All successful disciple-makers seem to work from a common list of best practices and, over time, learn when and how to use each one. 

I am not a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of guy. I must have a plan — for everything! And I’m not just talking for the workday or for vacations. Much to my wife Jerusha’s chagrin, I even plan my day off. It drives her crazy! As far as I’m concerned, if you haven’t come up with a plan by 8 a.m. on Saturday morning, you risk plunging the world back into its primordial chaos. Had she known when we were dating that I always prepared an outline of talking points before ever picking up the phone to call her, I’m sure I would still be single!

So when I began to intentionally obey Jesus’ disciple-making mandate, it goes without saying that I wanted a plan. I soon discovered that I wasn’t the only one; just try engaging someone in a conversation on discipleship, and I guarantee one of the first questions you’ll get is, “What curriculum do you use?” In other words, “What’s your plan? What topics should I cover? Is there a workbook, a leader’s guide — something, anything — to help me even know where to start?”

Before you scoff at anyone wanting a plan for disciple-making, consider the world of growing things. Where do seeds and cells get the plan for producing the plant, the fruit or the living being? They get it from something called the DNA — an amazing little spiral of genetic information contained in every cell that acts like a blueprint and tells the cell exactly what it must do to reproduce itself.

So what is the DNA for the disciple-maker and his disciples? Does Crossworld recommend a particular curriculum? Is there a leader’s guide that goes with it? I’m excited to answer with a resounding yes! We have a plan, a curriculum and a leader’s guide. And they are easily adapted to the uniqueness of each disciple and disciple-maker. Got a pen? Here it is: The Word of God is our curriculum, and the Spirit of God is the leader’s guide. I’m not being cute; I’m dead serious. The Word and the Holy Spirit provide the unique blueprint for every discipling relationship. Just as every living organism has in its cells the unique blueprint needed to reproduce life — the DNA— so every follower of Jesus, through the Word of God and the indwelling Spirit of God, has what is needed to reproduce the life of Jesus.

For planning-oriented types like myself, that answer can be very disconcerting. But why should it be, when we have the best curriculum in the world and a leader’s guide that beats all others? Why would we want something else? Here’s what I think: It means I am going to have to spend time in the Bible every day. It means I have to get familiar with the leader’s guide myself; it means I have to learn to listen to how God is guiding me and my disciple, rather than simply leaning on a canned curriculum.

But let me tell you, when I’m filled with the Word and walking in the Spirit, this plan is not disconcerting — it’s absolutely liberating! Plan to follow this curriculum and let me know how it goes.

Reply to Dale.

View the full blog series, watch the video and download The Discipling Tree infographic.

Dale Losch joined Crossworld as a disciple-maker in France in 1988, and has served as Crossworld’s president since 2009. He loves to motivate people to use their God-given passions to make disciples wherever life happens. Hear more from Dale.