Leading Team-based discipleship

Jesus was compelled to invest in a few men instead of focusing on a platform ministry that relied on his personal gifts and abilities. Greg Ogden captures this idea in that, “by focusing on a few that Jesus was able to ensure the lasting nature of his mission.” This idea causes me to pause and reflect on who I am making a strategic investment into in my ministry. We do not see Jesus being concerned with buildings, programs, etc… to reach people, but his focus was on developing people the masses could follow.[i]

Paul reminds us in his writing to Timothy that we should always find people to whom we can entrust the principles that have guided us according to God’s Word. Paul listed many names in his writings that revealed the commitment he had to leading team-based discipleship in planting churches and making disciples over a program or platform ministry.

The verse that always causes me to pause and reflect on my approach to ministry and investment into others has been 1 Corinthians 4:16, “I exhort you, be imitators of me.” Paul challenged the people he invested in to mature as disciples by following his lifestyle of discipleship. The challenge from Paul’s example of team-based discipleship is the ability to live a life that others can follow.

Each week we can have an efficient week with office hours, ministry planning, and events and forget to invest in others by mentoring someone or entrusting what God has taught us to a team of people. If we desire to be effective with our days then they should record a strategic investment into others. We should be the example that others can follow so that the Gospel is proclaimed by how we effectively live out who God has called us to be. When you and I do this then team-based discipleship will naturally occur in our weekly schedules.

How are you ordering your week to effectively proclaim the gospel to others through your lifestyle?

Who are you strategically investing in for their growth as a disciple?

[i] Robert Coleman