The organic vs. linear conversation about making disciples continues.

Organic, or highly relational approaches work. Linear, or programmatic approaches work.  Church planters and pastors make disciples in a way that is effective in their context.  You make disciples in your way.

One approach does not fit all.

When leaders know the process of disciplemaking they realize that, as long as the goal is clear and behavioral milestones are established; they can personalize their approach.  By the process, I mean, the essential behaviors of a maturing disciple e.g. broadly defined as loving God, loving your neighbor and making disciples.  In practice, they blend the organic with the linear.

For instance, one leader that experienced the tension between an organic and linear approach discovered a happy medium with a very simple strategy that requires a discipleship coach, to guide emerging disciples through the phases of maturity e.g. connecting, growing, serving and reproducing.  He has contextualized a strategy so that it incorporates the essentials of disciplemaking using the Making Disciples storyboard (seen above) as the framework.  The storyboard describes the process of a maturing disciple.

Here are some ways disciplemaking coaches use the Making Disciples storyboard in a coaching relationship:

  1. Assessing: Where are you in your journey?
  2. Clarifying: What’s next on your journey?
  3. Evaluating: How are you doing in this area of your journey?
  4. Brainstorming: What can you do to grow in this area to keep moving forward in your journey?
  5. Confirming: What will you do to continue your journey?

Connecting leaders with tools to make more and better disciples is a passion.  Take a closer look at the Disciplemaking tools to see if this helps you refine your process.  Please share what has worked for you below so that we can learn from each other.

 

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