I have been asked many times what Discipleship Making is all about. Those who post the question are earnest leaders, deacons and elders from several Chinese churches and I have no doubt they wanted to know more about discipleship making to grow more. Surprisingly enough, those who have great interest in this topic are those who have been in ministry for a long period of time. I guess there are quite a number of misconceptions about DT in the past decade and those misconceptions grow to become a myth than a fact.

I am listing a few myths about discipleship making and hope that it will enlighten you to dig deeper into the treasure of how DT can transform your way of thinking about church life and the Great Commission.

Myth 1: DT is nothing more than just finding the right materials to teach.

While materials are essential for successful instruction, Jesus Christ starts off not from any training menu or teaching materials from the past. He first builds life with the disciples. The whole idea behind this is not about methodology but about abiding in the true source of life. The secret lies in the replication process chosen by Jesus to broadcast the Gospel.

The term “replica” means a copy of the work of art which is not original. Literally, in its Latin roots, it means “repeat.” Reproducing something of the same kind in a smaller scale is what it means.

We are to be the replica of Christ’s life, mission and ministry. The replica maybe smaller in scope or size but it still represents the true essence and spirit of what Jesus desires to do on earth. How can we be a replica of Christ’s aspiration and mission? We become disciples of Jesus. His footprints become our footprints and His passion becomes our passion. (Ruth 1:16)

Only those who have close relationship with Jesus can be the true replica of Christ’s character and mission. So, the nature of DT is about imitation. It starts with imitating Christ’s light. It replicates into His followers. The followers come together to recreate a repeatable pattern of living for Christ. In short, DT is a transmission of Christ’s life from his disciples to His church. It is far more important to make sure that the leaders are the primary receivers and as they replicate the life of Christ, they replicate the core values of what they truly believe in. (2 Tim 3:14) Unless we desire to live out Christ in our walks with God, the materials will just be locked in the level of recognition and shelved in the category of knowledge.

Myth 2: DT is an educational program disposable at the expense of church leadership.

Not quite. DT is an integral part of the theology and practice of the church. The purpose of the church is not arbitrarily determined by a few visionary leaders. Simply stated, this is the purpose of the church: to equip the saints so they can be sent (out) to proclaim the Gospel to the rest of the world. (Acts 1:8; 2 Tim. 2:2; Eph 4:12; Acts 19:10; 2 Peter 1:3) God has not given us plan B or option C to do church. Jesus models his life by manifesting in deep fellowship with God. He takes on disciples and he invests over 80% of his life nurturing his disciples so that they are lifted up ready for the great commission. We need to return to the proper view of church life. The church life ought to retain the most essential elements–witness and mission.

Our traditional view of church life emphasizes doctrine, formatted worship, leadership-based administration, one-way communication, market-driven programs and a personal form of catechism. If we have a chance to examine the Early Church, it is not hard to realize that the Early Church centers on the Gospel and Christ-like fellowship. Those who are in the church are empowered to do church ministry. Deacons were called to serve the needs of the Early Church (Acts 6:1-7) Proclaiming the Gospel is often seen as public confession or testimony. The character of church leadership has less to do with leaders (because some of them are imprisoned or chased out of their own places), but more to do with the presence and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Instead of an inward-looking catechism, Christians are thrown into unseen and unknown territories by ways of famine, rejection or persecutions and thus their way to manifest Christ is an outward and emboldened form of testimony. Boldness and power encounters are interpreted as signs of God’s presence and power.

With that in mind, it is not hard to realize that the DNA of DT rests on a full understanding of the dynamics of church life. It is not a program but the process of preparing Christians to present their lives as testimonies to the world. It is Christ being lived out that will affect changes in one’s life. The focus on DT is not on the disciples but rather the process of imitation and transformation.

Myth 3: DT can be done in three months.

Yes, any program can be done in a specific period of time. DT is less about completing a study course. Rather, successful DT links teaching to transformation. The design of DT is to prepare Christians for radical and fundamental changes and it takes time. Everyone in the profession knows the importance of time and preparation. Meat has to be adequately and timely marinated to make a scrumptious dish. Older wine will bring out its aroma and strength in time. A harvest is the result of dedicated planning, hard work and time.

When a disciple’s life is changed, his values and his lifestyle will change subsequently. (Romans 8:29; Phil 2:5) Unless a disciple is willing to change his life, all he does may not carry values or impact. Frankly, there is no “value” to be transmitted.

If change is not evident, values behind those changes are not transmitted and the process has to stop before it can continue. When spiritual practices (e.g. prayer, humility, forbearance, etc.) are not evident in the disciple’s life, we need to revisit those areas until the walls of resistance are removed, either by encouragement, conviction or behavioral change.

Myth 4: DT is crawling too slowly for a fast-paced church.

We should be actively engaging in evangelism. The whole purpose of DT is to bring to maturity to the church. God sets higher values of a soul than the body. (Luke 15:4-5; 2 Tim 2:2) The fast-pace modern life has successfully created a plastic-like profile of a hollow man. Speed is valued more than intrinsic value. A person’s outward makeup is far more attractive than years of formation of a right character. The world pushes it and the Christian churches are buying in so quickly that we lose an excellent opportunity to shape lives for the next generation. We want to rush through a program and we want to rush through life by grasping whatever that passes our path. Consequently, the great treasure of the soul is missed out. We no longer see the values of spiritual discipline or training and modeling lifestyle. One Chinese construction company claims that they can build a 57-story high building in 19 days. It comes down to 3 stories a day. I am not amazed at the speed but I do worry how the building will sustain with uncured cemented floors and loosely connected electric wirings.

DT believes in the eternal value of a soul. DT also believes in the eternal impact of a soul redeemed for Christ. St. Augustine was saved for building up a structure for patristic theology. Martin Luther was restored to revolutionize the medieval church. Jonathan Edward cleared his conscience through a time of intense struggle to start a big revival. Billy Graham made a genuine confession of faith that gave birth of modern day evangelism.

Is it mass or is it a soul saved that will determine the outcome of an era?

Myth 5: I am not interested in DT. I have other areas I am interested in.

You need to because this is the center of the Great Commission? (Matt 28:19) It is His commandment and His final admonition. Avoiding the Great Commission will eliminate the function of a church. The church cannot afford ministry without philosophy, service without a clear goal and intentionality without God’s blessings. Can a church live with the “heart”? Can a church run without the heart of DT? What does ministry look like without obedience?

There is a definite reason for the existence of the church. It is all about His heart set for His own glory. The church is to be a place where saints are sent. Before they are sent out to witness His salvation, the church needs to equip the saints to tell the world about the Gospel. God provides such training in the only place He has full authority, i.e. the Church. The avenue is transmitting the life, mission, passion and character of Jesus through intentional nurturing and equipping between a convicted soul to a convicting soul. There are no other options, and I do not foresee any possible options.

Once we get clear on this, DT is no longer an option. DT has to be the DNA of a church life. DT should happen in the church. DT should be the center of ministry philosophy. DT should be the core expression of our confession of faith.