When we hear from God – it doesn’t necessarily mean we jump in and start. It is important that we continue to listen for directions and open doors. This may come through prayer, reading scripture, conversations with others, prayer from others, etc. Journal these things. Write out a plan as you recieve information and feedback. Just don’t act out on emotions. Which are typically emotions of excitement. Wait for God to move you. The best thing to do is to write a plan of action. Pray through this plan. Allow God to make adjustments to your plan.

In no way, shape, or form do I think I have the experience or intelligence to offer what Bill Hybels has offered. But, it has made me think a little bit more about what I have learned from past experiences and circumstances. So, I have started my own little book of axioms, which I have entitled My Journey Experiences. I will share them here periodically. Feel free to comment on them or share with us your own.

Disciples are:

• obedient to the will of God
• growing in their relationship with Jesus
• displaying fruits of the Spirit
• serving people
• producing other disciples

This list begs the question, “How?” after each characteristic. “How is a disciple obedient to the will of God?” “How does a disciple display fruit of the Spirit?” “Who does a disciple produce other disciples?”

What are some other characteristics of disciples?

(One of the things they mentioned at a conference I recently attended was that people who are new to the church need organized relationship building. As they grow, their relationships become more organic as they step out of their comfort zones.)

So, this “plan” is going to be geared more towards those who are seekers, beginners, or returners, but it can be a good gage for others to make sure they are getting connected.

Below is the mind-map. Start at about 2:00 and work your way around the wheel clock-wise. Please give me any feedback as far as your initial questions, ideas, thoughts, recommendations, etc. I will continue to update on my discipleship plan as well.

People connecting to the local church is the beginning of discipleship. I am convinced that discipleship cannot happen without accountability. For the overwhelming majority of Christians, the church is the place they look to for resources, encouragement, and a structure to grow in their faith. So, that is what I am attempting to do with through both classes, but the trick is I have to do it within business terms since these are business classes.

So, one of my first questions to answer is the product. How do I define the product and/or services? Here are some of my initial thoughts:

• The church will offer connecting services. As I stated above, connecting to the local church is part of and necessary for discipleship.
• The church will offer coaching services. What is coaching? Coaching is offering instruction on improving certain skills. A coach can point out an individual or teams weaknesses and strengthes. Then they motivate them to suceed through practice. How does this translate to the church? Good question and I am open to ideas. Leadership can coach people in their personal life and/or ministry. Leadership can direct an individual to a certain aspect of their life that needs to be developed such as prayer, knowledge of the scripture, personal ministry, identify spirtual gifts and passions, etc.
• The church will offer consulting services. For those who have developed the skill of prayer, scripture knowledge, have identified their passion and gifts, but need direction on how to use them. For this the leadership can consult an individual on developing goals and how to achieve them.

Connecting, coaching, consulting. Would love to hear any feedback about these 3 services as an offered product in my “Discipleship Business Plan”.

• Works towards Christ-likeness: this is an ongoing process; we will never arrive here.
• Has a healthy view of discipleship: being a disciple is not the beginning, but the destination that we work towards.
• Follows the teachings of Jesus: a disciple must know his/her teacher
• Leadership: not the authoritative-top-down type of leader. A disciple is one who inspires others. They become a leader by influencing others and serving others.
• Envisions: A disciple is someone who can see the big picture. He/she knows the path ahead and understands what it will take to get there. Whether it’s leading a group of people or reaching out to others.
• Is a servant: They have the ability of laying their personal preferences to the side for the sake of others.

In no way is this meant to be an exhaustive or complete list. But it is a start. It’s also important to make a list of what a disciple isn’t. Here are a few thoughts:

• Just because you are a Christian does not mean you are a disciple: It is easy to become a Christian. It is hard to be a disciple.
• A disciple is not a passive audience member: He/she is active – always looking for an opportunity to help others.
• A disciple is not constipated, but a lot of Christians are. Christians can become enamored with bible studies, knowledge, information, etc, but lack in teaching and leading others, especially those outside the faith.
• A disciple is not a “holy huddler”: a disciples understands the culture and will take risks by building friendships with those who don’t know Jesus, rather than surrounding themselves with the familiar.

This also is not a complete list, but can begin laying the foundation. So, in the context of the church body reproducing disciples, what are some characteristics of a disciple? Or, just the opposite, what does not make a discple?

It seems for the past 15-20 years a lot of churches, County Line included, began to add programs/ministry left and right. With the idea that the more programs we have the more we can offer people and the more opportunity we will have to attract people to the church. Not a bad idea, at first. The reality, as we fast forward to today, is that the leadership is stuck managing programs rather than creating disciples (See Great Commission at the end of Matthew’s Gospel).

So, if we could start all over again, with the focus of creating disciples, how should we proceed?

As Christianity moved into the gentile audience, Greek philosophy took over and discipleship became more about learning concepts and debating ideology. This form continues to be taught today through our churches, colleges, and seminaries. As we look at the early church and the ways of Jesus, how can we not equate discipleship with action?

I am a concept person. I love to talk about ideas, models, structures, etc. But, I grow frustrated when talk and ideas do not lead into action. As Churches, small groups, and Christians we must understand the importance of action-oriented discipleship. It needs to start with conversation, ideas, and concepts, but we cannot stop. It is vital that we move forward, especially in what God is calling us to do.

What are you learning? What is the plan of action to put your learning to the test? What do we learn if we do not apply?