Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………..3
Stages of Discipleship………………………………………………………………………..3
Spheres of Discipleship………………………………………………………………………6
Current Stage of Discipleship………………………………………………………………..7
Submitting to Christ………………………………………………………………………….7
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………8
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………….9
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Introduction
As a follower of Christ, a believer is commanded to pursue God with all their heart,
mind, body, and soul, yet they are also called to make disciples of others. This is a process that is
not easy to accomplish and takes hard work and dedication yet is extremely rewarding.
Discipleshift focuses on developing a method the believer can use to personally evaluate their
progress in each of the five stages, and four spheres of discipleship. Discipleship can be defined
as an act of witnessing to others about the glory of God found in Scripture, ultimately helping the
non-believer achieve a new spiritual birth, resulting in their acceptance and faith in Christ.
Recognizing that discipleship begins with the believer placing Christ first in their own
lives through time spent with Him in prayer and the study of Scripture allows the believer to
fully grasp the process which enables them to bring the good news to others. As the believers
progresses in their understanding of who they are in Christ, they can create a better environment
where others can learn the different stages and spheres of discipleship as well. Beard suggests
that disciples are created when biblical information moves from a surface level of understanding
to a behavior change that shows the inner change of every believer.1
Five Stages of Discipleship
The authors of Discipleshift outline the process of becoming spiritually mature to help
others grow in the process of sanctification as well. This process is encompassed through five
stages that are not independent of each other, as they work in concert to with no regard to any
1 Beard, C. Missional Discipleship: Discerning Spiritual Formation Practices and Goals Within
the Missional Movement. Missiology, 43(2), 179. 2015.
3
specific timeline and are dependent on the believer’s level of spiritual maturity that is obtained
during their walk with Christ. They suggest that any believer can move forwards or regress in
their level spiritual maturity and should be wary of this as they move through their journey with
God.
“Spiritually Dead” is the first stage that refers to those who are lost having no acceptance
or acknowledgment of God and are “dead in their transgressions”.2 This stage contains
individuals who either have not accepted Christ as their Savior, have rejected God completely, or
call themselves Christians but do not live a godly lifestyle that produces good fruit. The authors
define relational community in the Body of Christ as “pre-conversion discipleship”, which
produces honest and loving relationships with believers, and being introduced to Jesus through
having the Gospel explained to them.3 This initial stage is crucial as the believer must invite the
lost in a comfortable and non-threatening setting that helps the non-believer trust the disciple and
acknowledge their need to be reborn in Christ.
The second stage is “Infant”, which describes those who have been awakened spiritually
and have chosen to follow Christ, yet don’t fully grasp the entire concept of Scripture and the
process of sanctification that is involved. They are given the Bible piece by piece which is often
referred to as “milk” in the Christian community. In relation to physical infancy, people in this
stage are dependent on mature believers to help them grow spiritually and guide them with
instructions on how Spending time with God in prayer and biblical study can help them hear the
2 Putman, Jim, Coleman, Robert, and Harrington, Bobby. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help
Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 2013.
3 Putman, Jim, Coleman, Robert, and Harrington, Bobby. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help
Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 2013.
4
voice of the Holy Spirit, which will ultimately help them grow in Christ. Eventually, the spiritual
infant will develop new habits that will form new life patterns as a follower of Jesus.4
“Child” is the third stage of discipleship which encompasses those believers who are
regenerated in Christ yet are still centered on self although they are becoming increasingly more
intelligent and able to apply Scripture to different aspects of their lives. Halter writes that a true
believer and disciple of Christ is a person who doesn’t remain stagnant, and although they may
struggle in their journey at times, they look to live a life of love and obedience to the Father
which means to live and die for the higher purpose of the Kingdom of God.5 This stage helps the
believer understand who they are in Christ and how to connect with other believers by making
strong, loving relationships with those who are like minded in the faith. Putman says this stage
will help the believer discover what it means to have a servant’s heart instead of a selfish one.6
The fourth stage is “young adult” which begins when a believer welcomes and engages in
the discipleship of others. In this stage, the believer has found great joy and is enthusiastic about
sharing the good news of Scripture which leads them to seek out opportunities to serve within
ministry.7 At this stage, a spiritual mentor is necessary to guide them in their walk and provide
answers to questions and situations that will arise as they dive deeper into some form of ministry.
“Parent” is the final stage of discipleship which shows a believer become spiritually
mature enough to take on the responsibility of spiritual development in other believers. As Paul
4 Putman, Jim, Coleman, Robert, and Harrington, Bobby. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help
Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 2013.
5 Halter, Hugh, and Smay, Matt. And: The Gathered and Scattered Church. Grand Rapids, MI.
Zondervan. 2010.
6 Putman, Jim, Coleman, Robert, and Harrington, Bobby. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help
Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 2013.
7 Putman, Jim, Coleman, Robert, and Harrington, Bobby. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help
Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 2013.
5
shows in Scripture by mentoring Timothy, this is a great example of the One up One down
ideology within Christianity by having a mentor and being a mentor within the church. Putman
states that a spiritual parent is someone who lives out God’s word daily and are focused on the
kingdom and fully reliant on God.8
Four Spheres of Discipleship
The process of growth is defined by Putman in four spheres which include the centrality
of a relationship with God, relationships with the family of God, relationships at home, and
relationships with the world. In each sphere, the believer is transformed in mind with the
authority of God, transformed in the heart by the Holy Spirit, and follows Christ with hands in a
missional aspect.
Keeping a strong relationship with God is the key to all other aspects of discipleship as
ensuring a strong bond with the Creator creates the ability to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit
and apply the directions that are given. The second sphere focuses on loving fellow Christ
followers in a practical way that builds up the Body of Christ. When a believer is born again,
they become members of God’s family which means they have a spiritual Father, and also obtain
spiritual brother’s and sister’s in Christ. The disciple’s family and how they love them is the
third sphere. Scripture commands believers to love their spouses and children in a way that
glorifies God and causes the family to become closer with Jesus. A disciple’s love for the world
is the final sphere, which many people get confused about. Scripture tells believers they should
not love the things of the world and to not be conformed to the world’s patters but should seek to
8 Putman, Jim, Coleman, Robert, and Harrington, Bobby. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help
Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 2013.
6
be a different light that causes unbelievers to ask questions about God. This doesn’t mean that a
disciple should shun non-believers in any way, it simply means to be careful to not get caught up
in the actions and ideologies of those who are not followers of God. A true disciple of Christ
loves the world in that they search for ways to help the lost find Christ.
Current Discipleship Stage
Upon studying the reading for this assignment, I believe I am currently in the adult stage
of discipleship; however, I also believe that there are times when I regress back into the child
stage. I spend time studying and meditating on God’s Word, then look to live out biblical
principles practically by sharing the knowledge God has given me to others. There are also times
I struggle with being centered on myself and my prayer life revolves around what I need from
God instead of what He needs from me to grow and prosper His Kingdom.
Submitting to Christ
I understand that although I seek God’s face in most of the situations that arise in my life,
and my faith in Christ is unshakeable, I also realize I can submit to Christ better regarding my
love for the world. I find it difficult to love those who reject Christ and may even mock my faith
in God. This is a struggle that I have, and I realize that to become a better disciple of Jesus, I
need to allow the Holy Spirit to change my heart in this area from one of frustration to one of
compassion for those who are lashing out because they are lost.
7
Conclusion
In conclusion, to submit fully to God by observing and practicing all things demanded to
become a better disciple is paramount in the life of every believer. The practice of surrendering
to the will of God is on ongoing process that followers of Christ must intentionally take hold of
and practically walk through every day. Bonhoeffer writes that the disciple’s answer is not a
spoken confession of faith in Christ, but instead, it is the act of an obedient deed.9
Bibliography
Beard, C. Missional Discipleship: Discerning Spiritual Formation Practices and Goals Within
the Missional Movement. Missiology, 43(2), 179. 2015.
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Part One: Chapter Two: The Call to Discipleship In
Discipleship. 74-93. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press. 1945.
9 Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Part One: Chapter Two: The Call to Discipleship In
Discipleship. 74-93. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press. 1945
8
Halter, Hugh, and Smay, Matt. And: The Gathered and Scattered Church. Grand Rapids, MI.
Zondervan. 2010.
Putman, Jim, Coleman, Robert, Harrington, Bobby. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help Your
Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 2013.
9
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