This idea of Discipleship so often has been misunderstood.
In fact, I was speaking to one of the lady at our church last week as we began this new ministry of discipleship, she along with many other people misunderstood by thinking it’s a one-on-one deal that only super christians do. But in essence, by definition a “Disciple” is a Christian. So if you would, discipleship is in other words, “Christianship” isn’t it? It is not only for super christians, it’s a call for all of us on a day to day basis.
Every Christian is on a journey. This is not in a sense of metaphorical and spatial journey, but we all are on a journey of discipleship, but if we had to ask the question whether we are doing well or not, that is a whole another question.
Unfortunately, we are not doing well, the mission of “making disciples” on the journey of discipleship.
The first thing we must do is to ask the fundamental question of assessment; How do you measure the success of discipleship? Would it be church attendance? How often they do their devotion? How much money each people are giving? It may not be wrong to assess on the basis by these means, yet we have to first and far most have to decide “What is discipleship?” as churches are trying to figure this out.
Why is this so important in this time? If we have to be honest with ourselves and take a step back, everyone recognize the massive change in this specific cultural context. The issue is too many churches are stuck in the traditional mind set, and if we are not quick enough to ask these questions for the next generation that is coming after us, we will lose everything that we have built. How do we “Do church” in the context that culture is rapidly and radically changing? I believe this is where many churches are stuck and where the rubber hits the road.
We are in a time where we are in the eye of the storm, where we don’t know the long reinvention (Modernity to Post-modernity) We are looking at people who seek purpose and meaning inside of themselves; (Identity and Moral Authority). Having that in mind, the combination of the rapid information transaction on a moment by moment of internet, churches are left crippled and paralyzed in their effort to fulfill the Great Commission.
If the churches that came out 80s stay the same, we don’t really know what is going to happen to the face of the church if we do the same old same old stuff. The gospel won’t go forth, discipleship will fail and as a result church won’t go forth and will not exist.
Understanding and knowing the fact what all that is taking place with transition, the changes that are happening, we as a church we need to adapt and change, that doesn’t mean we change the core message of the gospel of who we are that has been passed down, but it means what is happening so that we can help people to know and follow Jesus; which is all about discipleship.