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Discipleship Pathway
CCHWRKdppRESENTATION120312
7/7/2015
Why this workshop?
We believe that every
United Methodist Church should have
a clearly defined Discipleship Pathway
that can be easily entered,
understood, and articulated.
Why?
Because it is the core of our tradition and
our tradition centers around Christ!
It is part of our Wesleyan heritage
Wesley's three rules--do no harm, do good,
stay in love with God—-by:
a) practicing daily disciplines of reading
scripture, prayer, tithing,
b) practicing weekly disciplines of worship,
keeping the Sabbath, and serving
others.
As a member of the United
Methodist Church we vow to
¶217.6 “. . . faithfully participate in it’s
ministries by their prayers, their
presence, their gifts, their service and
their witness;”
(United Methodist Book of Discipline)
Our purpose is driven by Jesus’ command 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,
and teaching them to obey everything
I have commanded you.”
(Matthew 28:19-20)
“The Mission of the
United Methodist Church is
to make Disciples of Jesus Christ
for the transformation of the world.”
Defining a Disciple
 One who embraces and assists in spreading the
teachings of another. (FreeDictionary.com)
 “A philosophy of ministry that places daily
spiritual growth at the core of the ministry.
People committed to becoming and
reproducing spiritually mature zealots for
Christ.” (page 32 Growing True Disciples)
 Learner . To be like the teacher.
(www.ccel.org)
Defining a Disciple
 “Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations
practice Intentional Faith Development. From
the first generation of Christians.......to faithful
members today, the followers of Jesus mature in
faith by learning together in community.
 Churches that practice Intentional Faith
Development offer high quality learning
experiences that help people understand
Scripture, faith, and life in the supportive
nurture of caring relationships.”
(page 62 Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations)
Transformation vs. Information
Romans 12:1-2
“Therefore, I urge you, brother, in
view of God’s mercy, to offer your
bodies as living sacrifices, holy and
pleasing to God- this is your spiritual
act of worship. Do not conform any
longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind. Then you will be able to
test and approve what God’s will is –
his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Why a Discipleship Pathway?
We urge all churches to have a Discipleship
Pathway so that
Those entering our churches have the
opportunity to become like Christ so that
We help all to fulfill the mission of the
United Methodist Church so that
We are equipped to do what
Christ commands.
Go! Make! Baptize! Teach!
a reproducing,
on-going
process.
goes building rapport and authentically
relating to his or her neighbors,
community and world in the flow of what
God is doing to communicate in word
and deed the message of the Gospel.
proclaims Jesus - Brian McLaren - “Count
conversations, not conversions.” Our
work is to model Jesus and talk about
Jesus, conversations. It is the Holy Spirit
responsibility to convict and convert “ John 17:7-8.
(More Ready than You Think, p. 135)
Baptism implies publicly identifying with Jesus.
We are new creations. Spiritual formation is never
lived out in isolation. It is always done in
community. To be a fully devoted disciple one
must become part of the body of Christ.
Jesus spent three joyous (and sometimes
frustrating) years training and shaping the values
of his disciples. Learning about Christianity does
not necessarily translate into living a Christian life.
It can only be done in community.
 “All I have commanded you” includes this
very command.
 Compare the Great Commission
 (Matt. 28:19-20) with Acts 2:36-47.
 The end result was a reproducing
community of faith with the Lord
“adding to their numbers daily.” (Acts
2:47).

Thus, the church exists to provide an on-going
process for people to connect the Great
Commission and the Great Commandment
with their personal, daily lives.
Great Commandment
Great Commission
+ Great Commitment
GREAT CHURCH
Healthy churches create a
“Pathway”to GROW and MATURE
disciples.
This pathway is . . .
1. Intentional
2. Systematic and
3. Measurable
Deepening Your Effectiveness
www.deepingyoureffectiveness.org
(permission to use and print for group use only)
The Ocean Diagram: 6 Spiritual Stages
 As this picture illustrates, people
are at different stages as they seek
spiritual truth.
At each stage of the journey there is a:
 PRIMARY PERSON: the one on the journey
 PRIMARY QUESTION: the question that
resonates in the heart & mind of the traveler.
 PRIMARY RELATIONSHIP: who has the most
influence when it comes to helping the traveler
move into the next step.
 PRIMARY BARRIER: the natural tendencies that
guard us from the unknown.
 PRIMARY MINISTRY: that can have a significant,
positive impact on the traveler at each stage
Observation Stage 1: Life
On the Beach
This person is
 Unchurched and maybe resistant to the
Gospel message.
 Reached through an old trusted friend is their
avenue to Jesus.
 Enticed by come and see events or safe places
to become acquainted with other Jesus
followers.
 Cynicism may prevent them from going
further.
Observation Plus Stage 2:
Life On the Shoreline
This person is:
 a curious seeker wondering “what am I
going to do about Jesus?”
 looking to see if they can make new
acquaintances and are sensitive to the
welcome they receive.
 Reached through authentic, relevant,
high-impact hospitality.
Commitment Stage 3:
Life In the Waves
This Person
• Is a new or rededicated believer
• Is looking for a way to help or fit in
• Learns through effective preachers,
teachers, and small group leaders.
• Can become too comfortable.
Pondering Stage 4: When Your
Feet Come Off the Bottom
This Person
 Is a seasoned but restless believer
 Is wondering, “is there anything else?”
 Grows through small group leaders and
an emerging discipler
 Fear, confusion, and lack of direction can
be their greatest hindrances.
Discovery Stage 5: Life as a
Swimmer
This Person
 Has made the decision to be a follower of
Jesus
 Wonders “why has it taken me this long?”
 Grows through a one-on-one discipling
process and the Holy Spirit
 Lack of focus and discipline can hinder
their growth.
Stability Stage 6: Life In the
Deep
This Person
 Is a fully committed follower of Jesus
 Is seeking God for His direction in
ministry and service
 Desires an intimate relationship with
the Holy Spirit and an authentic
spiritual community
 Isolation an become a barrier
at this stage
A Discipleship Pathway is
NOT JUST
•
•
•
•
•
•
A program
A curriculum
Based on Bible knowledge alone
Fellowship in Sunday school classes
Having small groups
Attending a weekly worship experience
The Next Step: Implementation
• INTENTIONAL – a well defined process to
grow, mature, serve and go to make more
disciples.
• SYSTEMATIC – has an entry point and
defines the next steps.
• MEASURABLE – quantitatively and/or
qualitatively determines if we are indeed
making mature disciples.
Qualities of a Discipleship Pathway
based upon the Wesleyan tradition:
1.) A clearly marked entry point.
2.) Accountability with other travelers.
3.) Various legs or stages of the Journey.
4.) Tools to transition from one leg to another.
5.) Markers to indicate progress.
6.) A lifelong pursuit of Holiness.
7.) A path that is a journey, not a destination.
A Discipleship Pathway Model
Deepening Your Effectiveness by Glover and Lavy
3 Critical First Steps to
Implementation:
1. Identify the Target
 The senior pastor’s

responsibility
Answers the question:
“What does a fully committed
follower of Jesus Christ look like as a
result of being discipled in my
church?
Second Step of Implementation:
2. Partner for Success
 It is a strength, not a weakness to
realize that you are not wired to
effectively do everything!
 A Visionary cannot implement their
dream without the work of the gifts of
the Implementer.
 An Implementer has little to
implement without the dreams of the
Visionary.
AN IMPLEMENTER IS ALL OF THE
FOLLOWING:
 A stage five or six follower;
 A disciple maker who is sold out to developing
believers into followers (as opposed to an
evangelist who has a passion for seeing
unbelievers accept Christ);
 A process thinker who can make the connection
between spiritual needs and what the church
must offer to meet those needs;
 An organizational leader;
 A detail oriented implementer who places value
on excellence and servanthood.
Third Step for Implementation:
3. Design the Pathway
The goal will be to find a way to
communicate how someone who
comes into your church will find a
ministry that will meet the needs at
each stage of spiritual growth and
development.
Guiding Questions:
1. What are the stages or steps of the pathway?
-How will your Pathway serve the needs of people in
various stages of their spiritual development?
2. How will you introduce people to your pathway?
-How will you illustrate your pathway? – (A Picture)
3. What tools will you use to help people identify
where they currently are on the pathway?
4. How do you introduce a discipleship pathway to a
new believer?
5. How will you measure the fruitfulness of your
process?
Rick Warren - Saddleback
Other Models:
Union Chapel UMC – KNOW Jesus as Lord, GROW as a
devoted follower of Jesus, and to GO making Jesus
known to others. (Know, Grow, & Go)
(www.unionchapel.com)
Clay Church UMC – We focus on three key aspects of
the LIFE Discipleship Path at Clay: CONNECTING to
God and Neighbor, GROWING as followers of Jesus
Christ, and SHARING our lives with the world.
(Connecting, Growing, Sharing)
(www.claychurch.com)
Activity
Table Discussion Question:
As a person walks your discipleship
pathway, what opportunities or
experiences do you believe are
necessary to ensure they will
become mature, devoted followers
of Jesus Christ?
A Discipleship Pathway Model
The “pathway” meets people where they are in
their journey, from standing on the shore to
deep water swimming, as they develop and
mature in their faith.
Discipleship Pathway
Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 5
Stage 6
Stage 2
aStage1
Invitational Discipleship
Suggested Reading to prepare for
EXERCISE:
this workshop
1. Besides worship, how
will every ministry or
program become an
entry points into your
church?
2. How will every ministry
incorporate the steps to
making mature disciple
making?
Caution:
A model cannot stand alone!
It is not enough to put together a
discipleship path model unless you
also attach to it:
1. Objectives;
2. Criteria; and
3. Measurement
for each ministry.
Objectives:
will help identify the goal of each
ministry.
Criteria:
will provide examples against which
each ministry can be compared to
insure the purpose of being fulfilled
Measurements:
will assess the effectiveness of each
ministry.
“Best-Practices” of Church Models
1. Pastor is the number one advocate of
discipleship pathway in the local church.
2. Membership is granted only when a person
has a true understands the covenant of
participate in a focused, demanding
discipleship process
3. All ministry programs are intimately tied to
discipleship outcomes The number of
programs is minimized in order to focus the
church’s ministry on and through the
discipleship process
“Best-Practices” of Church Models
4. All teaching in the church from Sunday morning
classes for elementary school children through the
worship service and other adult learning venues is
substantively coordinated
5. The church mission statement serves as a practical
tool for identifying necessary ministry outcomes.
The vision is tied to an annually updated series of
goals that directly relates to the mission
statement and as well as the spiritual state of the
congregation.
Getting started:
1. Your pastor will wrestle with the question:
“What does a fully committed follower look
like as a result of being discipled in my
church?” With that answer, A Target will be
Identified.
2. A team will be developed in order to Partner
for Success.
3. A Model will be determined and developed.
4. Your coach will be with you every step of the
way!
Page 112, Pages 223-224
Discipleship Pathway
June, 2012