From JR Woodward’s “Discipleship and the Four Spaces of Belonging”:
Discipleship is about calling others to join us in practicing a way of life in which we embody (flesh out) the life of Jesus in the context of the world as we journey to fulfill God’s mission together.
- Discipleship is a way of life, not an intellectual assimilation of ideas or a program.
- We must be disciples, if we want to disciple others; example isn’t one thing, it’s everything.
- Discipleship is about inviting people to become whole again, to become more like Jesus, overcoming destructive habits and building life-giving habits.
- Discipleship takes place in the street and the sanctuary, the classroom and the living room, its about being “with people” in everyday life.
- Discipleship happens when we are on mission together, joining God in the renewal of all things.
A person does not need any structural authority, official titles or office to make disciples. Discipleship happens best when we live in the love of the Father, walk in the power of the Spirit as we seek to follow the Son in our everyday lives. It happens when we join with a community of people who choose to do life together, who develop a rhythm of life in which we engage in the spiritual disciplines, which enable us to live out are calling in the world for the sake of the world in the way of Christ.
Discipleship is learning to call out what the Holy Spirit has put in people. It involves ministering together, praying together, fighting for justice together, studying scripture together and being on mission together. Disciples encourage, comfort and challenge one another.