Peter Roennfeldt - Following Jesus: A Year of Disciplemaking and Movement-Building in the Gospels

Jesus had an intentional strategy for making disciples. In Following Jesus, Peter Roennfeldt takes us on a remarkable and insightful journey through the life of Jesus, revealing the essential components of His disciplemaking strategy. You will discover that this process was simple, relational, and reproducible. Having had Dr. Roennfeldt as a tour guide in Israel and attending numerous seminars by him on this theme over the years, I know that this practical study guide will inspire, equip, challenge, and encourage every follower of Jesus to be a disciplemaker. Whether you use this material devotionally or as part of a small group, seminar, or sermon series, you will see the need to make discipleship the basic operating system of the church once again.

SIMON MARTIN, church growth and mission director, south England

Many have decided to follow Jesus, but not many are able to describe how they were discipled. Only a few have been trained to disciple others. Following Jesus is one of the most comprehensive resources to help individuals and groups study the life of Jesus in a way that leads to a true learning experience in discipleship. We have translated this material into Finnish, and many community Bible-reading groups have been using it in Finland. The feedback has been very positive.

ATTE HELMINEN, city pastor and coach, Helsinki, Finland

In this era of ever-increasing complexity, it is refreshing to be held at the feet of Jesus, listening to His words. Like Martha of old, we are prone to get busy doing all the things we think are necessary to serve Him, but Mary was commended by Jesus for her choice to sit at His feet and listen. Peter has provided a tool to assist us to do just that with the focus on the person, passion, and missional purpose of Jesus. I highly recommend this as a journey for all who seek to follow Jesus as their model in life and ministry.

BILL HODGSON, Power to Changechurch movements, SHIFTm2M

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Following Jesus: A Year of Disciplemaking and Movement Building in the Gospels

Copyright 2022 by Peter Roennfeldt. All rights reserved.

Published in North America by permission of Signs Publishing, Warburton, VIC, Australia, copyright 2018 by Peter Roennfeldt. First printed, 2017.

A NavPress resource published in alliance with Tyndale House Publishers

NavPress and the NavPress logo are registered trademarks of NavPress, The Navigators, Colorado Springs, CO. Tyndale is a registered trademark of Tyndale House Ministries. Absence of in connection with marks of NavPress or other parties does not indicate an absence of registration of those marks.

The Team:

David Zimmerman, Publisher; Deborah Gonzalez, Development Editor; Elizabeth Schroll, Copy Editor; Olivia Eldredge, Operations Manager; Lindsey Bergsma, Designer

Cover design and illustration by Lindsey Bergsma. Copyright Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. (In some cases, NIV wording is from the 1984 edition.) Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version. Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message, copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.

Some of the anecdotal illustrations in this book are true to life and are included with the permission of the persons involved. All other illustrations are composites of real situations, and any resemblance to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

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ISBN 978-1-64158-511-8

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To my family:

Judy, David and Maryanne, Troy and Cindi, and grandchildrenInez, Finn, Kai, and Eva.

FOLLOWING JESUS is what every person influenced by Jesus Christ is challenged to do. For some, it seems to come naturally, but for others, there is a tendency to stagnation, becoming a passive believer. All of us who are enthralled by Jesus want to be all we can be as genuine followers. But the questions remain: How can I be a real follower of Jesus? How long will it take?

In this book, Peter Roennfeldt uses the story of Jesus in the Gospels to show the intentional journey that He took His original followers on. There were clear steps in His plan, and He was patient. His disciples followed, fell back, got up, and moved on again. In Following Jesus, we are invited on the journey into discipleship that Jesus led His first disciples on. We will read the book and the Gospels, reflect and perhaps write on the meaning and application to our lives. That this book is insightful should not surprise us; Jesus is profound. It is also practical, as following Jesus has to happen in real life now. As we read, we, too, will progress, perhaps fall back, get up, and try again as we follow Jesus. Jesus love and presence will become more real, and His desire for us to be all that we can will motivate us.

Peter Roennfeldt has experienced what he writes about. Peter has been a pastor, evangelist, leader, church planter, trainer, motivator, mentor, public presenter, coach. Above everything else, though, he is a follower of Jesus. He has modeled the discipleship process with family, friends, and colleagues.

Peter has worked in Australia, the Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. He has traveled widely and shared his insights in most other parts of the world. He knows that the principles of following Jesus are applicable to illiterate subsistence farmers in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, sophisticated secular post-Christian professionals in the cities of northern and western Europe, nomadic Arab tribesmen in North Africa, and highly educated national and community leaders on educational campuses and across the communities of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia because he has ministered to these groups and many others.

Peters passion is for believers in Jesus to become fully mature followers who disciple others. This book will encourage us to follow the methods of Jesus as much as holding to the beliefs of Jesus. As we follow Jesus together, He will build a disciple-making movement across generations and people groups.

I have personally been blessed as I have been mentored by Peter in the past. More recently, we have talked and prayed together as we have trained others in the principles of following Jesus. I am still learning to follow Jesus more closely, and this book will help me be more of who I want to beand who He calls me to be.

Glenn Townend

pastor, church planter, denominational leader