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Commentary
COMMENTARY: On making disciples Mike Slaughter, Mar 4, 2010
Mike Slaughter
By Mike Slaughter Special Contributor
Editor’s note: This is the first of a three-part series.
One of the mistakes that reoccurs throughout the life cycles of the church is our reliance on a “professional” model of ministry.
Even Jesus didn’t possess the pedigree for the official priesthood. He was from the tribe of Judah, and only those from the tribe of Levi could be priests.
The Christian movement began without a professionally credentialed priesthood. Every follower was anointed and appointed by the Spirit to use the gifts that he or she was given for the benefit of Christ’s body and mission. These gifts were demonstrated and affirmed by other members of the body.
Every member was a minister. If you belonged to Christ then you were a functioning member of his body. Just like the members of your physical body, every member has a function. Your hand can’t work apart from your wrist, which can’t work apart from your forearm, which can’t work apart from your elbow. I think you get the picture.
As the church became more formalized and institutionalized, a two-tier caste system was created that separated “priest” and “parishioner.” We tend to make the same fatal error when the church begins to grow.
Growth provides the fiscal resources to grow in professional staff and programming. The experience of mission that was once the task of an unpaid servant is now assigned to a paid staff person. Unpaid servants are assigned the passive work of committees while paid staff performs the active role of mission.
The unintended consequence is the shift from the experiential model, where one learns by doing, to the academy model, where one learns through study.
Discipleship occurs in the active process of doing. We err when we try to create transformation in people’s lives through the transference of concepts rather than through participation in mission. The disciples learned as they traveled and ministered with Jesus. We fail to make disciples when we reduce the meaning of discipleship to the assimilation of ideas.
When Ginghamsburg Church had fewer than 100 people, I was the only salaried staff person. Every hand was needed to accomplish the aggressive mission agenda that we were called to do. The church of less than 100 people had 50-60 disciples functioning as unpaid staff with a budget of $27,000 a year.
In a post-Resurrection appearance, Jesus gave his followers the directive of making disciples. Disciple making is the business of the church!
It is easy to forget our commission and to substitute church building for disciple building. We become absorbed in building programs, budgets, staffs and facilities—and have I mentioned attendance?
We can spend a whole lifetime in the construction of a ministry that has nothing to do with Christ’s commission, despite giving the appearance of success. Don’t get distracted in building the church instead of disciples. It can easily become a distraction in challenging economic times.
Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not be able to prevail against it!” Church building is his job. Then what’s ours? “Go and make disciples!” Disciples model the message. They replicate the life and mission of Jesus in the world. When Peter and John met the lame beggar at the Temple they demonstrated the presence of God’s power and authority in the man’s healing.
A disciple’s commitment, authority and experience in mission go way beyond throwing some coin in the offering plate. A disciple has spiritual authority. Mother Teresa once said, “We must become holy not because we want to feel holy but because Christ must be able to live his life fully in us.”
Disciples operate out of a sense of calling that is spiritually motivated. Disciples do not need to be coerced. Their commitment is active and spiritually sustained. Like the prophets and saints who have gone before them, disciples have heard the voice of God asking: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” They have willfully responded: “Here I am—send me!”(Isa. 6:8).
The first task of disciple making is an awakening process. We assist the initiate in identifying God’s unique mission for their life.
The Rev. Slaughter is pastor of Ginghamsburg Church, a United Methodist congregation in Tipp City, Ohio. This is an excerpt from his new book, Change the World: Recovering the Message and Mission of Jesus (Abingdon Press, March).
Mike Slaughter
By Mike Slaughter 
