By J. Lee Grady<\/a><\/strong>:<\/p>\n I\u2019m not against mass evangelism. I\u2019m not criticizing people who organize big meetings. But I\u2019m learning that the best way to impact a large number of people is to focus on a few.<\/p>\n This was Jesus\u2019 method of ministry. Most of his conversations in the Gospels were with His small group of handpicked disciples. Even when He did mass meetings, He used them to instruct the people He was mentoring. For 3.5 years He invested in His closest followers in a deeply personal way\u2014not as an instructor but as a friend. Jesus did not mass-produce legions of followers. He hand-carved a few\u2014and they became the pillars of the early church.<\/p>\n Jesus calls us to do ministry His way\u2014by making disciples. Yet in today\u2019s performance-based culture, we think bigger is better. We put all our money and time into splashy events while ignoring relationships. We want the sensational, not the simple. We crave big meetings, bigger platforms, noisy sermons, hyped-up altar calls and instant results. It may look spectacular on opening night, but the show fades fast.<\/p>\n This shallowness is killing us. Christianity in so many parts of the world is a mile wide and an inch deep because we think faith is best transmitted to people by preachers standing behind pulpits. Preaching is certainly important, but without personal discipleship leaders aren\u2019t formed and Christians don\u2019t develop true character. If this vital relational aspect is overlooked, our faith becomes programmed, superficial and horribly fake.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve changed my priorities as I have grasped this truth. I\u2019m not as interested in flashy conferences or huge crowds as I am in making an indelible mark on people who can then disciple others. And as the Lord has shifted my paradigm, I have become more intentional about making discipleship a part of my daily life. I\u2019ve done this by following what I call the Five \u201cI\u2019s\u201d of Discipleship:<\/p>\n 1. Identify.<\/strong> Jesus prayed carefully before selecting those who would travel with Him. Paul selected people like Timothy, Silas, Aquilla and Priscilla to be his ministry companions. Who are you called to disciple? God connects people in discipleship relationships.<\/p>\n 2. Invest.<\/strong> Don\u2019t look at discipleship as a program. It must flow out of love and genuine friendship. It is a precious investment of your time into a younger Christian. Paul told the Thessalonians: \u201cWe were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us\u201d (1 Thess. 2:8<\/a>, NASB).<\/p>\n 3. Include.<\/strong> One of the ways I disciple young men is by taking them with me on ministry trips. I would have fewer hassles if I traveled alone, but my privacy is not that precious. In the last couple of years I\u2019ve invited emerging leaders such as Jason, Steven, Vitaly, Khuram, Donnie, Felipe, Lyndle and Ryan to accompany me to various events. Investing in a disciple, to me, has become more exciting than preaching to a multitude!<\/p>\n 4. Instruct.<\/strong> Jesus didn\u2019t lecture his disciples; He artfully wove His teaching into the events of daily life\u2014a storm, the death of a friend or an encounter with a needy beggar. His teaching flowed out of His relationship with His companions. Discipleship does not have to happen in a classroom setting. It can happen at a doughnut shop, during a bike ride or in a car. Expect \u201cteaching moments\u201d to flow naturally when you are spending time with those you are mentoring.<\/p>\n 5. Intercede.<\/strong> Paul told Timothy that he constantly remembered him in his prayers \u201cnight and day\u201d (2 Tim. 1:3<\/a>). The most effective discipleship occurs when the discipler invests time in prayer for those he or she is mentoring. After some of my young disciples gave me an iPad last year, I decided to return the favor by using it to help me pray for them. I now have a \u201cvisual prayer list\u201d with photos of the people I intercede for regularly.<\/p>\n Floyd McClung, a former leader of Youth With a Mission who now lives in South Africa, says he wishes he had spent more of his time making disciples when he was younger. He recently wrote: \u201cI\u2019ve been blessed to do many things: books, conferences, television, etc. But that\u2019s nothing compared to pouring into others and seeing them go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n Leaders all around the world are coming to this same conclusion. They recognize that today\u2019s fatherless generation is looking for more than the hottest music, the coolest stage lighting or the hippest techno-pastor. They just want authentic role models who will spend time with them.<\/p>\n J. Lee Grady<\/strong> is the former editor of <\/em>Charisma and the director of\u00a0The Mordecai Project<\/a>. He is ministering in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this week. You can follow him on Twitter at\u00a0leegrady<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By J. Lee Grady: I\u2019m not against mass evangelism. I\u2019m not criticizing people who organize big meetings. But I\u2019m learning that the best way to impact a large number of people is to focus on a few. This was Jesus\u2019 method of ministry. Most of his conversations in the Gospels were with His small group […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n