Our Discipleship Journey: Part 2Sample

Jesus’ Discipleship Strategy

Jesus modelled a powerful framework for discipleship. It’s not linear or formulaic. Rather, it’s Spirit-led and organic – both authentic and intentional. Jesus’ discipleship strategy can be broken down into the four key stages of Catalyst, Coach, Challenger, and Champion.

The Catalyst stage is about taking the initiative and seeing what happens. You could call this stage ‘high invitation, low challenge’. We see Jesus acting as a catalyst in Luke 4:38–39 when He’s asked to pray for Peter’s mother-in-law. He doesn’t force anything; He’s simply looking to spark curiosity or quicken a response. Consider the truth that you may be the one who ignites another person’s interest in God. Who are the people in your life who respond when you talk about spiritual things? Who leans in when you share your faith story?

The Coach stage involves investing time, attention, and energy in a few people, for the sake of many. We see this playing out in Jesus’ life when He calls His twelve disciples. In the Coach stage, God has arrested someone’s attention (they’ve seen His power), and we get to set a rhythm of doing life together (learning to live by that power).

The Challenger stage involves high challenge and low invitation. Jesus shows us what this looks like when He challenges His disciples to deny themselves for His sake, and when He warns them against hypocrisy. Conflict isn’t necessarily inevitable when we challenge people, but we should make space for the possibility of failure. Challenge is not always well received, and that’s ok. It’s crucial to understand that a challenge without the foundation of a catalyst and coaching doesn’t have the same impact. We need to help navigate the challenge, not just bring it.

The Champion stage is where we empower and release people. Jesus shows us how this is done when He empowers His disciples by opening their minds to understand the Scriptures, commissioning them to be witnesses, and assuring them they’ll be clothed with power from on high. We see Jesus’ desire for them to embrace their full potential and purpose. (Be aware that it’s not uncommon, in a church context, to try to fast-track people from the Catalyst stage straight to the Champion stage, which isn’t helpful.)

Jesus’ discipleship framework is a flexible guide that helps us navigate the complex terrain of human relationships and spiritual growth. It’s a roadmap, not a rigid formula, and it’s about relationships: being present, intentional, and willing to invest time and energy in others as they grow in their understanding and practice of faith. Let’s look for opportunities to spark interest and curiosity. Let’s have the courage to challenge, pushing others (and ourselves) towards deeper belief and obedience. And let’s empower people to live out their God-given purpose.