“Cultivating leaders who follow Jesus”
Over the course of the past several months, the Fellows have been learning what it truly means to be a disciple. Just as an athlete or an artist must train in his craft, so must a follower of Christ train to disciple. The Holy Spirit does not bypass training but rather works through it.
In order to fully understand this training process, we utilize what we call the “discipleship square”.
There are four divisions of the “discipleship square”. The first involves our unconscious incompetence. This is when the discipler acts and the disciple watches. The second requires the disciple to take action, assisting in the work being taught to them. We call this conscious incompetence. Next, the disciple must make the decision to step up and take leadership. This conscious competence is the beginning of one’s transition to discipling others. Finally, with continual practice, the disciple transitions to discipling others and repeating this square. This is best demonstrated by the way that Jesus led the twelve, from performing miracles, to serving alongside them, and finally the Great Commission.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Transitioning into this second semester, the Fellows are being given opportunities to use the knowledge and experience they have received to step up and take ownership of different leadership positions. From leading devotions, worship, planning activities, and even guiding the monthly Fellowship nights, they are transitioning from being disciples to disciplers. This is a perfect reflection of part of our mission here at Impact; to train servant leaders and send them out to live as change agents in their various callings.