The word “discipleship” brings up different ideas for different people. The scale ranges from very informal to very formal, and everything in between. While churches do well to formalize some kind of discipleship process, there is room for more than a single method. Here are some ideas, each of which can be done with another Christian or in a group.
Informal: Although all discipleship should be relational, some dub this ‘life on life’ discipleship. No books, no curriculum, no outline, just sharing life together. Paul seems to model this in 1 Corinthians 11:1: Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. Life on life discipleship occurs when two moms walk together after dropping off their kids at school, sharing Jesus as they share time; when a group of men meet for coffee and prayer; when a few Christian couples watch a football game together and share time (Pr. 27:17).
Book Study: Discipleship occurs when believers meet together to work through or discuss a Christian book. While some prefer the use of study guides, others choose to informally discuss what encouraged or stuck out to them. Here are some suggestions on books on the topic of sanctification that make for great discussion.
- Jerry Bridges, Disciple of Grace (http://amzn.to/1sVzghW)
- Tim Chester, You Can Change (http://amzn.to/1uoLjHF)
- Bryan Chapell, Holiness by Grace (http://amzn.to/1sOL0Si)
Video Series: Video series are growing in popularity. These normally involve watching a 10-30 minutes video, followed up by discussion and prayer. Although a bit pricy, http://www.rightnowmedia.org/ has a wealth of good material.
Bible Study: Bible studies occur when Christians get together to study the biblical text itself. Some studies are very in-depth, almost a teaching format. Others prefer to get together and read a few passage, discuss, and then pray.
Classroom: In the most formal setting, churches can offer classes on various subjects. In Acts 19:9 Luke describes a classroom type setting where Paul taught people how to follow Jesus.
What are some other methods of discipleship that you have found helpful?