The Practice Of Discipleship In The Local Church

The basic discipleship process contains the same elements as it did in the time of the apostles. 

"Disciple making included introducing people to Christ, building them up in faith, and sending them into the harvest field.  This process can be summarized by what I call the three Ds of disciple making:  Deliver them, develop them, and deploy them."  Hull does a nice job of confronting a few of the basics in The Disciple Making Church:

"Who should be disciples?  Every Christian is a disciple." 

Hull then reminds us from John 15:7-17 that each believer is then expected to bear fruit – reproduce more disciples.

^{Jn 15:7}If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
¹⁰ If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command.
¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.

"Who should make disciples?  Every disciple should make disciples."  If we can encourage all believers to engage in making disciples, the potential impact for God's kingdom will be amazing.

"How long should the process last? – until the very end of the age..."  Making disciples should continue with vigor until Christ comes again.

Blessings and many thanks,

Larry