As a church we have been on an incredible adventure rediscovering a passion for the great commission, Gods call to the global church to go into all the world to make disciples. Discipleship is the primary mandate for the church and can be defined as the process or processes that lead people in to a relationship with the Trinity and teaches them to live in the same way that Jesus taught his disciples to live.
A healthy understanding of this definition can help clear up a lot of misconceptions around this incredible area.
We don't save people, God does. We listen, we learn, we love and we share Jesus.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not for one minute suggesting that salvation isn't important, in fact I would go as far as to say that it is fundamental to faith and that the cross of Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection and central to who we are and what we believe.
If we can begin to imagine Discipleship as a journey I feel it will help us understand the process with greater clarity. We lead people to a relationship with God, we help them connect to God and then we help them grow in God. Discipleship is therefore a relational process that leads people to salvation and then equips them to live in the understanding of that salvation recognising who they are and what is available to them as a result of their relationship with the trinity.
Step 1 - come to Jesus
Step 2 - surrender to Jesus
step 3 - learn to become like Jesus