Missional Discipleship

What comes to mind when you hear the word 'discipleship'? For me it has always meant a Navigators Bible Study or a class on spiritual disciplines. We had a department in our church called 'Discipleship & Christian Education' with an Institute that offered classes like 'Bible Overview' and 'Christian Theology'. The idea was that we'd take people aside and teach them about God so that they would know him more and grow closer to him. Evangelism was an advanced topic for those who had mastered the prerequisites. It came much later in the curriculum. But I've been rethinking this philosophy of ministry lately.

Could it be that you are closest to Jesus when you're holding on tight to his coat tails; when you're right behind him trying to keep up as he leads you into the world? This is what discipleship really means - following Jesus. And when Jesus says, "Come, follow me," he leads us out into the world to engage the lost, to touch the lepers, to love the prostitutes, to heal the sick, to liberate the demon possessed,... to herald the arrival of the Kingdom. He was "a friend of sinners and tax collectors." He was on a mission "to seek and save the lost." Discipleship with Jesus was never static. He didn't take the Twelve away for three years of classes with handouts and homework. They learned who Jesus was as they participated with Jesus in his mission. It was discipleship on the go; learning while doing. You understand the gospel more as you partner in its advancement.

Missional theology says that missions isn't just one ministry that the church does (usually overseas). Evangelism can't just be one aspect of the church. Mission must permeate every sphere of church life, including discipleship. I think we need to regain a sense of 'missional discipleship'. I'm not suggesting that we do away with classes altogether. I'm a big fan of classical theological education and seminaries and cultivating the life of the mind. Doctrine is crucial! But for churches to approach discipleship apart from the context of mission is to distort what it really means to follow Jesus and to short-change its members by keeping them from true intimacy and knowledge of the Lord. We should be calling those in our churches to get on mission and then they'll really find out what Christianity is all about, not to simply worship, pray, read their Bibles, fellowship with other believers, and attend seminars (important as those things may be in their own place). We should be sending them out two by two to proclaim the gospel and then gathering them together for a class to learn from what they learned (cf. Mk. 6:7-13; 30-32).

One Campus Crusade staff worker at the nearby university puts it this way, "Discipleship without evangelism isn't discipleship; it's simply counseling." Counseling is needed, but is that all the church is for?? I fear that many churches have relegated mission to an elective by focusing on a discipleship sans mission, and in doing so have become ingrown and cliquish and have missed the point.