{"id":5033,"date":"2018-01-29T17:10:33","date_gmt":"2018-01-29T23:10:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedisciplemaker.org\/?p=5033"},"modified":"2018-01-29T17:10:33","modified_gmt":"2018-01-29T23:10:33","slug":"how-to-create-a-disciple-making-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.navpress.com\/sites\/thedisciplemaker\/2018\/01\/how-to-create-a-disciple-making-church\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create a Disciple-Making Church"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Chris, the pastor of a church Roy and I were working with, frequently challenged the congregation to become disciple makers. But only a few people were catching the vision. Even for these precious few it was hard, because they were busy with all the studies and programs the church offered for their growth.
\nChris always felt that he was discipling because he loved to teach. The sermons were rich with history, and the classes he and the staff and volunteers taught were filled with content. But most of the learning stayed inside the building and inside people\u2019s heads and lives.<\/em>
\nThat began to change when some young adults started hanging out with Chris\u2019s son at the pastor\u2019s house. They would spend most weekends away from college there. It proved a safe place for spiritual discussions. In the life-to-life environment of their home, a few decided to follow Jesus, and Chris and his wife began to pour their lives and the Word into them.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Modeling Turns Theory into Practice<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Then, quite naturally, Chris began sharing stories of these new disciples from the pulpit. Others picked up on his success and began similar practices with the people in their lives. Discipleship went from theory to action in the life of not only the pastor, but in the lives of other leaders and many in the congregation.<\/p>\n

Paul told the church at Corinth, \u201cBe imitators of me, as I am of Christ\u201d (1 Corinthians 11:1, esv). Imitating involves seeing someone else do something, then doing it yourself. When we are only told what to do, it is more difficult to comply. Seeing something demonstrated affects us more deeply than mere instruction<\/strong>. Think of the power of peer pressure. Social modeling and how it affects behavior has been documented many times over\u2014just remember when you were a teenager, or ask the parent of one!
\nChris\u2019s church caught the vision for discipleship because of his stories and the results that others in the church observed. Today that church is a disciple making church. The leaders are involved in discipleship, and so are many of those in the larger body, even among their neighbors and coworkers!<\/p>\n

Lifestyle DNA vs. Program<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In our work with Navigator Church Ministries, we often use the IDEA model in training and development. Here\u2019s what it stands for:<\/p>\n