John Purvis - The Adventure of Discipling Others: Training in the Art of Disciplemaking

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2003 by The Navigators Church Discipleship Ministry

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ISBN 1-57683-348-8

Cover design by Ray Moore

Creative Team: Paul Santhouse, Brad Lewis, Amy Spencer, Pat Reinheimer

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 coincidental.

Unless otherwise identified, all Scripture quotations in this publication are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ( NIV ). Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Other versions used include the New American Standard Bible ( NASB ), The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977; and The Message: New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs ( MSG ) by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Printed in the United States of America

6 7 8 9 10 11 / 13 12 11 10

For further information regarding this material and other discipling resources contact:

The Navigators

P.O. Box 6000

Colorado Springs, CO 80934

www.navigators.org/cdm

To Johns late friend Craig Meyer,
a discipler for more than twenty years, who died at age forty-three.

And to all those who helped develop or field test this book.

Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Matthew 28:18-20

CONTENTS

PREFACE

WELCOME TO THE EXCITING, challenging, and fulfilling ministry of discipling others. Maybe youre considering this kind of ministry for the first time or maybe youre a seasoned veteran. Perhaps youre looking for help getting started or for resources to keep you going. Whatever your level of disciplemaking experience, we hope this material will help you develop greater heart, vision, and skill in your journey.

Weve designed this material for use with a cluster group, preferably with a discipling coach or mentor leading the group. This material can supplement the experience and teaching of the coach as he or she guides the group in learning how to disciple others.

If you dont have a coach, we encourage you to work through this material with a group of fellow learners. Rotate facilitating the leadership for the various sessions. Youll experience great benefits by forming a small group or team of disciplers to share and learn together and from each other. If you cant form a cluster group, you can still work through this material on your own. Obviously, some of the activities built around small-group dynamics wont apply. But you can still work through the Bible studies and articles as youre involved in discipling others.

The Adventure of Discipling Others is designed to be used simultaneously with the actual experience of discipling at least one other person. Learning by doing is critical to making this material authentic rather than academic. Theres no substitute to stepping out and investing your life in someone elses life. Such faith pleases God, and His resources are always adequate.

As you get involved in discipling others, be aware that growing disciples arent all starting at the same point. Some will be brand-new believers; others will be Christians looking for more depth in their walk with Christ. Therefore, no one set of materials will fit everyone. Youll have to decide what material fits your situation. Weve included some suggestions in appendix A, Discipling Resources (page 216), but there is a great deal of other material on the market that you can choose from. Your church, pastor, or discipling coach is probably a good source for additional ideas.

When discipling others, use whats meaningful to you. If youve been discipled with certain materials, that should be the starting point for choosing the material you pass on to others. If you dont have experience with specific materials, be sure to work through any new material you choose before you use it with others.

INTRODUCTION

OVERVIEW

THE ADVENTURE OF DISCIPLING OTHERS is a flexible resource that will equip disciples to disciple other people. The goal of this material is to contribute to the development of spiritual generations through a life-to-life ministry of discipling. It will help a third generation of disciples to emerge that is central to an intentional disciplemaking community. Once these people become established, theyll have the heart, vision, and skill to intentionally disciple others whether the context is a small group or individual. (If youre not familiar with some of these terms, youll learn more about them as you read on.)

In the illustration at right, the first person in this process is the new discipler. New disciplers are the link to a new generation of disciples as they seek to pass on to others what theyve discovered in their walk of faith. The new discipler is critical in developing a spiritual heritage that reproduces.

The second person in the triad is the new believer. New believers who are becoming mature disciples are the new generation. Theyre growing in their relationship to Christ as disciples in the context of a supportive community. Each person at this stage of maturity is establishing a personal faith relationship with Christ that is foundational, lifelong, and intimate.

The third person in this triad is the coachthe one who assists the new discipler as he or
she disciples others. A coach in this concept of generations is much like a grandparent in a physical family. He or she is primarily focused on helping the discipler be successful. The coach, dis-cipler, and growing disciple form a spiritual unity promoted in Pauls ministry through Timothy (see 2 Timothy 2:2).