Making Disciples
A Christian disciple is someone 
who follows Jesus Christ. As they follow Jesus they learn from him and take on his way of life. When we talk about discipleship, we refer to the ongoing call to growth which is laid before all followers of Jesus (Eph 4:15; Col 1:28; 2 Thess 1:3). This growth is really the outward expression of our ongoing growth in holiness or our ‘sanctification’. It is an expression of our ongoing transformation into the likeness of Jesus Christ (Rom 12:1-2; Eph 4:1-5:2; Phil 2:12-13; Col 3:1-17). While we live on this earth, this work is never complete. There is always a deeper and more thankful obedience to bring to God, and there is always sin to be overcome in our lives. The continued questions for all followers of Jesus, then, are ones like, ‘How am I growing? In what ways could I be growing in the future? What are the next steps I should take?’
As churches of the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia (CRCA) we recognise that because of the need to nurture spiritual formation, an essential task of the church is to provide opportunities for all its members to engage in lifelong learning. For this reason we talk about "all of life discipleship and life-long learning." To assist our churches in this task of making disciples, the TRAIN Workgroup developed an online tool called the Discipleship Matrix. This online tool can be accessed on computers. tablets, and mobile devices. The Discipleship Matrix is a helpful way to conceptualise the various stages in a disciple’s life. The categories might seem a little arbitrary and they are not designed to be the last word on the matter. They are really just a tool to help us find ways to grow in following Jesus. The purpose of The Discipleship Matrix is to encourage you to grow, to consider what steps God might want you to take as you move ahead as you follow him.
There are four basic stages of growth: exploring, believing, developing, and multiplying. Someone might be exploring matters of faith but they might not yet be a disciple of Jesus. An explorer is inquiring about faith and spirituality and they may even take an introduction on Christianity. A believer identifies himself/herself as a follower of Jesus, and knows Jesus and their Lord and Saviour. While there is a clear division between Exploring and Believing, the divisions between Believing, Developing and Multiplying might be less distinct. These categories are meant to assist you to see ways you can grow in your faith and in bringing your faith to greater expression.
Contexts of Growth
There are five contexts of growth identified in The Discipleship Matrix:
Head – what we think, our ideas, our beliefs
Heart – our commitments, values, and aspirations
Hands – our behaviour, service, and activity
Body – our engagement with the church community
Life – our life in the broadest sense, every aspect of our existence, our connections with our world
How Do I Use the Discipleship Matrix?
The Discipleship Matrix is a self-assessment tool that can either be used by a person individually or jointly with another person discipling them. An elder, pastor, or mentor could use the Matrix with another person to help them work out where they might be and what steps they might want to take to move ahead in their faith. Individuals should begin with the Discipleship Matrix landing page while mentors should follow the link to the Mentor page.
Begin with the Stages of Growth, read the various statements,and select the statement which is most true of you, right now. This will move you to the Contexts of Growth. Read the questions in the five different contexts of growth and select the question which is most true of you at this moment in time. This will move you to a number of suggested resources that will assist you in making some next steps in your growth as a follower of Jesus. As you mature in one area, you can keep on growing as a disciple by moving to other areas of The Discipleship Matrix.
Discipleship is about becoming “mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:15) As such, discipleship is life long, and never complete. Our prayer is that the Discipleship Matrix will be one of the tools which will help you live into the fullness of life Christ has gained for you. As you grow as a disciple of Christ, remember his promise: “I am with you to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:20)
Access the Discipleship Matrix here or visit the homepage of the CRCA website.
About the author
Jack De Vries was hired on by the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia and began his work as Ministry Training Coordinator in January 2008. In 2012 this role shifted to that of Ministry Development Coach.
Jack came from Canada where he pastored three Christian Reformed churches: Alliston CRC, Alliston, Ontario(1983-87), a church plant: New Life Community Church, Pickering, Ontario(1987-95), and Bethel CRC, Listowel, Ontario (1995-2007). Jack is a graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity - 1983) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry - 2003) Jack and his wife Jeannie currently live in Petrie, a northern suburb of Brisbane in Queensland. They attend and are members of Bray Park Community Church. They have four adult children and seven grandchildren living in the USA and Canada.
In Isaiah 58:11 we read: "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Australia has seen times of drought and floods. There is another type of drought in Australia; there is a spiritual drought. But God promises to provide refreshing rain, a never ending supply of refreshing water. The water he provides will satisfy the needs of all Australians. As we take up the missional vision God has given us we extend the life changing invitation of Jesus: "Come! Whoever is thirsty, come, and take the free gift of the water of life!" (Revelation 22:17)
