Three Models of Discipleship

Introduction

Models of discipleship are helpful tools for evangelism and discipleship practices. They seek to systematically present the contents, doctrines, and imperatives of the Bible concerning such disciplines concisely so that they can be incorporated into Christians’ ministries. This paper will evaluate three of these models built by various Christian institutions.

Heritage Christian School’s Model

Who better can demonstrate the meaning of “disciple” than Christian “students?” The first model belongs to Heritage Christian School in Indianapolis, Indiana, a private institution whose mission is to be Christocentric or Christ-centered in three areas of education: teaching, mentorship, and training.¹ Overall, these three emphases—Christ-centered teaching, mentoring, and training—are displayed within Scripture:

[The original includes Heritage Christian School’s “Teach–Mentor–Train” Venn diagram, with “Christ-Centered” at the intersection: Teach (facts of the Bible, doctrines, principles of Christian living), Mentor (model Christian lifestyle, build relationships, cultivate character), and Train (use spiritual gifts, share the Gospel, provide ministry opportunities).]

You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness… [C]ontinue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.²

This section of verses from Paul demonstrates all three educational practices. Paul taught and mentored Timothy so that Timothy “followed” him and was “acquainted with the sacred writings.” Moreover, the final two verses of this passage declare, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work,” showcasing teaching, mentoring, and training. The educators of Heritage Christian School imitate Paul in these practices, “teaching [their] students the facts of the Bible, core doctrines, and principles of Christian living,” mentoring their “students [to] grow in their faith in Christ,” and training their “students to develop leadership skills, identify their gifts, articulate the gospel, and practice serving others.” Because these goals so closely align with Paul’s words to Timothy, it cannot be denied that this is a biblical model of discipleship.

Second Baptist Church in Arkadelphia’s Model

Another model is that of Second Baptist Church in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Although this plan also focuses on the scope of discipleship in crowds (large groups), clusters (5-15 people), and the core (3-4 people monthly), it seeks to inspire disciples, instruct disciples, and encourage intimacy of disciples, focusing on the contents and practices of Scripture.³ These three values—inspiration, instruction, and intimacy—are supremely valued by the psalmist in Psalm 119:

[The original includes the “SBC Discipleship Plan: Moving closer to Jesus” diagram — three overlapping rings labeled Crowd (Inspiration), Cluster (Instruction), and Core (Intimacy), with Learn, Worship, and Serve converging on “Closer to God.”]

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules. I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word! Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD, and teach me your rules. I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law. The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts. Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.⁴

God’s Word leads or inspires believers, instructs believers, and demonstrates an intimate relationship between God and His people in that they are to delight in Him. While this text shows the inspiration, instruction, and intimacy of one follower, it does not demonstrate discipleship in the traditional sense. However, it does show that the Lord, through His Word, is a wise teacher, and those who delight in His Word and Him are His disciples. Therefore, this discipleship model has biblical grounds, albeit less straightforward than the previous one.

Orangeville Baptist Church’s Model

The last model of discipleship to be addressed is Orangeville Baptist Church’s Model. It presents a cyclical model of the four B’s: Believe, Belong, Become, and Build.⁵ This model is more in-depth than the previous two because it comprises many intermediate steps. However, its clarity on the cyclical nature of discipleship is faithful to the Scripture:

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.⁶

In short, disciples are made first by believing in the object of the Faith, Christ Jesus, finding their belonging within His body, being transformed into His image and becoming like Him, and growing the body through making more disciples. This passage encapsulates this ideology well, and thus, this model of discipleship, in which the mission is “to believe in Christ, belong to Christ, become like Christ, and build through Christ, as we behold Christ together,” is biblical and most helpful.⁷

[The original includes Orangeville Baptist Church’s “Behold: Fixing our Gaze on Jesus” cycle — four nodes around a central “Behold”: Believe (trusting and sharing Jesus), Belong (walking in Christlike community), Become (being conformed to Jesus), and Build (multiplying transformed disciples).]

Conclusion

This brief reflection on various models of discipleship that contain values of Scripture has been most helpful. It is truly a delight to see God’s Church working for Him in making disciples and actively and diligently planning to do so. Therefore, if any Christian is not currently incorporating these ideas and values into their ministry, reading and examining these plans in light of Scripture is highly suggested. Through them, great knowledge and wisdom are provided, and it would be wise to put their plans into practice. Doing so, God will be glorified and His church grown exponentially.

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Footnotes

1. Heritage Christian School, “Discipleship at Heritage Christian School,” accessed September 28, 2024. https://www.heritagechristian.net/student-life/discipleship ↩

2. 2 Tim. 3:10, 14-15. Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture references are to the English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016). ↩

3. Madison Offenbecker, “Second Baptist Church in Arkadelphia develops discipleship model,” Arkansas Baptist News, August 24, 2020. https://arkansasbaptist.org/post/second-baptist-church-in-arkadelphia-develops-discipleship-model/ ↩

4. Ps. 119:105-112. ↩

5. Orangeville Baptist Church’s Discipleship Pathway, “Behold: Fixing our Gaze on Jesus,” accessed September 28, 2024. https://orangevillebaptist.org/discipleship-pathway/ ↩

6. Eph. 4:11-16. ↩

7. “Behold: Fixing our Gaze on Jesus.” ↩