I’ve been reading a lot lately on the topic of discipleship, and I’ve felt challenged to look deeply at how to effectively disciple women as we lead them. I am especially interested in how to lead and disciple women who will then disciple others.
Jesus is our greatest example of a disciple-maker. So when He was leading His disciples, what did He do?
- He recognized their “call” and gathered them. (Mark 3:13)
- He spent time with them, building relationships on an ongoing basis. (John 15 and all 4 Gospels)
- He taught them to submit and obey. (Luke 6:46)
- He taught them to “look like Him.” (1 John 3:2)
- He taught them to live sacrificially. (Luke 14:26-27)
Here are some highlights from a post written by Kathy Ferguson Litton from the blog, Flourish, where she answers the question, “What does spiritual maturity look like?”
- The Word gets more important in our lives, not less important. We understand more of the whole story and how it all fits together into the entire gospel story.
- We have more questions about God, even though our faith is stronger.
- The mystery of God is okay. It’s not scary.
- We are all continually in process; the more grace we experience, the more we give.
- It’s not about us, but about Him.
- We grow more dependent on Him, not less.
- Pain is a real part of life, but it’s where we grow the most.
- The enemy is present and loves to deceive us.
- Boldness in sharing our faith comes from knowing He is a big God who gives boldness.
So I ask you as a leader: Are the women you lead maturing spiritually? If not, what will you do about it?
I want to continue to delve into this subject, and I will provide some practical tools in future posts. I’ll also include some links to other discipleship ministries that might be helpful for you. Right now, I just want you to begin to evaluate what’s happening in the group or ministry where you serve.
I would love to hear from you in the comments!
Chris Adams is senior lead women’s ministry specialist at LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville, Tenn. Learn more about Chris here.