“How different would our lives be today if we got passionate about making disciples?” –Robby Gallaty
In November of 2021, Ed Jackson and Terry Ginn held a special dinner for a group of men. They gathered to celebrate a year of diving into God’s Word together. But this dinner wasn’t just a celebration. It was also a commissioning. Going into 2022, Ed and Terry challenged the men to be disciples who make disciples–who make disciples.
“When I began participating in Bellevue’s discipleship program seven years ago, I knew I needed to develop leadership skills my first year in order to lead a group the following year,” Ed shared.
Ed and Terry have taken 2 Timothy 2:2 to heart. Paul commissions Timothy with the following charge:
“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
Ed and Terry led two separate discipleship groups. Throughout the year, using Bellevue’s discipleship methods, they guided these “faithful men” through the Bible, “entrusting” them with the things they had learned so that they would “be able to teach others also.” The ultimate goal of discipleship is multiplication. It’s more than just a gathering of friends. It’s an eternal investment in those around us.
“The enemy has the church thinking that we come together each week just to spend time with our friends,” Ed said. “But many times, these friends are not the ones we pray with and make disciples with. My best friends are these guys I’ve discipled over the years.”
What is discipleship?
Discipleship can take many forms. It can be one-on-one, or it can be in a small group. Through regular meetings, these groups spend intentional time together learning the spiritual disciplines: how to pray, how to read God’s Word, memorizing Scripture, etc. Groups can have different formats, but the theme is the same: learning to have a closer walk with Jesus together.
“When Jesus told us to make disciples, He wanted us to do that in any way we can,” Ed said. “We have been given an urgent call, and we must be obedient.”
If you would like to learn more about being a disciple of Jesus and leading others to do the same, we would love to help you on this journey. Visit our discipleship page and click “Find a Discipleship Group” to begin the discipleship process, making disciples who make disciples.