LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Disciple-Making Plan
Submitted to Dr. Donald Hicks
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN 500 – C01
Discipleship Ministries
by
Luke Lethco
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Contents
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………3
Passages………………………………………………………………………………………...4
Jesus as a disciple-maker ………………………………………………………………4
Paul as a disciple-maker ……………………………………………………………….5
Principles ………………………………………………………………………………………6
Philosophy ……………………………………………………………………………………..7
Church …………………………………………………………………………………7
Pastor …………………………………………………………………………………..7
Gospel ………………………………………………………………………………….8
Evangelism …………………………………………………………………………….8
Leadership ……………………………………………………………………………..9
Practices ……………………………………………………………………………………….9
Church/organization Structure …………………………………………………………9
Small-group philosophy ……………………………………………………………….10
Proof……………………………………………………………………………………………11
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………….12
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Introduction
A disciple-making plan is important for every Christian to consider at some point in their
sanctification journey. Christians are called by God to "go therefore and make disciples1 of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit." (Matthew
28:19 English Standard Version).2 It is, therefore, vitally important that one has a considered and
methodical approach to their disciple-making efforts. This need for methodology becomes that
much more essential when one considers themselves a church leader and, therefore, responsible
for instructing others how to be disciple-makers. Jesus himself states that "it would be better for
him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should
cause one of these little ones to sin." (Luke 17:2) Therefore, "it's essential for the leadership of a
church to have a unified understanding of their goal and purpose as a church. And it's equally
important that they have a unified methodology to accomplish that goal."3
Many definitions of discipleship abound; however, in its most simple terms, a disciple of
Jesus is one who follows Jesus. "Following means that we recognize and accept who Jesus is as
Lord, leader, and master of our lives."4 To expound on this definition, "a disciple is a person who
has trusted Christ for salvation and has surrendered completely to him. He or she is committed to
practicing the spiritual disciplines in the community and developing to their full potential for
Christ.”5 A disciple-making plan is a strategy to produce disciples of Jesus within the context of
one's ministry. Any strong disciple-making process, therefore, must be birthed out of a clear
1 Emphasis Added
2 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard
Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008)
3 Jim Putman & Bobby Harrington, Disciple Shift: Five steps that help your Church to
make Disciples who Make Disciples, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), 44.
4 Ibid., 46.
5 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Disciple Making is…: How to live the Great
Commission with Passion and Confidence (Nashville: B&H Academics, 2013), 28.
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biblical vision for discipleship.6 The following text should define a biblical disciple-making plan
for the context of the local Church.
Passages
It is important to build a disciple-making plan from the word of God. The two realities
that are clear in this process are: (1) to look more like Jesus, one must know Jesus. And (2) The
Bible is the Christians best source of information on discipleship. This would, therefore, make it
clear that any effective disciple-making strategy begins with what does the Bible says about
discipleship. To be clear, the Bible dies to speak discipleship from both praxis and philosophical
point of view. It is therefore prudent for one to examine what Jesus said about discipleship and
what the apostle Paul taught about this discipleship process.
Jesus as a disciple-maker
Jesus’ last command to his followers was, “go therefore and make disciples of all
nations.” (Matthew 28:19a). This command of Jesus was not given without instruction first. One
only hast to examine the life/ministry of Jesus to gain a perspective on how the Lord practiced
discipleship. Jesus' example is important to the modern believer because he is the perfect
example of a disciple-maker. "he never made a mistake. Though partaking in our life, and being
tempted in all points as we are, he was not bound by the limitations of the flesh which he
accepted for our sake."7 Therefore, in creating a strategy for making disciples, one must focus on
Jesus to produce long term strategic growth for the disciple. First, Jesus placed a focus on the
selection of the is disciples. Jesus strategically chose who was going to be in his inner circle for
disciple she, and he stuck with those men. "His concern was not with programs to reach the
6 Jim Putman & Bobby Harrington, Disciple Shift: Five steps that help your Church to
make Disciples who Make Disciples, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), 216-220.
7 Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism (Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 1993),
17.
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multitudes, but with men whom the multitudes would follow."8 The scriptures record, "and when
the day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve9 whom he named apostles.”
(Luke 6:13). Secondly, Jesus' wanted men who could reproduce more like Jesus. In other words,
"Jesus intended for the disciples to produce his likeness in and through the church being gathered
out of the world."10 Jesus encouraged his disciples in the book of John to "go and bear fruit and
that your fruit should abide so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to
you." (John 15:16b).
Paul as a disciple-maker
One of the most important passages in the new testament in regards to disciple-making is
found in the letter from Paul to Timothy. In Paul's second letter to the young pastor, he begs of
him to not only remember what Timothy learned from Paul but to pass on the information
effectively, and this is a call to discipleship. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2, "and what you have
heard from me no in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to
teach others also." (2 Timothy 2:2). In this passage, Paul is not encouraging Timothy to keep the
information to himself or to create new information. However, "the aging apostle seeks to impart
to his foremost disciple the same mentoring mindset that drove him during his ministry. What is
prized is not originality or innovation but faithfulness.”11 The apostle Paul places a premium
priority on creating within others a thirst to be more like Christ. 2 Timothy 2:2 displays the
theological importance of discipleship.
Principles
8 Ibid., 21
9 Emphasis added
10 Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism (Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 1993),
99.
11 Tremper Longman III & David E. Garland, Ephesians- Philemon, vol2. The
Expositor’s Bible Commentary Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 574.
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Although "Spiritual formation is the process of transformation that occurs as a believer
becomes more and more like Jesus."12 One needs to establish smaller benchmarks and core
values in order to measure the growth process accurately. These core values help shape and
dictate the person in whom the disciple will become, where their focus in the ministry will be,
and to whom they will reach out to in evangelism. It is for this reason that in the developmental
process of the evangelism plan, one must first define their core values. These core values will
allow the ministry to create a common language in which they are all able to use. "If you are to
succeed as a [ministry], you must create a common language – using the same words and the
same definitions."13
In my context, there are three core values or principles that drive my ministry. First is
biblical truth; our vision is that the language used in this ministry is the language of the Bible.
Therefore, we place a premium priority on, thus says the word of the Lord. In other words, we
believe that the Bible is "God's written revelation of Himself to humankind."14 Secondly, as
Christians, we must live missionally. Our love for God should constantly stir the Christian into
action. This is the sentiment of James, the brother of Jesus, when he writes, "But someone will
say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will
show you my faith by my works." (James 2:18). The final core value that is important in the
disciple-making process is an authentic community. As Christians, we were created in the image
of God. "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." (Genesis 1:26a).
God is. Therefore, the only perfectly functioning (self-contained) community. As Christians then
12 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Spiritual Formation is…: How to grow in Jesus with
Passion and Confidence (Nashville: B&H Academics, 2018), 28.
13 Jim Putman & Bobby Harrington, Disciple Shift: Five steps that help your Church to
make Disciples who Make Disciples, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), 220.
14 Charles S. Kelley Jr., Richard Land, and R. Albert Mohler Jr., The Baptist Faith and
Message, (Nashville: Lifeway Press 2012), 8.
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we should strive to be a live-in community with other believers. These three core values will give
for the disciple of Jesus and the disciple-maker standards by which to gauge growth.
Philosophy
A person's philosophy on a particular subject becomes the lenses by which they judge the
world. In examining discipleship that are several key areas that create a world view that drives
how a person with everything around them. There are several topics, therefore, related to the
Church that is critical to define in understanding one's philosophy of ministry. It is this
philosophy that will drive the disciple-making process.
Church
The Church is God's universal body on earth with the express mission to spread his glory
to the nations. "The Church represents the one people of God. The unity must be seen in relation
to spiritual unity, not an institutional unity."15 What this means is that although there may be
differences in orthopraxy, there must be unity in orthodoxy. To state this reality more clearly,
"when the scripture is rightly preached, and the gospel is cherished, there is the church."16
Although we are the universal body of believers, it is the job of the local Church to gather for
growth, discipline, and community.
Pastor
As the name might suggest, it is the role of the pastor to Sheppard the flock (or
congregation of saints) toward the glory of God. This is a responsibility that God has called few
to and one that should not be taken up lightly. However, it must be stated that this is a given role
in the Church with very clear guidelines. The scriptures clearly dictate that the pastor's job is to,
"shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but
15 R. Albert Mohler. The Apostles Creed: Discovering Authentic Christianity in an age of
counterfeits. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Books, 2019),157.
16 Ibid., 158.
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willingly as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those
in your charge but being examples to the flock." It is, therefore, the role of the pastor to set forth
the disciple-making model of the Church and the role of the Church to follow willingly.
Gospel
What must be understood about the Gospel is that it is "the heart of the Bible. Everything in
Scripture is either preparation for the Gospel, presentation of the Gospel, or participation in the
Gospel."17 The scriptures declare that the Gospel, or "the word of the cross is folly to those who
are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Therefore, as Christians, we are called to be bold and proclaim the Gospel to all people for the
salvation of the world. It is our responsibility to grow in the knowledge of the Gospel in order to
agree with Paul in saying, "for I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for
salvation to everyone who believes." (Romans 1:16).
Evangelism
In order to understand the Christians role in evangelism, one must first understand the priority of
the Christian life. Although the last command of Jesus was to evangelize, this is not the main
priority of the Christian life. To state it another way, "missions is not the ultimate goal of the
Church. Worship is. Missions exist because worship doesn't"18 Evangelism should be the outflow
of worship protruding from the Christian heart. When worship is placed in its appropriate
priority, the mission of the Church becomes the natural tendency of the Christian life. It is at this
point the Christian is able to agree with the apostle, “For to me live is Christ and to die is gain."
(Philippians 1:21). This is the true heart of evangelism that all may know the glory of God.
Leadership
17 Matt Chandler, The Explicit Gospel (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 11.
18 John Piper, Let the Nations be Glad! The supremacy of God in Missions (Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993), 11.
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Jesus is the perfect example of a servant leader and, therefore, should be the goal of all who call
themselves disciples of Jesus. Therefore, "if you do not really love Jesus, then you will not truly
love the people you lead. Nothing but the love of Christ will compel you to go cheerfully through
the difficulties and discouragements you experience as a leader."19 Servant leadership is,
therefore, the goal of the disciple-making process. As one becomes more like Jesus, they will
naturally become more of a leader of people.
Practices
It is at this point in the disciple-making plan that we begin to demonstrate the tool
necessary for organizational discipleship plans. The questions become how do we use the things
at our disposal (i.e., calendar, small groups, budget, etc.) in order to create men and women who
love God and are called to change the world?
Church/ Organizational Structure
There are several types of Church models available, each with its own advantages and
disadvantages. For example, there is the traditional Church. "This model normally has a senior
pastor who oversees the programs and ministries of the church."20 Although this model has a
simple leadership structure and can be an effective model for church stabilization, the traditional
Church can be resistant to change and, therefore, slow-moving. Another drawback to the
traditional model of Church is that "discipleship is taught from the pulpit but is limited,
primarily, to that which occurs during the Sunday school hour.”21 This can invariantly place a
high priority on spiritual intellectualism and miss the community aspect of gathering together.
19 Ken Blanchard & Phil Hodges, Lead Like Jesus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson
Books, 2005), 178.
20 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Disciple Making is…: How to live the Great
Commission with Passion and Confidence (Nashville: B&H Academics, 2013), 28.
21 Ibid., 231.
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Another model of Church that is popular in America today is the attractional church model. The
attractional church tends to be seeker-friendly. "Because most seeker churches have a focus on
evangelism, they can become quite large."22 The larges difference between this and the traditional
model of Church is that "the primary goal of an attractional church is evangelism done thorough
the gifted communicator."23 This means that discipleship could is possibly done primarily from
the stage, which could result in a church that is a mile wide and an inch deep. For my context,
the traditional Church seems to be the most effective model for discipleship. This is with the
understanding that the leadership of the Church needs to place a premium on the community
outside of the Sunday experience.
Small-Group Philosophy
Small groups are the key to success for organizational discipleship. A thriving small
group ministry should mean a church of growing members. Members of the community of faith
should be practicing life together, which will allow them to grow in Christ. The reality of the
Christian walk is that "Christians need other Christians who speak God's word to them."24 The
Church should, therefore, desire to have a thriving small group ministry outside of the Sunday
morning gathering. Sunday School is an effective way to teach the Church the word of God.
However, people need daily interaction with other brothers; this can only happen through off-
campus ministries.
Proof
Discipleship and spiritual growth is a difficult subject to track with empirical data. The
reality of the question is that true life change cannot be fully grasped on this side of eternity.
However, although it is difficult, it is not impossible to track and the spiritual growth of a
22 Ibid.
23 Ibid., 232
24 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), 6.
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congregation of believers. In fact, Jesus himself suggests that "every healthy tree bears good
fruit, but a diseased tree bears bad fruit…Thus you will recognize them by their fruits."
(Matthew 7:17,20). In essence, Jesus is saying that a true follower of Jesus will display the
characteristics of Jesus for the world to see. Therefore, when examining the health of a church,
there are a few measurable indexes that one can use in order to gauge whether or not discipleship
is happening.
Although there are many tests that one can give to diagnose the health of a church, there
are three major areas that one can look in order to know whether or not discipleship is
happening. The first measure of success would be, is genuine worship happening? In other
words, a healthy church is one, "where the Gospel is being proclaimed by word and deed. Or
where believers are being baptized,"25 So on and so forth. Is there an upward focus to the
worship in the Church, or is worship about "what can I get out of today?” A church that is
focused on proclaiming the glory of God is a church that is growing in maturity.
The second test for church health would be, "Is there a healthy God-honoring community?" It is
easy to see when the community is not God-focused and draining. Bonhoeffer referred to these
types of communities as the wishful dreamers. He writes, "They enter the community of
Christians with their demands, set up their own law, and judge one another and even God
accordingly.”26 A community of faith cannot exist in this fashion for long without imploding.
There needs to be a focus on how, as Christians, we can "bear one another's burdens, and so
fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2). This is a critical step in the discipleship process.
Therefore, a few metrics of heath are: Are there multiple small groups meeting regularly? How
25 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Disciple Making is…: How to live the Great
Commission with Passion and Confidence (Nashville: B&H Academics, 2013), 212.
26 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), 6.
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long have the small groups been meeting? And what could be the most important measure is, are
these small groups multiplying regularly?
The final measure of a healthy church could be stated as; is the Gospel being regularly
proclaimed outside of the church boundaries? Is there an evangelistic effort to the Church? As
previously stated, "worship is the fuel and goal of missions. It's the goal of missions because, in
missions, we simply aim to bring nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God's glory."27 As a
church, we should regularly be seeking to bring the glory of God to the nations. Does the Church
have a missional focus? Are the people seeking to proclaim the glory of God locally, nationally,
and internationally on a regular basis? The more we become like Jesus, the greater our desire will
be to tell people about Him.
Conclusion
Disciple-making is probably the most important this a person can do on this side of
eternity. It is through the making of disciples that we, as Christians, are expressing our purest
form of worship before God. Therefore, as the leader of a Church, it is vitally important to have a
plan for making disciples and teaching others how to be disciple-makers. In doing so, we are able
to fulfill the great commission and see the world changed for the glory of God.
27 John Piper, Let the Nations be Glad! The supremacy of God in Missions (Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993), 11.
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Bibliography
Bland, Ken & Phil Hodges, Lead Like Jesus, Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Books, 2005.
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015.
Chandler, Matt. The Explicit Gospel, Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012.
Coleman, Robert E. The Master Plan of Evangelism. Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 1993.
Earley, David, and Rod Dempsey. Disciple-Making Is…: How to Live the Great Commission
with Passion and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B&H Academics, 2013.
Earley, David, and Rod Dempsey. Spiritual Formation Is…: How to Grow in Jesus with Passion
and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B&H Academics, 2018.
Kelley, Charles S. Jr., Richard Land, & R. Albert Mohler Jr., The Baptist Faith and Message,
Nashville, TN: Lifeway Press, 2012.
Longman, Tremper III & David E. Garland, Ephesians-Philemon vol. 12 of The Expositors Bible
Commentary, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006.
Mohler, R. Albert Jr., The Apostles’ Creed: Discovering Authentic Christianity in an Age of
Counterfeits. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Books, 2019.
Piper, John, Let the Nations be Glad: The Supremacy of God in Missions, Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Books, 1993
Putman, Jim and Bobby Harrington, Discipleshift: Five Steps that help your church to Make
Disciples who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013.
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