A2 online course offered by Biblical Training
Disciplemaking is not an everyday word. It may be mentioned at church, but even there it can feel foreign to our common experience. To be honest, the word “disciplemaking” is not in the Bible and my auto-correct continues to tell me it’s not a word in any standard dictionary.
Yet for a serious follower of Jesus, the task of making disciples is core to our purpose in this world. Disciplemaking is central to the Asian Access leader development model being used across Asia and beyond.
That is why we were excited to be asked by Bill Mounce of Biblical Training to produce a course on disciplemaking. BiblicalTraining.org offers a comprehensive biblical education at all academic levels for free.
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It has been a privilege for me to work with Joe Handley, president of Asian Access, to design and teach a Disciplemaking course centered on this key mandate and unknown word. Joe and I each pulled from our respective experiences serving leaders and churches in other cultures. This vantage point added some key distinctives to our course.
- The essential need to be deeply engaged with scripture, especially the life and teaching of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels, in a way that moves learning from the head to genuine transformation of the heart
- The role of the Holy Spirit in every aspect of the disciple’s experience
- The importance of relationships and Christian community throughout the process
- An appreciation for the global church’s experience of discipleship
- The experience of suffering and persecution as it relates to following Jesus
Some approaches to disciplemaking may tend to package it or turn it into a program with notebooks where blanks are filled in with prescribed answers. When completed, it’s easy to simply move on to the next thing without truly being formed in Christ.
About Relationship with Jesus
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
—Matthew 16:24
Ultimately being a disciple of Jesus is about a relationship. This course provides a holistic approach that is grounded in a deep love-relationship with God—a relationship that is continually shaping the disciple’s worldview, values, character, and behavior to be in line with Jesus’ life and his vision for the kingdom of God.
We focus on the disciple’s understanding of the life and teaching of Jesus, growth in obedience to his commands, and an increasing awareness of and cooperation with the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s the start of genuine transformation: allowing that experiential knowledge and the work of the Spirit to shape how we see ourselves, our place in the world and our role in God’s mission. This is where lives are changed and God’s power is revealed.
In this course, the learner will build their own unique discipleship plan in response to each of the four sections. The course outlines a process of intentional listening, reflection on scripture, self-examination and, ideally, receiving input from other Jesus-followers, to put words on paper of how the Holy Spirit is directing and one’s commitment to follow through.
This self-directed study will expose the learner to various approaches including:
- Dallas Willard’s model for inner transformation in Christ,
- Michael Card’s guidance through the gospels using both historical background and biblical imagination, and
- Bob Logan and Chuck Ridley’s practical experiences of bringing discipleship into real life to multiply disciples and Christ-centered communities.
We include regular exercises and small group discussion questions for those who decide to deepen the experience within a learning community. Videos of a sample small group discussing a portion of each module are also included.
An Immersive Experience
While it is presented as a seminary course on Biblicaltraining.org, the design takes the learner beyond academic learning. It’s not a course about disciplemaking, but rather, an immersive experience that combines heart and mind, inviting the learner to grow in a life of surrender and greater alignment to the kingdom of God, faithfully walking step by step with Jesus in becoming his disciple and multiplying in others.
Keep in mind that you can take this self-paced online course FREE at BiblicalTraining.org!
God bless you,
More Information
- On the partnership between A2 and Biblical Training
- BiblicalTraining.org offers a comprehensive biblical education at all academic levels from world-class professors, for free. You can know the truth, and be able to teach the truth and refute error (Titus 1:9), all without leaving your home or church. Find some friends and start learning today with millions of people around the world.
- More about the Disciplemaking course and instructors here...
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