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discipleship then and now
The Effect of Discipleship on the Life of a Christian Today
discipleship then and now
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The Leader as Mentor
Discipleship is the process of making disciples; students or followers of someone (Oxford Dictionaries, 2016). Although discipleship existed long before Jesus, the disciple-making process as expressed by Jesus is the most impactful example for Christianity. The following is an analysis of discipleship as it was applied to Jesus’ ministry, Jesus’ discipleship model in light of modern leadership theories, and a discussion of what can be gleaned from Jesus’ discipleship model.
Levels of Discipleship Shown in Jesus’ Ministry
Among the other things that Jesus did during His time on earth, He made disciples. His command to His disciples to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) was an extension of His disciple-making
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Jesus was no different. Among the leadership strategies He used to disciple were Leader-Member Exchange (LMX), Transformational Leadership, and Situational Leadership. This “mixed strategy” allowed Jesus to reach, impact, and disciple individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds without leaving anyone behind.
Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory
LMX Theory organizes followers into groups defined by access to the leader. In some ways, it is like a target with the leader as the center and each concentric circle signifying groups of followers, each with less intimacy with the leader. LMX Theory components are: the leader, the inner circle, the in-group, the out-group, and strangers (Scandura and Schriesheim, 1994). As one gets close to the leader, he/she has more access to the leader and the leader has more influence in the life of the follower. LMX theory follows Jesus’ discipleship model very closely.
Transformational
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The four quadrants of Situational Leadership correspond to the four phases of Mentorship (Hersey, 1985; Carder, et al, 1996; Hitchcock, et al, 1995; Carey and Weissman, 2010). Quadrant 1, in which the follower has no skill and the leader provides high instruction and support (Carder, et al, 1996), corresponds to Phase 1, in which the mentoring relationship is initiated (Carey and Weissman, 2010). Quadrant 2, in which the follower has limited skill and the leader acts as a teacher (Carder, et al, 1996), corresponds to Phase 2, in which the mentee becomes the mentor’s protégé (Carey and Weissman, 2010). Quadrant 3, in which the follower has advanced skills and the leader acts as a consultant (Carder, et al, 1996), corresponds to Phase 3, in which the mentor releases the mentee (Carey and Weissman, 2010). Quadrant 4, in which the follower can be trusted to act independently (Carder, et al, 1996), corresponds to Phase 4, in which the mentee and mentor enjoy a lasting friendship (Carey and Weissman,
Kouzes, J., & Posner, B., (2007). The leadership challenge, (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K. (n.d.) Situational Leadership. In Wren, J.T. (Ed.). (1995). The Leader’s Companion (pp. 207-211). New York: Simon & Schuster.
In their book Lead Like Jesus Ken Blanchard & Phil Hodges encourage readers to ask themselves three key questions:
I believe that to be a Christian you have to be a disciple. Each must
Philosophy of Ministry: God's desires come first, I must always live my ministry God's way. I must live as a Christian (1 Corinthians 9:27) I must have a proper relationship of surrender to the Leader. In my personal life or in the Church I must understand that Christ is Head and Chief Shepherd (Ephesians 1:22, Hebrews 13:20). The “management” of Church is about relationships with God and Man, not just maintaining a social organization.
Teachers around the time when Jesus lived thought that learning was such that the people who wanted to learn should come to them to be taught. But Jesus felt differently and rather than waiting for people to come to him, he went out to find them and then chose them to be his followers. He called them disciples and this word means one who learns. But Jesus chose his disciples carefully as we are told in Mark 1:16-20 and also in Mark 3:13-19. In the first passage, Jesus appoints his first four disciples, Simon, Andrew, James and John. Jesus said to them “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17) In Mark 2:13-17, Jesus calls up the fifth disciple, Levi who was a tax collector, and Jesus later renamed him Matthew. But Levi was not called in the same way as the other four disciples. Jesus was with him at the tax collector’s booth and Jesus simply said, “Follow me” (Mark 2:14) and he rose and followed Jesus.
...hat He had the result of the many followers. In addition, Jesus knew that He had enough confidence in Himself and God’s promises never to leave Him, that Jesus was able to feel comfortable to be Himself without worrying about the image or reputation he received. A leader should never be focused on what others think, because someone who high treasures other’s opinions will unconsciously change themselves to be liked, but Jesus knew that by following God, there would be no reason to put in extra effort to be liked. Finally, self-sacrifice is the most important trait that a leader could posses. Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross is the epitome of love and leadership. A leader is not just placed to lead but protect His people despite the cost and Jesus completes his job as leader and protector to the fullest. Not only does He lead us but He protects us daily.
The Meaning of Discipleship In this piece of coursework I will be writing about the meaning of
Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory (SLT) asserts that a leader’s effectiveness is dependent upon the readiness, or ability and willingness, of the leader’s followers to complete a task. This leadership style is an amalgamation of task-oriented and relationship-oriented characteristics that are employed depending upon the situation and the followers involved. According to the SLT, as followers increase in readiness the leader’s style is to adapt accordingly (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009).
Wilkes, C. G. Jesus on Leadership: Timeless Wisdom on Servant Leadership. Carol Stream, Illnois: Tyndale House, 1998.
Robert Clinton states “The central task of leadership is influencing God’s people toward God’s purposes” (Clinton, 1988). George Barna defines a Christain Leader as “someone who is called by God to lead; leads with and through Christlike character; and demonstrates the functional competencies that permit effective leadership to take place” (Barna, 1997). It is a shame we as Christians fail to recognize that Christ would have us be leaders in more than the church.
for people in my parish. A great example of a disciple is John Paul 2nd.
When Jesus called His disciples, His invitation was simple. He invited them to follow Him. The same is true today. In Matthew 28, Jesus gave His last charge to His disciples, and the charge was simple. He called his followers to go and make disciples. Much effort has been placed by Christians to fulfill this charge, commonly referred to as the Great Commission. Jesus chose to fulfill the implementation of the New Covenant through 12 men who He called, appointed, and commissioned, and he only had a few short years to prepare them for the task (Willson, 1990). His methods were unconventional and were revolutionary for that time. His disciples were to be trained extensively by Jesus, living with Him for three years prior to His ascension. He taught about servant leadership and its meaning for both the leader and follower Matt. 20:25-28). From the beginning, Jesus put in place a careful plan, and an examination of His actions in the Gospels showed that Jesus left behind the pattern to be replicated. His methods, which included the incorporation of three different levels of discipleship, included His interaction with Peter, His closest three (Peter, James, and John), and finally the group of 12. This paper identified and analyzed the three levels of discipleship Jesus modeled, these discipleship methods were then measured against modern leadership theories, and Jesus’s level of involvement and interaction with his disciples were critiqued in light of these modern theories in an effort to determine the effectiveness of this approach.
God is the focal point for spiritual gifts, talents, and training for leadership. The disciples were trained by Jesus. He did not take disciples into a classroom but He taught by examples.9 Many times the disciples were put in situations by Jesus to help them learn on-the-job. Even in missions, leaders cannot be prepared for every circumstance that may arise; however; with his talents, spiritual gifts, and the Holy Spirit, one can have the resources necessary to be successful. With one’s failures, spiritual gifts, and talents, the Holy Spirit will use these things to train leaders as they continue to aspire in
Maxwell, (2013) explains how the first level of leadership is positional. Followers, who view leaders at this level are motivated by compliance measures, rather than inspiration or desire. The mindset of the follower is that, their job to do what is directed of them, so they obey. Fear and coercion are often motivators for followers at level one. Maxwell, (2013) further explains that, at this level, leaders receive the least amount of the follower’s energy, effort, and mind.