CHMN 201
DISCIPLESHIP – A CASE STUDY
Student Name: Elijah Watkins
Date: February 11, 2024
What is your role at the church you are interviewing? Elder &
Prophet
I. Church Identification
a. Name: Ministering Wholeness Christian Church House of Worship (MWCC)
b. Address: 4600 Wichita Street. Fort Worth, 76119
c. Website: www.mwcchow.org
d. Pastor’s Name: Apostle Roderick Watkins & First Lady Bee Watkins
II. Church Information
a. Average Weekly Attendance: 35
b. Number of Members: 50
c. Is there a staff person specifically assigned to discipleship? Elder’s
III. Discipleship
a. How does your church make disciples? MWCC has two methods for cultivating
disciples, as stated in Matthew 28:18-20. One method involves membership,
while the other relies on evangelism. Teaching the God through a lifestyle
characterized by servant leadership. MWCC, also determines the stage of an
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individual’s spiritual journey within Christianity, if applicable, and thereafter
match them with suitable saints who can provide guidance and mentorship.
b. Do you have specific programs that you use for discipleship? If so, what are
they? MWCC has affirmed that these activities are implemented to facilitate
discipleship. The activities available for new members include orientation
sessions, Sunday School classes, Bible Study sessions, and mentorship groups for
both men and women.
c. What advice would you give to someone who is seeking to start a discipleship
program? MWCC, counsel offered to an inexperienced follower who seeking to
begin in their journeys to groom people into disciples, was simple but profoundly
advised. Apostle stated that anyone seeking this responsibility should First,
prioritize seeking God through prayer, then proceed to join a community of
believers and engage in services. Ensure that you have a mentor who has expertise
in the field of education. And finally, be yourself through Christ (be Authentic).
IV. Results of the Discipleship Program
a. How do you measure if someone is growing as a disciple? When looking into
about the development of an individual's spiritual life, Apostle emphasized that
the assessment stems from watching the individual's lifestyle. Assuming various
responsibilities where accountability is present, serving a significant role leading
to elevation in positioning. And assisting those who are fresh to their convictions
of faith.
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b. How many people at your church participate in some form of discipleship?
The Apostle further said that the numbers fluctuate on a weekly basis, depending
on the missions, and assignment goals their trying to accomplish. He stated that
availability is a significant challenge in this area. He expressed his hope that all
would be open to accepting this task in accordance with biblical teachings rather
than his own preferences. The numerical value he specified was "10+/-".
V. What challenges do you face in regard to discipleship? Apostle said that one of the
issues faced by the small church with limited resources is the issue of availability and
commitment. Growth is often hindered by the limitations of time, money, and overall
commitment on a consistent basis.
VI. Student Response to Case Study
a. Discuss how discipleship at this church compares or contrasts with what you
have read about discipleship in Everyday Ministry by Earley and Gutierrez.
At MWCC, the practice of discipleship closely adheres to the concepts expounded
in Everyday Ministry by Earley and Gutierrez, namely in chapters 28-31. MWCC
places significant emphasis on membership, evangelism, and mentoring as crucial
elements in the process of creating disciples, as outlined in Matthew 28:18-20, as
the book says. They provide targeted activities such as orientation workshops,
Sunday School courses, Bible studies, and mentoring groups, reflecting the
systematic method advocated in Everyday Ministry. MWCC, stress the
significance of acceptance, spreading the faith, and guiding others in nurturing
followers. Therefor the guidance provided for initiating a discipleship program
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likewise mirrors the focus on prayer, community, mentoring, and genuineness
shown in the book. Nevertheless, MWCC encounters common obstacles that are
characteristic of small churches, including limited resources and inconsistent
engagement. In general, while there may be a few distinctions, the fundamental
ideas and methods of discipleship at MWCC align with those presented in
Everyday Ministry.
b. What did you observe about discipleship at this church that compares or
contrasts to what you have read about biblical teaching in either Everyday
Ministry or The Nine Marks of a Healthy Church?
The discipleship strategy at MWCC demonstrates both similarities and contrasts
in the concepts of biblically balanced preaching and teaching demonstrated in
"Everyday Ministry, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church and the Word of God". As
previously stated, MWCC prioritizes membership, evangelism, and mentorship, in
line with biblical mandates. Their strategies are consistent with the systematic
technique promoted in "Everyday Ministry." We see a commonality of
prioritizing prayer, fellowshipping, and being honesty in growing their followers.
Nevertheless, the principles of biblically balanced preaching and teaching
emphasizes the significance of effective communication, strong beliefs,
constructive criticism, encouragement, and endurance in properly instructing the
Word of God. Both approaches prioritize spiritual development and preparing
believers, but the emphasis on teaching within the framework of preaching
highlights the need of educating Christians to independently study and apply
Scripture. Overall, MWCC's discipleship procedures are in accordance with
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biblical principles. However, it would be beneficial for them to include a greater
focus on teaching in their discipleship programs, in order to enable Christians to
independently study Scripture. This not only aligns closely with the Word of God
but also "The Nine Marks of a Healthy Church" practices, particularly in its
evaluation of MWCC's discipleship strategies expressed in Mark 4&9.
c. If you were building a discipleship process, what would it look like based on
this interview and what you have learned in this class thus far?
I believe this question is truly packed with a lot of variables of course but, as it
concerns the first question, building a discipleship, I believe the first thing that
you must do before you make disciples is to become a disciple. It reminds me of
what Jesus says in the Gospel of Luke 22:24–27, That shows a reflection of a both
a leader & a disciple’s heart should be. I believe that if I expect to have disciples
in my ministry, I must become a follower of someone who knows more than I and
can hold me accountable. That’s why before the process even begins, discipleship
starts within you. When we read the gospels and teachings of Jesus Christ, He
always, reminded His followers according to John 5:19 & and similarly in, John
13:16 (ESV) in order to have an effective discipleship you must understand where
your true authority comes from and realize that serving isn’t a mere word but an
expression of what your foundation which is established in your Father. He
showed them that discipleship doesn’t stop once you have disciples of your own,
you must build a relationship just as I have built a relationship with you, as I have
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with my Father. With this understanding, my first step can be summarized into
this, submitting to God’s authority, having a servant heart, recognizing
discipleship doesn’t stop once you acquire disciples, remain authentic in your
relationship unto God, and embrace your role once you are sent, now you can
proceed to the next step which is just as important with this first and it’s your
doctrine.
The next step I would take is after we’ve established what foundation we are set
upon and that individual has displayed consistency in this area, then we will
discuss doctrine. Doctrine is so important that Paul wrote a letter to Timothy, in 1
Timothy 1:3-11 teaching him to fight against these false teachers, and even the
dangers in not having sound doctrine in chapter 4 and why we must hold true to it.
Knowing the Gospel from a Kingdom perspective gives you the knowledge to
know how Jesus evangelized and what made it so effective. When you teach the
words of God with the authority given to us through Jesus Christ by the Spirt,
then you realize that your doctrine will do two things convict those around you
leading to repentance and eventual discipleship or condemn others and cause
them to be scattered. The truth is as disciples of Jesus Christ our words, our
outcome is dictated by our level of submissiveness, and integrity to the Word of
God. This would then lead to the final step, of Love
The Scriptures shows us that if don’t have love in our hearts, then everything we
do is vanity, it’s worthless. I would stress this point that if you don’t have love,
you will not be effective in your evangelizing. Discipleship comes from a place of
unconditional love even when the cost or burden of being a disciple is both heavy
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and even time consuming. You need love when like from our reading when Paul
talks about the necessity of mentoring (Acts 9:27)(NIV), or when your
evangelizing words of truth to someone and you’ve put time into helping groom
and develop a person and they walk about (John 6:60-70)(NIV) you need love to
continue, but one of the greatest thing a disciple can do is “lay down his life for a
friend”, what Jesus did on the cross, John 15:13(NIV), shows that in this process
of being and creating disciples, His ultimate sacrifice for us as The True and
Good Shepard (John 10), was His love and kindness that drew us, and in that love
we are to both be an disciple then produce disciples just as Jesus did.
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