LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Disciple Making in a Healthy Church Assignment
Submitted to Dr. David Earley,
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
completion of
DSMN 500 – B07
Discipleship Ministries
by
Jayanna Arnold
February 14, 2021
Contents
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Overview
Discipleship is what ties believers to Jesus Christ, for the rest of their lives. It is a
transformative process that shifts a believer’s life in every aspect. It reflects the very moment a
believer submitted to Jesus, in the same way it demonstrated the Twelve Disciples’ commitment
to Him. While ministering to his disciples, Jesus said to them, “You did not choose me, but I
chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so
that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you” (John 15:16, NIV).1 In this instance,
Jesus affirmed that He called the disciples to go out and bear fruit, in the way they had witnessed
him bear fruit. In order to have been able to do what Jesus commanded of them, they needed to
show Jesus that they were fully committed to him. Without that commitment, bearing long
lasting fruit in His name would not have been possible. This is why Jesus said earlier in John 15,
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). From this statement, it is clear that discipleship
is the key to bearing long lasting fruit, in Jesus’ name, which is reason enough to make
discipleship an essential part of the foundation of all Christian churches.
Discipleship takes new believers a step further into serving the will God, in the earth. It
detaches them from their former lives and brings them into a place of newness. Jesus’ years with
the Twelve provides the perfect framework of discipleship. From his model, it is shown that
disciples are made first by their decision to get up and follow Christ. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote,
in Discipleship, that when Jesus calls, the who is called answers. “And what happens? Those
called leave everything they have, not in order to do something valuable. Instead, they do it
simply for the sake of the call itself, because otherwise they could not walk behind Jesus”2
1 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the New International Version.
2 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2001), 58.
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According to Bonhoeffer, the beginning stages of discipleship start with the believer’s decision
to commit to Christ, without the promise of something great following that decision. It is
understood that life changes once someone commits to Christ, but the nature of those changes is
not explicitly communicated, initially. So at that point, a believer would have to choose to follow
Christ because he knows and understands who Christ is. Ultimately, as it has been illustrated, the
decision to follow Christ is crucial and must be made, keeping in mind of the potential cost.
Fortunately, God does not require for believers to walk into this life, alone. He provides a
community of believers who can offer support, love and guidance along the way. This
community of believers is also known as the body of Christ.
Body of Christ
The body of Christ is comprised of individuals who have made the decision to follow
Christ. It is considered both a role and a place-- a role, because each “part” of the body has an
important function; a place, because it is also the church (spiritually and physically). Referencing
Ephesians 4, Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey stated, “This passage is saying that the church is the
same thing as the body of Christ. They are synonymous. In addition, Paul points out that the
body of Christ is to be built up and that it grows strong by “the proper working of each
individual part.”3When a believer submits to Christ, he receives the gift of Salvation, resulting in
him being brought into the fold of Jesus Christ by way of the Holy Spirit, gaining a true
understanding of Christ’s ways and desires and learning how each role (part) contributes to the
mission of Christ. The Apostle Paul expounds on the previous statement, writing, “For just as
each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same
3 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Discipline Making Is (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2013),
188.
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function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the
others” (Romans 12:4-5). In natural terms, each member represents each person as he operates in
the giftings he receives through the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul also wrote, “Now you are the
body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all
apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of
guidance, and of different kinds of tongues…”(1 Cor. 12:27-31). Each gifting stated is possessed
by a different person or member of the body. And even though each person has a different
function, no function has been deemed greater than the other, for all functions are needed to
keep the body alive and working. Then, with Christ as the head, the different members of the
body look to him for instruction and follow Him.
I truly believe that there is one specific way, in which God wants His body (church) to
function. It may not be clear, which is why He has given us access to Him, that we would ask for
counsel and allow Him to guide us in how we operate as a body. Considering that God’s model
of the church is not overtly clear, I can understand why there are a variety of church models.
Earley and Dempsey acknowledged and critiqued four different church models: Traditional,
Attractional, Hybrid, and Organic. Of the four models, I believe my church is a Hybrid church. It
incorporates several aspects of each of the other three church models. Earley and Dempsey
described the hybrid church as “extremely complex.”4 Looking at my church, I agree with the
previous statement.So much takes place at once, mainly because our church serves as the
headquarters of a network of churches. My pastor followed the Lord and planted a church in at
least 11 more locations. The past few years were filled with planning and restructuring so that
our pastor and his team would be able to devote time and effort to each of the planted churches.
This brings me to our church’s view of “change attitude.” According to the TAHO chart, Hybrid
4 Ibid.,
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churches tolerate change but do not receive it well. My church does not align with that statement.
Our leader encourages us to respond well to change because of the rapid growth of the church,
over the past four years. Not everyone is able to accept the changes, but many of us respond
well, understanding that we are not in control. Also, because the changes are meant to serve the
mission of Christ in and around our ministry, we should receive them with open arms.
Another discrepancy I found on the TAHO Chart was in regards to “gifts.” According to
the chart, hybrid churches view gifts as necessary for programs. However, my church celebrates
all gifts. There are teams designated for each gift, dedicated to helping each person mature in his
giftings. Believers at my church journey through several classes and trainings to grow in their
gifts, and there are always opportunities for them to apply what they have learned. My church
places such an emphasis on stretching the members because we all understand the importance of
operating in excellence, on the behalf of God.
Also, regarding leadership philosophy, my church combines the methods of Attractional
and Organic. The leader is very adamant on seeing his team work to achieve the goals of his
vision-- He has made sure to communicate that he does not push for a vision to be implemented,
unless it has God’s approval because he is so devoted to what God allows and desires. And
because he is so dedicated to God’s Will, not only regarding the ministry but also the lives of
those around him, he understands that people need to be pushed past their potential in order to
walk in what God has called them to do. With that as a priority, he guides people into a place of
clarity-- understanding who they are in Christ and what their purpose entails. He also gives
people the opportunity to train for their purpose.
Church Assessment
According to the Healthy Church Assessment, my church needs to improve in its Love
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for God. I want to start by saying that my church thrives off of the worship of God. There have
been times where the pastor could not preach because we were consumed by the glory of God
and fell at His feet. I believe that collectively, we all love and desire to glorify God as much as
we possibly can. As a church, we are also always admonished by our pastor to live out our
worship. This means that even after we leave the church, we should commit ourselves to
demonstrating our love for God through how we speak and make decisions. People should be
able to see God in our lives, without us having to say we believe in God. This is why I rated my
church at a 10 for statements 1 and 2, which stated, “Obedience to Christ is valued above all else;
Going, baptizing and teaching people to obey Christ is prioritized.” We understand that being
obedient to God is what first marks us as followers of Christ.
The problem, however, resides in remembering which Scriptures apply to what situation.
For statement 8, which states, “The saints are memorizing the Word of God,” I rated my church a
6. My church is filled with people of all ages, but the majority of the members are under 40. We
sometimes struggle to commit to a routine that makes space for reading and meditating on the
Word of God-- hence, our struggle to memorize His Word. I believe that this also contributes to
the lowest rating I gave to my church-- a 5-- regarding statement 9. It says, “Speaking the truth in
love” is being consistently practiced.” As brothers and sisters, we should speak to each other
with grace. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned
with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Col. 4:6). Unfortunately, we struggle
to do so. I have witnessed people speak the truth to one another, but the delivery was so
aggressive that the message was not received well. The conversation left the recipient feeling
offended. It is utterly dangerous to claim to be a believer but not be armed with the Word of God.
The Word gives us instruction, provides instruction, and helps us to remain humble in our
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posture. Jim Putman wrote, in DiscipleShift, “Without the gospel, we will become proud because
we will naturally compare ourselves with others, forgetting what our righteousness looks like to
God (not good).”5 Ultimately, we need the Word of God, It, along with the Holy Spirit, gives us
access to God’s desire for our lives.
In order to improve in the weak areas, we should create small groups dedicated to
different portions of the Bible. Some groups can focus on major/minor prophets; others can focus
on Psalms; others can focus on Christ’s time on earth. After a month, the groups can rotate. I
believe that some people struggle to read/memorize the Word of God because they feel it is either
too complex or too tedious to read through. Creating the small group dynamic could make
reading the Word of God fun and a bit easier to navigate through because people will be able to
lean on their peers. Also, the group does not have to only be for reading the Word of God. It
could become an accountability group, a book club, a safe place, etc. However the groups
evolve, it will be for the glory of God.
Role of Church, Pastor, Saints, etc.
Discipleship is a transformative process--one that is not for the faint at heart. Thankfully,
the Lord has provided resources that will aid a believer who submits to the process. The church,
for example, has a very important role in God’s plan for discipleship. Earley and Dempsey wrote,
“The many and varied references describe this active body of believers who band together for
prayer, fellowship, teaching, and intentionally accomplishing the Great Commission.”6 Here,
Earley and Dempsey highlight that the church is filled with like-minded individuals-- those who
seek to fulfill the will of God on earth. It is a place designed to train, equip and cover those who
5 Jim Putman, DiscipleShift (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013), 85.
6 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Discipline Making Is (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2013), 39.
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are adopted into the fold. In this context, the pastor equips and trains the members, while the
saints provide the support and accountability. Regarding the pastor’s role, Earley and Dempsey
wrote, “This involves properly connecting the individual inside the body, just as Christ desires.”7
Connecting the individual involves helping the believer to accept and mature in his giftings, to
his full potential. The Apostle Paul wrote, “There are different kinds of working, but in all of
them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:6-7). As previously stated, growth in giftings is
essential to ensuring that the church (body of Christ) is healthy and functioning.
While the pastor equips, the saints support. Many churches provide community for
believers through small groups. Aubrey Malphurs wrote, in Strategic Disciple Making, “(A)
small group ministry is the means to provide your people with fellowship and a sense of
community, which is vital to making disciples and moving toward spiritual maturity.”8 My
church calls these groups, “Tribes.” They are filled with people who are at different stages in
their discipleship, so new believers can find support in all forms. The journey toward
discipleship does not need to be lonely. The Lord sees what warfare a new believer faces, upon
choosing to follow Christ. So, being the faithful God that He is, He gives new believers access to
all forms of armor. Ultimately, discipleship does serve the believer who submits to the process.
But even more, it prepares that believer for his role in the kingdom of God, pushing the agenda
of God’s Will on earth.
7 Ibid., 40.
8 Aubrey Malphurs, Strategic Disciple Making: A Practical Tool for Successful Ministry (Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Books, 2009), 70.
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Bibliography
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Discipleship. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2001.
Earley, Dave and Rod Dempsey. Discipline Making Is. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group,
2013.
Malphurs, Aubrey. Strategic Disciple Making: A Practical Tool for Successful Ministry. Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2009.
Putman, Jim. DiscipleShift. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013.
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