I am just sharing the various ways that the Veritas Community in Lancaster, PA- a 12-year-old church plant is seeking to answer the two questions that Dallas Willard posed: what is your plan for making disciples and is it working? I am not saying that I am an expert in this matter or that we have found the “only and perfect” way to disciple people.
Secondly, and closely related to the first is that there is no magic silver bullet. All too often we, as leaders, look for a magic silver bullet that will grow our church numerically, and fix all of our problems. Asian-Canadian pastor and author, Daniel Im puts it this way, “Have you ever noticed the deep longing inside of you for the silver bullet? For that one quick, magical solution that will solve all of your problems?”3 But, just like the title of Im’s book says, there are no magic silver bullets. Discipleship will not magically grow your church (at least not numerically). Discipleship isn’t a quick fix, that if you implement it tomorrow, that next week you’ll have a thriving, growing, multiplying church. No, discipleship is the often slow work in yourself and in others of becoming more and more shaped into the image and likeness of Jesus. To live like him. To serve like him. To be like him. To love like him. No, discipleship isn’t your next magic silver bullet. But I agree with missional church leader Mike Breen when he says, “If you make disciples, you will always get the church. But if you try to build the church, you will rarely get disciples.”4
And thirdly, and I believe closely connected to the previous two caveats is that we believe this myth of a silver bullet, and that another church has found “the answer” And that we can just steal what they are doing and it will perfectly work in our context and situation. I am not one who believes that you can just pick up a box entitled “Discipleship 101” at the next mega-church conference (for only $299.95), open the box up at your church, dump the contents over your ministry, and voilà, you’ll have perfectly formed discipleships of Jesus. We need to do the hard work of exegeting not only the scriptures but our community as well (including the community within our church and outside our church).
Now with all of this background and caveats out of the way, I would like to share with you some ways that I personally have sought to be and make disciples within my context, as the planting pastor of the Veritas Community in Lancaster, PA. Now, much of what I am going to share may sound like I’m actually just opening up the Discipleship 101 box and dumping it on my context, since much of what we are doing has been created by others, and borrowed and adapted by our community. But that is the key, that we have borrowed and adapted and not just dumped it on the community. Also, I am indebted to the work of David Putman (regarding Micro Groups) and also to Michael Frost (regarding his BELLS rhythm of life).
One of the primary ways that I seek to be and make disciples within my context at Veritas is through the vehicle of micro-groups. Micro Groups are groups of three people (normally the same gender) who engage in two rhythms. The first rhythm is Bible Reading. In Micro Groups we read through the gospels one chapter at a time, starting with the book of Mark. Each week we read 5 chapters of the gospel that we are in. The second rhythm is the weekly Micro Group. This weekly meet-up of the micro group could last anywhere between 30 and 90 minutes and can either happen face-to-face or virtually. Once a Micro Group has read through the entirety of the gospels, they are encouraged to multiply. So the three people in that micro group each get 2 others (each person within that first micro group could either get both people or get one person with that one person finding another). Once that micro group multiples the first micro group has a few possibilities: 1. Continue to meet and walk through the 4 gospels again. 2. Continue meeting and transition into exploring the B.E.L.L.S. rhythm of life (more on that below). or 3. Meet for times of Micro Group coaching and resourcing each other.
These Micro Groups live out five principles that are crucial to the flourishing of the groups. First, each Micro Group (as I mentioned above) is simple enough to reproduce. This is what disciples making disciples is all about..reproduction and multiplication. All too often our systems within the church are over-complicated and actually fights against our ability to reproduce and multiply. Not so with the simple Micro Group structure Secondly, Scripture (and more specifically the Gospels) are our curriculum. All too often, many groups gather and read some latest book instead of allowing Scripture to be what we study together. Thirdly, we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us by asking as we read the Scripture, “What is God saying to me through what I am reading?” and “What am I going to do about it?” Fourthly, as I have mentioned in one way or another above, our ultimate objective in our micro-groups (and in all of life), is to follow Jesus. And lastly, Micro Groups are relationally driven. The gospel travels along relational lines.
So let me backtrack now to the two rhythms that the Micro Group engages in each week: Bible Reading and the Micro Group Meeting.
David Putman, in his guide for starting Micro Groups, gives some framework on how to read through the 5 chapters of the gospels each week by using the acronym S.O.W.I.N.G.
Scripture– When we read the gospel chapter for the day we ask the Holy Spirit to speak to us through a verse within the chapter. Once we have identified the verse, we write it down.
Observation- While reading the chapter for the day we make observations about that verse. The goal of these observations is to unpack the question, “What is Jesus saying to me?”
Walking- The ultimate objective in reading the gospels is not more information but transformation. On how we walk after and follow after Jesus. To become more like him, love like him, serve like him, and live like him. Which points us to answer the question, “What does this Scripture say to me about how to follow Jesus?”
Invite- We invite Jesus into our day because we aren’t to just hear the word but be doers of it (James 1:22-25). And so we ask, “What are we going to do about it?”
Nurture- As I mentioned before the gospel travels best through relationship networks. The question that Jesus wants us to wrestle with here is “Who is Jesus calling you to nurture relationships with today?
Good News- We are to proclaim and demonstrate the Kingdom of God in the world- which is good news. The question here is “Who is Jesus calling you to demonstrate and/or proclaim the good news of the Kingdom to? And what are some practical ways to demonstrate and proclaim the good news of the Kingdom?
But what happens after you have been reading the 5 chapters in the gospels? You meet together as a Micro Group. And what happens during that 30-90 minute time? Putman shares a framework for the micro group meeting time.
First, you connect. You spend time catching up on life and sharing with each other.
Secondly, you celebrate. Take a moment and celebrate together. (You read through 5 chapters of the gospels this week…Woo-Hoo!!) Churches need to be places of celebration.
Thirdly, you Check-in. You talk about how your time with God go this past week.
Fourthly, you Coach. In this time (which is the meat of the meeting) you talk through three questions: 1. What did Jesus say to you last week? 2. What did or are you going to do about it? and 3. How can we pray for you?
Fifthly, you care for each other by praying for each other’s answers to the third question above.
And lastly, you communicate any relevant information (next week’s gospel reading plan, meeting time changes, etc…)
Another way that the Veritas Community has sought to be disciples that make disciples in the way of Jesus is to use the BELLS rhythm of life in the context of a Micro Group. (you can find out more about BELLS in the book Surprise the World by Michael Frost).
A Micro Group as I stated above is a group of 3 people, typically the same gender who meet together each week to talk through the BELLS rhythm of life and how they have applied it to their life that week.
So what is BELLS? BELLS is an acronym that stands for Blessing, Eating, Listening, Learning, and Sent. A Micro Group seeking to live out this rhythm of life commits to these five practices:
- Blessing– I will bless three people this week. One person from my church. One person who is not a member of my church (or who is not yet a follower of Jesus). And one person from either group.
- Eating- I will eat with three people this week. One person from my church. One person who is not a member of my church (or who is not yet a follower of Jesus). And one person from either group.
- Listening- I will commit to spending at least one period of the week listing for the voice of the Holy Spirit.
- Learning- I will commit to spending at least one period of the week learning or relearning about Jesus.
- Sent- I will journal throughout the week all the ways I alerted others to the universal reign of God through Christ.
Each week then the Micro Group meets together, catches up on life, prays together, and walks through these 5 practices by asking 5 questions:
- Who did you bless this week? What questions, issues, or learnings came up from this habit?
- With whom did you eat this week? What questions, issues, or learnings came up from this habit?
- What did you hear from the voice of the Holy Spirit this week?
- What did you learn or relearn about Jesus this week?
- Share one or two entries in your journal about the ways you alerted others to the reign of God.
Frost says this about B.E.L.L.S. and his hope for people who put it into practice, “I’m not suggesting that BELLS is a magic bullet or anything like that. But it is a really handy tool for mobilizing Christians up, in, and out into mission. That is, up into deeper connection with the Triune God; in to a stronger sense of community with other believers; and out into the neighborhood.”
Remember Dallas Willard’s quote about each church having to ask and answer the questions? These two vehicles have been what we at Veritas have been experimenting with when it comes to discipling ourselves and others in the way of Jesus. This is how we have sought to wrestle with Willard’s questions as a church.
So how have you sought to wrestle with Willard’s questions as a church? What experiments in discipleship in the way of Jesus are you implanting in your own life and in the life of your church? I would love to hear the various ways that you are being disciples that make disciples.
- All biblical references are to the New International Version
- Dallas Willard, The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’s Essential Teachings on Discipleship (New York, NY: HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2014).
- Daniel Im, No Silver Bullets: Five Small Shifts That Will Transform Your Ministry (Nashville: B & H Books, 2017).
- Mike Breen, Building a Discipling Culture: How to Release a Missional Movement by Discipling People like Jesus Did (Greenville, SC: 3DM Publishing, 2017).
- Click here for more information about Veritas Church.
- For more on the subject of Church Planting, click here for another piece recently co-authored by Ryan.
- More information about David Putnam and his Micro Group strategy can be found here.
- More information about Michael Frost and the BELLS rhythm of life can be found in his book Surprise the World: The Five Habits of Highly Missional People.
Ryan Braught is the Pastor/Church Planter of Veritas. Along with his wife and kids, he founded Veritas in 2009. He is the husband of Kim, and father to Kaiden and Trinity. Ryan has a BS in Telecommunications from Kutztown University and a Master of Arts in Religion from Evangelical Theological Seminary. Besides his work with Veritas, Ryan loves to read, listen to music, snowboard, and spend time with his family.