Discipleship: The Lost Wheel

Reinventing the Wheel
“It’s a lack of discipleship in recent years.” That was one man’s assessment of the generational gap in our church. I didn’t disagree with him; in fact, I had been saying for quite some time that the most significant thing missing from the (general) Christian church was discipleship. The next day, though, I would carry this man’s words with me to my monthly meeting of pastors from our region.

Though the agenda is meant to give pastors a place to shepherd one another, it also becomes a time of growth. It so happens that our current session emphasizes the advancement of discipleship in the church. At one of our more recent meetings, one pastor admitted his struggle that he felt like we were simply trying to reinvent the wheel. I could share the insight from the previous night with him, saying, "In our church, it wasn't that we were trying to reinvent the wheel, but rather we were trying to reestablish what was lost." That is truly the case: we weren't trying to reinvent the wheel; we are trying to replace the wheel we lost.

Though discipleship is a primary function of the church, it remains dormant in most churches. Hidden by the overgrowth of other programs and priorities, some churches aren't sure how to restore discipleship, while others do not even realize what they lack. This appraisal has led me to ponder, “How might we reestablish discipleship in our churches?”

Replacing the Wheel
To answer that question, allow me to make an analogy. For years, I've been a follower of NASCAR racing, and now watching the races together is something I am privileged to do with my family. This year, the sport is looking to return to North Wilkesboro Speedway, a unique track that has been dormant for years. Its last NASCAR-sanctioned race was back in 1996, though there were various attempts to resurrect the track around 2010. Those efforts each failed, but this year, nationally-televised events will once again return to the track. The difference between those past efforts and this year offers some lessons for us in restoring discipleship.

Priority
The return of racing to the track results from a concerted effort by a few individuals who captured the vision of what was needed. Those few individuals served as a catalyst to establish a way forward. I have found this to be true in reestablishing discipleship. To reassert the function of discipleship requires intentional prioritization by a few individuals who understand its importance. They can serve as motivators by conveying the vision and need for discipleship, which often comes from seeing the Lord work through discipleship in their own lives.

Preparation
Without planning, we tend to always choose the path of least resistance. This can be detrimental to the capacity to sustain for a length of time. Instead, something worth doing for the Lord is worth doing well for His glory by committing to adequate preparation. The preparation for North Wilkesboro Speedway began four years ago by simply clearing the track of overgrowth and making it usable for strategic events so that people could see its value and relevance once again.

Sometimes, that’s what we need to do with discipleship. Take initial steps, those ones that sometimes seem like the least important, and plan a way forward. This may include outlining what discipleship will look like, who will participate, any possible materials that may be used, and so on. It also includes preparing people by sharing some of that information with them. Most importantly, it means establishing a basis for it by teaching about discipleship from God’s Word.

Practice
I dislike using the word 'practice' when discussing a person's spiritual growth; however, allow me to explain. Before jumping into NASCAR-sanctioned events right away, promoters have allowed some practices to take place and staged some lower-level events. Aside from demonstrating 'what could be,' the practices and events allowed those involved to analyze what worked well and what didn’t and then adapt accordingly.

Sometimes, as we move along, we may need to make adjustments as well. When we hear change and our ears perk up a bit. So please understand I don't mean a complete overhaul or something drastic like getting rid of the Word of God or adapting to the culture. We want to remain biblical and maintain our focus. However, sometimes we realize that people's needs are different than anticipated or certain materials are not as helpful as expected. Whatever the case may be, initially start with a few people, learning what works and doesn’t. It is here that we refine things . . . and also recognize that people are inefficient, so sometimes what we do with one person is different than how we disciple another.

Process
The last aspect is simply to implement. Establish a process that functions well for your church and your people, according to the Word and work of the Lord, and move forward. Sure, we may need to adapt, but if we spend all our time planning and no time implementing, then we really haven't accomplished anything.

There are times when I look back at my early years as a Christian and feel I squandered the time. Thankfully, our Lord is sovereign, so I take comfort in the reality that though growth was slow, He was at work, and I trust His purposes in that time. However, it was six years before anyone came alongside and truly began to disciple me, and that was when the Lord started to ground me in my faith (and where the call to ministry began).

Over the years, I've been privileged to have a relationship with many churches and give counsel to pastors and elders. In each case, though, it was apparent that lacking in most instances was any sort of discipleship (structured or unstructured). It's led me to the conclusion, supported by others, that discipleship is lacking in our church. When participation in the church was a priority (even if one wasn't a convert), we took spiritual growth for granted and set aside discipleship and accountability. And now, I fear that we have many who, when faced with the realities of living in a sinful world, are unable to stand in their faith. Much like the racetrack at North Wilkesboro Speedway, though, resurrecting what was lost is possible.

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