What is the Essential Activity of Christian Ministry?
Gene A. Smith
DSMN 500
Dr. Gene Jeffries
November 11, 2013
Behind the proclamation of the gospel, making disciples is the premier activity of the church, or
at least it should be. As Dr. Michael R. Mitchell intimates in his book, Leading, Teaching, and Making
Disciples, the essential activity of a Christian ministry is to make “disciples who worship Jesus.”1 A
disciple is one who after initial growth in the Christian faith (born-again believer) has a deep and intimate
walk with the Lord, Jesus Christ. Moreover, a disciple has excellent fellowship within a community of
born-again believers. A true disciple is someone who can initiate and replicate themselves in leading new
believers into true discipleship. They need to mentor new believers and maintain a deep fellowship with
them so that new believers will be well grounded, comfortable, confident and capable of making disciples
themselves. Discipleship is cyclical in nature because we are in the spiritual trade of making true disciples
who will truly worship Jesus.
In the making of true disciples, there are three areas tantamount to making effective Christ-
followers: education, proper discipleship and spiritual formation. Education in general “is the creative
1 Dr. Michael R. Mitchell, Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples (Bloomington: CrossBooks, 2010),
246.
process of utilizing external and internal forces to facilitate the functions of teaching and training in
promoting and attaining growth and development, enabling complete individuals to comprehend,
contemplate and contribute to their community and culture” according to Dr. Michael R. Mitchell.2 In
other words, an environment where an instructor takes an active and caring role in shaping a student that
is not only knowledgeable and competent, but lives wisely and positively contributes to society and
his/her culture. If a teacher does not teach personal growth and intellectual development effectively then a
student is stunted and that educational approach is “incompatible with “Christian” education as well.”3
The name, disciple, implies several different things; but in its most significant form it means an
individual(s) that have engaged in repentance and faith for salvation, who is dedicated to Christ through
sacrificial living, identifies with Him, serves Him, loves Him deeply and tell others about the good news
of Jesus’ salvation.4 Discipleship is Christian education that teaches the born-again believer about the
teaching (doctrines) of the Holy Bible, how to live the Christian life, but most importantly how Christ
sacrificed Himself for us and how we are responsible to follow Him and devotedly love Him. To love
Him is obey Him!
Therefore, when we obey we are serving the King of Kings. The part of learning how to live the
Christian life is our spiritual formation. We are formed in His image according to Genesis 1:27, but that
image is filled with His likeness when we are truly discipled in the Word of God. Spiritual formation is to
be formed like Christ and taking on the mind of Christ so that we become a servant to those who need
Christ. In the book, Formation for Christian Ministry it says, “Jesus expected his followers to minister to
2 Mitchell, Leading, Teaching, 233.
3 Mitchell, Leading, Teaching, 226.
4 David S. Dockery, ed. Holman Bible Handbook (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 1992), 596.
others as he had ministered to them.”5 To take the form of a servant is not a lower position because it says
in Philippians 2 that Jesus took the form of a servant. He did this because He wanted to redeem the world
from its sin. A servant though looked down upon on in worldly terms, is a lofty position in the eyes of
God. Martin Luther said, “A Christian man is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none on earth.” But by
virtue of love, he “is a dutiful servant of all, subject to all.”6
Dr. Mitchell says teaching and education do spotlight the student, but at the same time, address
the community and culture of which the learner is a part.7 This is where general education and
discipleship are similar because in Christian culture and community, koinonia, is significant. Koinonia is
fellowship. Fellowship is significant in the Christian faith because it helps to build and sustain our
closeness as a family. In general, education, it builds relationships of trust and openness between teachers
and students. Conversely, general education is also the recitation of facts, figures and analysis of
information. It can be a very cold and unforgiving. Whereas, in Christian ministry, education is
knowledge and wisdom about the living God, discipleship and spiritual formation is about learning and
following, but where the learner, learns to love Jesus and worship Him. There is a vast difference there
then between education and Christian education.
Any Christian ministry, worth its salt [Matthew 5:13], should say that discipleship is of most
interest to the teaching ministry to the church. Simply, this is true because of Jesus’ command in the Great
Commission [Matthew 28:18-20] and furthermore, because our objective as Christians is to make
5 Anne Davis, Wade Rowatt, ed. Formation for Christian Ministry (Louisville: Review and Expositor, 1988),
20.
6 Davis, Formation, 20.
7 Mitchell, Leading, Teaching, 226.
“disciples who worship Jesus.”8 To worship Christ, an individual(s) cannot expect to pray a prayer of
confession and all of the sudden expect that they know what it means to worship the Lord. The Christian
must learn to worship as well as be led of the Holy Spirit [2 Peter 1:20] to worship. 2 Timothy 2:15c says
that the worker (disciple) must “rightly divide” the word of truth. To rightly divide indicates actions of
teaching and learning.
If we are to rightly divide the Word of truth then we must be educated in it, which spiritually
forms us into diligent disciples who will not have to be ashamed to stand before God. Proper training in
God’s Word is the cement that connects education, discipleship and spiritual formation together. In the act
of discipleship, if making disciples is not the essential activity of a Christian ministry then a Christian
cannot truly be presented whole and be approved before the Lord. In the church, making disciples is the
key to spiritual success since Jesus commanded it in Matthew 28:19. He did not say go and get them to
make professions of faith. He said, “make disciples of all nations.” Making disciples is the key to
following, obeying and successfully implementing the Great Commission.
If worship of a true follower of Christ is not the evidence of true discipleship, then there is no
other comparison or way to develop and reach maturation of disciples in Christ. What other method or
instruction would match up to God’s Word? There is nothing. Education and discipleship are definitely
related, but making disciples is a righteous thing, not a worldly thing. Making disciples who worship
Jesus is something we engage in, but the true work is accomplished by the Holy Spirit and the Christ-
follower’s desire to know Him deeply.
Bibliography
Davis, Anne, and Wade Rowatt. Formation for Christian Ministry. Louisville: Review and Expositor
(Southern Baptist Theological Seminary), 1988.
8 Mitchell, Leading, Teaching, 246.
