To be honest, I hate it when one of my colleagues asks the question, “How do you measure discipleship?” Oh, I think it is a great question, but one that causes me to ponder my effectiveness in ministry. It is really a question of accountability for me and my church. “Am I leading our church toward spiritual maturity?” “Am I producing disciples?”
I recently ran across a workbook, Journey: A Fresh Guided Journey into the Spiritual Formation of Multiplying Disciples (2008) written byJohn Honeycutt. He suggested ten goals of discipleship. Honeycutt called them “Destinations of our Journey.”They are:
Weknow Christ as Lord and Savior. (John 8:30)
2.We have an assurance of our salvation. (John 20:31)
3.We have a thirst for God’s Word and grow spiritually. (John 8:31)
4.We communicate with God and know Him personally. (Luke 11:1)
5.We have been scripturally baptized and exhibit personal stewardship in a local church. (Eph. 4:11-12)
6.We can transfer biblical truths of Christianity in everyday life. (John 13:33-34)
7.We have come to a point of forsaking all to follow Christ. (Luke 14:33)
8.We model lifestyle behavior consistent with Scriptural teaching. (Romans 12:1-2)
9.We are actively drawing non-believers. (John 15:8)
10.We are effectively reproducing disciple makers one on one. (John 15:16)
If you, like me, find yourself wondering where we are going and how we will know when we get there, these destinations may prove helpful!
Journeying with you,
Robby Barrett, Facilitator Larger Church Affinity Group Minister of Education First Baptist Church Amarillo, TX
