Coming of Age

Ed Stetzer wrote in Christians in the Age of Outrage:

“The rise of podcasts, social media, and online streaming can leave the impression that we are actually being discipled by the leaders we follow. For sure, leaders who excel in these formats can help foster our discipleship growth, particularly in locations or circumstances where there are few alternatives. However, we need to understand that these resources are at best supplemental to our spiritual discipleship. Discipleship is necessarily embodied; that is, discipleship is an exchange or dialogue between Christians. It is a personal investment on the part of mature believers in others with the overarching purpose of equipping them for righteous living and Kingdom ministry (Ephesians 4:12)” (ch. 7).

In this time of ongoing social distancing, many have recognized the deficiencies of virtual meetings and classrooms, and online sermons and Bible studies. Those things are all fine as far as they go, but they don’t replace in person discipleship.

I was thinking back to when I started college. I considered myself a fairly strong Christian, and I chose to go to a Christian college. Once I was there I was able to connect with Christians from a wide variety of backgrounds. Not only did the classes teach us to think through our beliefs more clearly, but the professors modeled Christian life, encouraged us, and prayed for us. Fellow students challenged one another to study the Bible, memorize Scripture, and remain accountable in times of temptation. It was through close discipling relationships that I came to understand God’s grace and mercy toward us. And it was through those relationships that I found encouragement and help in difficult times.

I can’t imagine how different my life would be if I had not been living on campus but had done all my coursework online. I would not have some of the friendships that are still important to me almost three decades later. (Where did the time go?!) I would not have connected with the people that led me to my current job, ministry, home, and church. I would not have wrestled with my faith in the same ways, and as a result my faith would be much weaker than it is.

As school systems, universities, and churches are all sorting through the challenges of teaching in the midst of a pandemic, we all need to remember that education is not just about conveying knowledge. Preparing students for life takes more than a talking head on a screen. And preparing Christians for ministry takes even more interpersonal connections. We all know that to be true, but we may tend to downplay its significance when it’s difficult to overcome obstacles.

“While the world struggles with the where, who, and why of moral education and formation, the church should be Christians’ source of teaching on forming life-giving habits. The Christian community is built around the concept of discipleship but many churches have not thought about how to teach proper discipleship practices in this digital world” (Stetzer, ch. 2).

The author of Hebrews wrote that “solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Heb. 5:14 ESV). Maturity doesn’t happen in isolation. I suspect that many parents would say that social isolation has often revealed the immaturity of their children in recent weeks. I can say with certainty that whatever spiritual maturity I have is a result of relationships with those who have taught me, questioned me, challenged me, encouraged me, and even rebuked me when needed.

What will be the impact of current events on the future faith of today’s youth? How can we build and maintain the kind of discipling relationships that we all need? How much time and effort are we willing to invest for good of the Kingdom?

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Thoughts on Discipleship

The following thoughts are based on recent discussions at church, books I’ve read, as well as my personal experience. I don’t claim to be any kind of authority on the subject of discipleship, so I’ll just say these are my own opinions and should be run through the filter of Scripture for validation. These are in no particular order.

Small Group Discipleship

There seems to be a tendency in certain groups or authors to imply that discipleship is necessarily one-on-one. While there are instances where that is the case, I don’t think that is definitive. Jesus spent most of his time with a small group of twelve. Certainly He was closer to some than others, but there are few places in the Gospels where He speaks just to one person, and even then they appear to be single conversations, not ongoing relationships. The Apostle Paul may have spent more time with individuals such as Timothy, but most of his teaching letters are to groups of believers. So small group Bible studies, Sunday school classes, youth groups, and so on can certainly be settings for discipleship to take place.

This is encouraging to me when I start feeling like I’m not doing everything I should because I don’t currently have a one-on-one relationship in which I am intentionally discipling someone. As I participate in some groups there are still opportunities for discipleship to take place, and I don’t have to chastise myself for my perceived failures.

A Two-Way Street

From my own experiences I’ve learned that discipleship is not necessarily one-way either. As we love one another, encourage one another, and spur one another, that is often a reciprocal relationship. So as I interact with other believers, I don’t have to act like I’m the teacher and they are the student or vice versa. We can all learn from one another. I think perhaps these types of relationships are the most enjoyable—walking the road together and discussing what we see and what we can learn from it.

Since my job is in a Christian organization and my outside activities are lately all church related, I wonder how I’m supposed to make time to build relationships with non-believers for the purpose of discipling them. This takes some of the pressure off with the realization that the majority of discipleship takes place after conversion. And we all have different seasons in life when our community activities and relationships will change.

I signed up for a class in discipleship when I was in graduate school, and in the first session the instructor said, “By next class you each need to go out and find a non-believer and you’re going to disciple them this semester.” I immediately went to the registrar and dropped the class. That kind of pressure was way too much for that setting. Some instruction in discipleship was needed before laying that burden on us. (I’ve often wondered if others dropped the class as well.)

Relational

Some authors suggest, if not state outright, that discipleship needs to be a prescribed program of Bible study, reading books, and scheduled meetings. That idea really frustrates me. Outside of seminary, there are few times and places where you can follow a set curriculum and schedule.

My own experience in being discipled through college and graduate school was much more relaxed and almost entirely related to what was going on in my life at the time. It was all about a relationship with one another and with God. There were some times when we shared books, and we frequently discussed Scripture, but it was by no means a regimented plan. As I said earlier, it was walking through life together as friends, not as teacher instructing student.

God’s Work

Ultimately, spiritual growth is God’s work, not ours. Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” Paul and Apollos served to exhort, encourage, and edify many people, but the final result was the work of God. What a relief to know that it doesn’t rest on my shoulders! I’ll do what I can as God leads, but God is the one who will cause growth in my life and in the lives of those I interact with.

As I look back on some relationships, I see that the people have grown far beyond anything I ever imparted to them because they’ve gotten connected with other believers and God has done great things in their lives. But other relationships have stagnated and the people seem to have lost their original zeal for God. I don’t blame myself for that (at least not most of the time). I pray that I planted a seed that at some point will be watered and start growing again. Only God knows what is needed and when that should happen.

We’re Unique

I’ll just close by reaffirming that God has called us each to make disciples as we are going through life, but that process may look different for each of us, and it may look different in the various phases of our lives. It is unfair to try to fit any believer into a particular mold, because God has made us each unique. He works differently in and through each of us depending on the gifts He has given us and the path He has laid out for us. I’m encouraged by these thoughts and I hope they help someone else too.

© 2012 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.