AIM Core Value: Discipleship...

[jory]

Here we go!
The heart of AIM Around the World Ministries is...
DISCIPLESHIP, DISCIPLESHIP, DISCIPLESHIP!

Sooooo, What does Discpleship mean to you? What is your definition of Discipleship? Have you been Discipled? How do you Disciple? Share your DISCIPLESHIP thoughts and stories!

WE ARE: Disciples Making Disciples!
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 28:19)

[ta_ai_wo]

Actually, Jory, I heard that the heart of AIM was Discipleship, Discipleship, Discipleship! Are you sure you have that right?

Well, what can I say but that I love discipleship. The entire idea of passing on what one has been taught or who one has become to somebody else is SO exciting! I'm really eager to introduce these concepts to the teams I occasionally work with overseas. Anyway...

Most of you know that recently I've had to pass off my responsibilities. This has led to a discovery of how discipleship really works - I knew what discipleship WAS, but when it came to actually doing it, I learned it was a lot harder than it seems.

Model, model, model. I guess if you were going to build discipleship from the ground up, MODELING would be a key part of it. Time and time again I've seen those I'm discipling model what I've been doing - for better or for worse! The truth of the matter is that my disciples are going to follow my lead, and so it is my responsibility as a disciple of Christ to be setting a GOOD example for them to follow.

(Just some random thoughts...)

[Katie]

Well, I don't feel like I'm the most qualified person to discuss this topic, but I do have a few thoughts to share... would *love* to hear others' thoughts, though!

Discipleship is such a broad term, and it happens in so many different ways. Basically, it's the process of helping others become more like Christ. And that can happen through big groups, small groups, gentle encouragements, loving rebukes, etc... I've been discipled in all those ways and I've tried to disciple others in all those ways.

For me, love has been key in discipleship. Like Jory always says, people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. I Corinthians 13:2 says that if I "can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge... but have not love, I am nothing." And I think that truth applies particularly to discipleship. I've been most deeply impacted not by people who had really good things to teach me, but those who had good things to say AND showed me that they loved and cared about me. And when I've discipled others, I've found that it's not all my "words of wisdom" that have made the biggest difference, but the simple fact that (by God's grace) I've loved and tried to show people that I care.

And when people know that you care, they'll follow your words, yes - but they'll also follow YOU. Like Jessica pointed out, SO MUCH of discipleship is in leading by example. People follow your walk, not your talk. Your character WILL be imitated. Whatever you do, you give others permission to do (learned that one on mission trips! . I have a dear young friend that I've been discipling for a year now, and her mom thanked me for holding her daughter accountable to be loving toward her sister, because the mom had seen a lot of improvement in that area. However, the bigger thing to her mom was that this girl had seen how a person with her personality (we're very similar, both quiet and reserved) could live a godly, loving life, and had set an example she could follow. I have also noticed this in my relationship with my AIM mentor - I don't say this to build myself up (to God be the glory) but just to illustrate the point that the way you LIVE matters so much more than what you SAY. As disciplers, we should live so those following us can apply Hebrews 13:7: "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith."

Again, I know there are many others on this board with so much wisdom to share on this subject, and I am eager to learn from all of you! These are just a few things that I've learned about discipleship over the years.

[Nayr]

When Jesus was physically living in Israel, he knew that he wouldn't be around to physically spread his own message. He knew that in order to spread his message, he needed to teach others what message to be spreading and how to do it. Jesus did spend much time teaching the masses and showing them how to live a life for God, but most of his teaching concentrated in 12 individuals (3 in particular) known as his disciples. When Jesus was gone to heaven, the 12 disciples had the responsibility to spread the message and story that Jesus had left for them. In the present day nearly 2000 years later, Christianity is the foremost worldview of all people on earth, so they must have done their job

That is the story from which we learn what discipleship means. We are following Christ's example. To use a Joryism, discipleship largely boils down to this saying: If you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. If you teach a man how to fish, he will eat for a lifetime. If you teach a man to teach another man how to fish, the whole community eats. Of course, if you just give the man a big fishing trawler, the whole community could eat without teaching anyone : P Just kidding.

If you wanted my own definition, discipleship is teaching and training your "followers" how to do what you do, to the extent that you know and beyond.

[Tim]

Thanks for posting Jessica, Katie and Ryan - I really appreciate your input.

How about others? What's your story or thoughts? Anybody have some scriptures that they think are key to understanding discipleship or maybe a story from your own life of when someone discipled you? Keep the input coming!

[Chris Kelly]

Well,
This the time when you have to ask yourself.... Am I cut out for "Discipleship, discipleship, discipleship"?
As far as discipleship goes... YOU HAVE TO MEAN IT!!! It's not just ANOTHER JOB. YOU... are almost literally holding those people's hearts in your very hands.
I know that we can run into this situation quite a bit, when you don't really feel like doing it, or you just don't have time for it. And when this happens, the people you are discipleling, don't understand.
Making a long lecture short... DON'T GET LAZY. AND DON'T LOSE HEART. Cause when it becomes just another job... Their hearts... start to slip from your hands, to who knows where. (Col 3:23, 1 Cor 16:13-14)

One other thing.... Know why you do it (Discipleship). Always remember that.
(Heb 12:12-13, Prov 4:25-27: Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Turn not to the right, nor to the left: remove your foot from evil.)

[Nayr]

Hey Chris,

That's a good point you bring up. It's also an interesting how that is very true, yet discipleship can be done without using it at all. You pointed out how critical it is to be really into it and stay focused and intentional. Then also knowing the reason why is necessary.

That is very important, yet discipleship can take place without any of those prerequisites. I was reading a book in my Spiritual Life and Community class last fall that focused largely on discipleship. As I was reading one of the later chapters, the man told a story of one of the men who had most had an impact in his life. This man had often gone fishing with the author all the time and they could talk about life and such while they were at it. They interacted often apart from that as well. Even though this man had never done a formal Bible study or "discipleship time" with the author, the author regarded him as one of his greatest role-models and mentors.

Here, this is important. I've found more and more that discipleship is, more than anything else, LIFE on LIFE experience. Discipleship requires time. Spending time together. Getting to know each other. Talking through things. Enjoying the joys of life in unison. It takes friendship. Formal Bible studies and discipleship times are great, but they can only do so much. True discipleship needs to be even more. It's life on life.

[Chris Kelly]

That's true too. My best friend, He's not in AIM, but Any time I get to hang out with him, shoot each other, play video games, We help each other out. And that has been the greatest part about our friendship! Besides shooting him in the head a few times with my Air soft gun. !! (SCORE!)
But aside from that, on the AIM team, You MUST be careful. That you don't lose heart. Depending on what your role is, you have people looking up to you... don't let down, and don't let God down either. Wherever, or whatever you're doing, don't let Him down...
Matt 23:10-11:
Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.