{"id":3807,"date":"2010-08-02T08:00:13","date_gmt":"2010-08-02T12:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/?p=3807"},"modified":"2023-03-01T10:53:27","modified_gmt":"2023-03-01T15:53:27","slug":"discipleship-responsibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/discipleship-responsibility.htm","title":{"rendered":"Whose Responsibility is Discipleship?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some people have spiritual gifts best suited for the discipleship of believers, like those with the gift of pastor<\/a>, or perhaps exhortation<\/a>. Some will be more impassioned toward it. But, we’re all responsible to disciple which begins with leading people to a saving knowledge and then helping them grow (Matt. 28:19-20)<\/span>. We can begin where we are with those in our sphere of influence.<\/p>\n

Venues through which We can Fulfill our Discipleship Responsibility<\/h2>\n

Here are a few relationships that open the door to discipling those in our sphere of influence. Each has it own set of challenges, often time related, but the potential impact can be great.<\/p>\n

Parents can disciple their own children.<\/p>\n

Question:<\/em>\u00a0 How are you supposed to work to provide for your children, take care of the home, run kids to all their activities, and teach them besides all this?<\/p>\n

Pastors\u00a0and elders can disciple members of the Body.<\/p>\n

Question:<\/em>\u00a0 Doesn’t preparing sermons and overseeing the ministry take up all your time, leaving little room for discipleship?<\/p>\n

People in a small group or men’s or women’s ministries can disciple their own peer.\u00a0 Workers in children’s or youth ministry can disciple those younger than themselves.<\/p>\n

Question:<\/em>\u00a0 When\u00a0are you\u00a0to fit this in when\u00a0you barely have time for your own family?<\/p>\n

Teachers of Sunday School or other Bible classes can disciple their students.<\/p>\n

Question:\u00a0 <\/em>How much should be expected of you?\u00a0 Isn’t teaching a lesson enough?<\/a><\/p>\n

Suggestions for Discipling Those in Your Sphere of Influence<\/h2>\n

This post can’t answer all the particular questions one might have in a specific situation but will give a few broad suggestions.<\/p>\n

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  1. Understand the priority of discipleship.\u00a0 When something is important to us, we usually find or make the time for it.\u00a0 It’s about teaching others to follow the Chief Shepherd<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Are our many activities\u00a0more important than that?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. Use everyday life, teachable moments.\u00a0 Discipleship is about<\/a> sharing the Word with people but also praying for them, encouraging them, being an example for them, and spurring them on which does not require a formal meeting but can be done in any setting.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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      1. Utilize a network<\/a> of people and opportunities to help you.\u00a0 Don’t think that you can do it all but certainly do what you can do.\u00a0 Networking is not about relieving you of the responsibility to disciple but rather of\u00a0helping you do it better.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Some people will be more gifted for it like those with the spiritual gift of pastor or perhaps exhortation. Some people will be more impassioned toward it. But we are still all to disciple (Matt. 28:19-20). We can begin where we are. There are many venues. . . . Continue reading Whose Responsibility is Discipleship?<\/span>→<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-discipleship-spiritual-growth"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\t