LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Disciple Making Plan
Submitted to Dr. Robert Gowins
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN – B06
Discipleship Ministries
by
Adam S. Weinberg
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Table of Contents
Introduction........................................................................................................3
Body ..................................................................................................................3
Vision.....................................................................................................8
Values.....................................................................................................9
Views......................................................................................................9
Vehicles................................................................................................10
Verifiers................................................................................................10
Conclusion........................................................................................................11
References.........................................................................................................12
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Introduction
From the book of Matthew Chapter 28 verses 16 through 20, we are given the Great
Commission from Jesus telling us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Another form of a verse telling us to
make disciples come from Luke. He writes, “but will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes
on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends
of the earth” in Acts 1:8. Many authors through the years have developed their own
interpretation of the Great Commission, such as “Making disciples is the essence of the Great
Commission.”1 Another quote states “The Great Commission has been worshipped, but not
obeyed. The church has tried to get world evangelization without disciple making.”2 Our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ, has entrusted us to continue making followers in His name. Therefore,
this duty is not a chore, but an honor and a privilege. The responsibility is on us to carry out the
Great Commission continuing to make disciples so they can grow in a relationship with Him to
continuing making disciples. The process comes full circle and is never ending just as He is
never ending.
Body
When it comes to making disciples, it is important to understand it is a process and as any
process goes they are all unique. There will be differences from one person to the next on how
they will be won to Christ. The reason for this part of the process is because of many underlying
factors. The person being discipled may have certain scenarios within their past, their life
experiences, or how they live at the time of encounter. Other factors could include the
1 Earley, D. & Dempsey, R. (2013). Disciple Making Is… How to Live the Great Commission
with Passion and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic.
2 Ibid., 1.
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environment they live in or perhaps they were raised with no knowledge of ever having been
introduced to God. The area of the world in which they were raised and what kind of morals and
values they provided can have a large effect on how they will respond. Even a difference such as
a person who was raised in a rural area versus suburban can affect the outcome. There are many
minor details to consider that will come in to play for a person to be discipled for the Lord and
therefore every situation will be unique.
The constant through all of this is the process. Regardless of a person’s background,
experiences, or demographics, the discipleship process will always be the same. The process that
is used is called the five V’s of ministry. To guide someone to the saving grace of the Lord, there
must be a path for them to follow and these provide the necessary stepping stones to ensure that
happens. Discipleship is not necessarily an action or a job, but rather a relationship that is
constructed over a period that God uses to show His love through the life of the believer. As a
believer allows the movement of the Holy Spirit to move through them the evidence will be seen.
Their actions will show how God works and who He is and is the cause of winning people to His
kingdom. As a person allows this movement more and more, it becomes a regular part of their
life and character.
Before developing a disciple making plan using the five V’s, it is important to understand
their definition and how they are used. The first V is for Vision and aids in an avenue to gauge
the effectiveness of the process at work. It can change on an infrequent basis, yet it is at the core
from which all other outreaches are designed. To focus the entire process, vision requires
questions to be answered. These could include areas such as, age range, groups of people,
location, and the demographics of the people. Church leaders God has chosen for the local
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church are urged to rely on His word for guidance in developing a plan for making disciples.3 As
leaders work together in developing a plan based on God’s word, the team becomes stronger and
begins exuberating the plan without even realizing it.4 Here, it is important to understand how the
vision integrates with the group and is not only discussed but embraced. Vision “…is not just
something you throw on your wall and leave there. Your vision statement is something you
pursue fervently over the long haul.”5 It must be allowed to create continuity and should not be
allowed to change very often. It is the solid piece of foundation upon which everything else is
cast despite changes in leadership or other areas. As new people come in, there will be new
ideas, but these must be centered on the vision casted otherwise it cannot be used.
The next V in this process concerns values and these are considered the standards of
behavior or the things that are most important. These could be considered core in the disciple
making plan because these values will determine the identity of who the church is and the beliefs
on which they stand. From this perspective, the core values will be developed using questions
and guiding the ministry toward their community identity. Some questions to consider surround
the purpose of the ministry and how the church will be known through it. These will formulate
the core value of who the church is and the direction they are headed. Another perspective of
these values could be the principles upon which the church looks to for guidance. Now, the
primary source of principles is the Bible and the values will be derived from scriptures. Value
examples to consider include honest, loving, nurturing and respectful. The values can be
3 Putman, J. & Harrington, B. (2013). Discipleshift: Five Steps that Help your Church to Make
Disciples Who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 216.
4 Ibid., 217.
5 Ibid., 218.
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summed up by viewing them as an influence within the church having second and third order
effects on those being served.
Views is the next V being considered in this process that helps to develop the perspective
of ministry being sought. It makes it easier for everyone to clearly understand each portion of
ministry leaving no room for misinterpretation. Defining the terms views helps in the
development process of the discipleship making plan. It is also beneficial for everyone in and
outside the church for these perspectives to be defined using lamens terms so understanding is
universal. A church’s views simply mean the attitude or opinion upon which they drive the
ministry and how it will function. As with most sports teams, the coach contains a playbook and
within it contains the operating procedures which is like the disciple making process.6 The
important emphasis to be considered is complete comprehension from all parties involved.
Without this, it may become vague or complex and people will become disinterested. Once the
views are clear, it is possible to begin the development of steering this vehicle.
What will be used to implement the vehicle falls to the responsibility of the fourth V.
Some things to consider when developing the vehicle lands with church structure and other areas
derived from the vision. Vehicles in the simplest terms means to develop the key roles and
responsibilities which will launch the ministry and continue its successful progression. This
contains the structures required to carry out the vision established earlier in the process. Some
areas that are the driving force include budgets and event planning. While budgets sustain the
capacity to operate the ministry, it also provides the means to live the vision and engages the
implementation stage.7 For a successful ministry to be developed, structure must be adhered to
providing the guidance necessary to effectively accomplish the mission. These guidelines also
6 Ibid., 222.
7 Ibid., 225.
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provide a clear path on what has been accomplished and what remains leaving repetitiveness
irrelevant. In addition to these requirements, all parties must be on board and working to achieve
the common goal of the vision. Therefore, it is important all leaders are in one accord alleviating
any question of structure or integrity. As these traits are solidified, the success to achieve the
vision becomes more realistic and it is necessary to have mechanisms in place to track the
progress.
The final portion of this lengthy process lands with verifiers. These are the dynamics in
place to verify the disciple making plan success. Information is gathered through an evaluation
process, however, in this portion an alternative method is used. Questions should be asked prior
to the evaluation commencing that include the type of information and the purpose of evaluating
it. In the past, church effectiveness was measured through service attendance on Sundays. This
had a direct effect of the implied competence of the church leadership. In recent years, churches
operate on a much different perspective than this looking for the churches effect on peoples’ lives
rather than how many come through the door. Attendance is still a good tool to use as a gauge
but should not be the defining effectiveness factor. Instead, areas such as formation of new
groups, life transformation, and discipleship growth are tools to use to measure ministry
effectiveness. As these areas are continuing to be evaluated it is important to understand not
everyone accepts change easily. Therefore, as within the business industry, change should be
explained and shown the reason for the need. This would alleviate any concerns or stressors
associated with changes and allow all church members to be on board with the process. Another
area to gauge would be processes that are successful and evaluating the reasons why in order to
replicate similar output in other areas. Once these are discovered and implemented, the ministry
can be implemented and allow for the process to manifest itself through continued monitoring.
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Vision
As previously mentioned, churches long ago would measure success by attendance
numbers but this room for little else in terms of church growth. For a church to be healthy and
steadily growing, it must create the welcomeness of Jesus Christ along with cultivating and
nature of acceptance. This does not include compromising beliefs or Biblical teachings but
rather people accepting people and allowing Jesus to work in them. This concept is captured in
“the necessity for congregations is to be hospitable, open to others or strangers, and creating a
place of belonging through authentic community.”8 , the church must define the intended
audience to reach and the purpose behind it. Once these are in place, the engagement process
can begin.
Church models have changed over the course of many years and recently have undergone
a monumental dynamic shift. The focus is centered toward healing and relationships versus
checking boxes and looking pretty. Challenges continue to rise with the postmodern era and the
unique views contained within. This generation views reality in a much different form and
therefore challenges believers to adjust varying approaches. One perspective that is necessary is
to be genuine and authentic. When people see this mentality, they feel much more inclined to be
vulnerable and allow others to understand the personal struggles and hurts associated with their
lives. Scripture says we are to bear one another’s burdens and people need to know those they
are confiding in are accepting and not judgmental.
8 Phillips, K. “Formation in Faith: The Congregational Ministry of Making Disciples,” Christian
Education Journal, last modified Spring 2015, accessed Oct 10, 2017, http://p2048-
www.liberty.edu.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/1671123286?accountid=12085.
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Values
Values contain the center of a ministry. They provide the structure to live and means to
do so based upon scripture. God has made each person in the world unique and we are all
passionate toward something. For this reason, being real and relevant within the world is crucial
now more than ever. Real is basically falling in some line with being genuine. There is no being
fake with anyone. People want to know you and they want to know they can trust you. Being
real and genuine allows this to take place. Trust is huge when it comes to authenticity. Being
vulnerable first opens the door to establish a relational bond with others. Sharing our own hurts
and struggles shows we are not perfect nor do we claim to be. This is what others want to see
and when the do they will flock to the person who is opening up. People want empathy and be
understood.
The challenge facing today is remaining relevant within a continuingly increasing
knowledgeable society. Relevance has to do with having meaningful conversation with others
discussing differing beliefs. Additionally, the key is also to not argue but enjoy the relationship
and develop solid channels of communication. Developing a relationship for true authenticity is
what is desired among most people. This is how we as Christians remain relevant within the
world being ready to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Views
The subject of views comes in to the picture when discussing relationships. Views are an
important component that comes in to play. People seek people and churches that focus true
value. These views usually are in line with the trajectory of the mission and based on Scriptures.
The values for any church seeking to continuing developing their mission would need to
continue based on the views. These beliefs or attitudes derive from the Gospel itself and show
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those seeking the truth we are care for them and want to journey through life facing struggles
together. With that said, we must be reminded that “…proclaiming the Good News in everyday
contexts reminds us that there are many ways of telling the story of Jesus.”9This is the emphasis
of evangelism and is directly in line with sharing the Gospel. The key to this approach is being
intentional and authentic while developing relationships with other people. Discipling in a
church is a constant and must never cease. It is a part of being a Christian and allows everyone
to lead others in some form or fashion.
Vehicles
The church uses ministry outreach as a means to reach the community. There are a few
different types of church models that have been used over the years. One such model is called
the organic model. It does not contain an organizational structure yet contains simple means to
connect with others using meaningful avenues.
Communication is a key component in the community today allowing vehicles to share
current events within the church and in the community. Social media is a platform used by most
during current times and contains one of the best forms of communication.
Verifiers
In churches today, attendance is not a necessity to keep track of but is a tool to use to
evaluate effectiveness. These are used to understand how people are affecting and which
Christians attend on a regular basis. There are other means to gauge the progress of ministry. A
church may seek ministry to musicians looking to play music. This is an avenue to reach the
community in hopes to have monumental impact on thousands of people. Families can be
9 Brundell, B. (2008). “Make Disciples,” Compass, last modified winter 2008, accessed October
10, 2017, http://p2048-www.liberty.edu.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/229984676?accountid=12085
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reached and genuinely serve God. This process uses verifiers to identify the effectiveness of the
tools in place. The ultimate goal for any ministry is to see people and their families won for
Christ.
Conclusion
Bringing this discussion to a close, any church must develop a disciple making plan.
There is much work to be done in the world today to reach people for Christ. The mission
continues in the world and increasingly becomes more challenging. To meet this challenge,
members of the church must rise up and accept the responsibility to ensure the church’s survival.
Jesus provided us with the instructions to do so in Matthew Chapter 28 verses 16 through 20, we
are given the Great Commission from Jesus telling us to go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Every one of the
five V’s gives the necessary tools required to develop a disciple making plan. Each V contains
meaning and contributes to the overall success of engaging believers to progress through growth
into spiritual maturity. As the cycle continues so does the work of Jesus.
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References
Bonhoeffer, D. (2003). Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 4. Minneapolis, MN: First Fortress
Press.
Brundell, B. (2008). “Make Disciples.” Compass 42, no. 2, 1-2,
http://search.proquest.com/docview/229984676?accountid=12085.
Earley, D. & Dempsey, R. (2013). Disciple Making Is…: How to Live the Great Commission
with Passion and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group.
King, S. (2012). “The Ministry of Small Groups: Towards an Integration of Orthodoxy and
Orthopraxis.” Effectiveministry.org. Last modified 2011. Accessed October 10, 2017.
http://www.effectiveministry.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Small-Groups-pdf-
version.pdf.
Koessler, J. (2003). True Discipleship: The Art of Following Jesus. Chicago, IL: Moody
Publishers.
Krejcir, R. (2004). “Jesus Invites you to Discipleship!.” ChurchLeadership. Accessed October
20, 2017. http://www.churchleadership.org/apps/articles/default.asp?
articleid=44138&columnid=4542.
Phillips, K. (2015). "Formation in Faith: The Congregational Ministry of Making Disciples."
Christian Education Journal 12, no. 1 (Spring, 2015): 234-7,
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1671123286?accountid=12085.
Putman, J., Harrington, B., & Coleman, R. (2013). DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help Your
Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
