“We have overcomplicated making disciples,” said Andy Taylor to a group of pastors and ministers at a Send Network Conference held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Sept. 15. Taylor is the east central ministry partner at Oklahoma Baptist state convention and an interim pastor.
The first simple step, Taylor shared, is a S.M.A.R.T. strategy:
Simple — It needs to be simple. What are the foundational pieces for a disciple? Andy discussed what a disciple is by saying, “One who is in the school of Jesus. A learner for the rest of your life. Graduation will come, but not yet.”
Memorable — Make sure your discipleship plan is something people can take home with them.
Accessible — It needs to not feel like a seminary class.
Relational — Maybe not best to just hand a book and “work through it together,” Andy explained. Get to know the person you are discipling.
Transferable — They need to be able to take what has been given to them and be able to give it to someone else.
The second simple step is a S.M.A.R.T. Snapshot: (In this S.M.A.R.T. snapshot guide followers of Jesus (disciples) to have these characteristics; this is the target.)
Scriptural (UMP) — Help them rightly divide the Word of God. Teach them in a way that they can read the Scripture so that they can:
Understand it
Memorize it
Pray it
Missional — Guide them to read the Scripture every day on their own, so they can understand it and have conversations with someone about it.
Accountable — Allow a disciple to be accountable at first but then help them to be able to do it without you. “Accountability that doesn’t lead to responsibility is irresponsible,” Andy noted.
Reproducible — The person you are discipling needs to be able to feel equipped to do this with someone else someday.
Transformational — “If there isn’t change in their life, what are we doing?” Andy asked.
