CPM/DMM: Imitation of Life--MAWL Part 2

Church Planting Movements/Disciple Making Movements CPM/DMM: Imitation of Life--MAWL (Model--Assist--Watch--Leave/Letter/Love  Part 2

Painting by Josh Ransom

Make Real Deal Imitators (Process of making households of disciples who reproduce)

For thirty-three years I have experienced the joy of making disciples. From the moment I made the decision to follow Christ, Laura, the gal who led me to follow Him, trained me in the basics of reproducing discipleship. She DNA-ed me with the reality that intentionality to make disciples was the Biblical norm, not the exception.

Shortly after my decision to follow Christ, she challenged me to share my faith with friends from highschool and to then begin to disciple those who sought to follow Jesus.

One might be inclined to ask, “How could you make disciples since you were so young in your faith?”

That question never entered my mind due to the reality of obedience-based discipleship as the norm had been imparted to me.  

Laura simply invited me to imitate her as she imitated Christ.

Inadequacy to make disciples who then make disciples, I felt palpably. I still feel that way at times. If any one of us, as believers, waits till we are mature enough to then disciple others, we will never dive into this amazing joy and privilege of making disciples who reproduce.

At times, discipling others is messy. You, as the discipler, are simply inviting the disciple to depend upon the Holy Spirit while drinking deeply of God’s Word. However, in the process of hearts which transform into greater Christ likeness, there is the flesh which cries out for self centered pursuits.

We simply invite others (persons of peace-Luke 10, Matthew 10, Luke 9) to imitate us as we imitate Christ and challenge them to repeat that process with others. A growing dependence upon the Biblical basics of walking in the power and reliance upon the Holy Spirit while leaving the results to God was part of what had been emblazoned upon my heart in the discipleship process.

Though Laura began that process of modeling discipleship to me, it was Julie, a staff leader for a college ministry who coached me into true multiplying discipleship as an intentional lifestyle pattern.

To this day, I still seek out two types of women to be imitated; a prophet Nathan type (one who speaks the truth in love) and a Jonathan to David type (one who models compelling adoration of Christ combined with stand alongsideness).  To then deliberately trust God to disciple other women (person of peace) who will reproduce the discipleship process in their respective oikos (Greek word for households/affinity groups) is one of the greatest joys in this the abundant life in Christ.

RA