As our church seeks to become more missional I’m sometimes confronted with questions like, “But what are we doing about discipleship?” or, “How are we growing mature believers?” I think the assumption in people’s minds who ask questions like these is that missional living is output-oriented (investing yourself in others’ development) while discipleship initiatives are input-oriented (focusing on and developing yourself). And the further assumption is that events, groups or programs are the most effective tools for helping us grow spiritually.

But as someone responsible for our congregations’ spiritual development, I can’t help but challenge those assumptions when I look at Jesus’ first disciples. Here’s what I mean…

In the Gospel of Luke there is no doubt that Jesus gathered His twelve followers and taught them regularly and beyond regular “teaching environments.” He spent deliberate time with them, constantly unpacking and applying what He had taught them about the Kingdom of God. Based on this example, if I were to set up events, groups or programs that could develop people spiritually, I’d assume that exposing people to Jesus’ teaching directly and allowing them to essentially join His small group on a full-time basis would be the ultimate spiritual growth engine!

But in Luke chapter 8 (after Jesus calms the storm) His disciples ask each other, “Who is this man, that the wind and waves obey Him?” Do you find that question as odd as I do? People exposed to the teaching of the ultimate discipler, Jesus Himself, were still at a who-is-this-man level of faith.

What’s even more surprising is how drastically that changes just one chapter later. In Luke chapter 9 Jesus asks His disciples who do they say He is and Peter immediately replies, “You are the Christ sent from God.” At this point His disciples seem clear and confident in their knowledge of Jesus.

So to me, the question is: what changed? What happened of such significance between the middle of chapter 8 and the middle of chapter 9 where Jesus’ disciples grew so much in their understanding of Him? Take a look at what it says in Luke 9:1-2 “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”

Do you see what happened? After months of teaching and relationally-based ministry with His disciples, Jesus sent them out to experience His mission – to live missionally. And through living missionally – not through teaching environments or relational exposure – His disciples grew in ways they never had before. To Jesus’ original followers, it was the output-oriented missional living experience that provided them with the greatest input into their understanding of Him!

So what do you think? Have missional experiences been significant discipleship opportunities in your life? And do you lead your church that way – is your encouragement to missional living separate from your discipleship initiatives, or a fundamental component of them?

I’d love to get some banter going and hear your stories: how have you reconciled the conflict that sometimes exists in churches between input-oriented discipleship environments and output-oriented missional initiatives? How do they fit together in your mind and how do they work together in the ministry of your church?

Talk to me!

Jeff serves as the point leader for the management team at Southridge Community Church, St. Catharines, ON. He works closely with the board of elders, providing the link between their governance and the day-to-day development of the church’s ministry. His primary responsibilities are the supervision and support of the management team, as well as providing messages in weekend services. Jeff is married and has two boys.

http://www.southridgechurch.ca/