As I look back on my life as a parent, raising four “fearfully and wonderfully made” children, I have to remember the rough start that I had.  For some reason I wanted to put all of them in a box, with the same expectations that if I guided them, disciplined them, and encouraged them all alike, I would get the same results: mature, capable, Christ-like, productive adults.

Through many mistakes along the way, I came to understand and appreciate their uniqueness and my inability to pour into them without a different map used on each individual child.  Oh, I was going to the same destination with all of them (mature, capable, Christ-like, productive adults but each road we traveled together was different and uniquely planned for them.  Some of the roads were fairly smooth and straight most of the time, some had steep hills to go up, others were very curvy and couldn’t be taken at a high speed.  Wisdom was something to pray for daily and I had to remember that “God looks at the heart” and I was looking at “the outward appearance.” (1 Samuel 16:7)  I planted seeds and continued to pray for the soils of their heart to be good and I waited for the fruit to be produced by God. 

Now that I am discipling women, some of whom are spiritual children, I can draw a similar parallel to parenting them.  The goal is the same for each woman, to produce a mature, capable, Christ-like, reproducing disciple.  Each woman that I disciple is “fearfully and wonderfully made.”  They are uniquely designed with talents and gifts that God wants to develop and use.  God is “looking at the heart” and I only see the “outward appearance.” 

The way that I get to this “Christ-like” destination may look different for each woman even if I have a box that I think fits all sizes.  I am learning that God is creative and gives us wisdom as we ask.  Wisdom to understand what each women needs from me as I continue to plant seeds for God to reproduce in others through them.  I continue to pray for the soil of their heart to be good and I wait for God to produce the fruit.  With my spiritual children, as with my natural children, growth takes place differently in each one of them.  The journey that I get to travel with them develops patience, perseverance and faith in me. 

If you are frustrated today with the person that God has put in your life to disciple, stop and ask yourself these three questions:

•   Do I need to be creative with the road map that I have been using with them?  Ask God for wisdom! (James 1:5)

•  What is my responsibility in planting and watering the seed in their lives towards this Christ-like destination? (2 Corinthians 3:6-7)

• Am I living in the expectancy of the harvest that I can trust God to produce? 

by Jan Stockdale

Women’s Ministry Team Leader

Fellowship Bible Church of NW Arkansas

email her at jastockdale@fellowshipnwa.org

As a women’s ministry leader, I am always seeking to engage, enrich and equip women to produce generations of disciples.   Our team is finding that information transfer alone is inadequate.  Guided experiences, defined as coaching and training with opportunity to “play,” are also necessary to impact skills and motivation for disciples to reproduce.
    Do you believe that your investment in the growth of others accelerates your own growth? From the women that are discipling other women, we have heard a resounding “yes” to this question.  We grow and learn even more as we tackle the additional challenge of making disciples in other cultures. This is a passion that we have for women… to participate in making disciples not only here, but in the world.
    For all women, I would like to ask:  What are the keys for making disciples and do you have a plan?  I know that Jesus did, if I could state a few points for your consideration.

    •    Spent more time with fewer people
    •    Focused on women who can pass on information (2 Timothy 2:2)
    •    Communicated basic spiritual truths
    •    Engaged people to become effective disciples, taught them
        to do for others what has been done for them

    Jesus’ model of making disciples wasn’t difficult.  He majored in
three activities.

    1.    He imparted “knowledge by teaching.”
    2.    He imparted “skill” by “guided experience.”
    3.    He imparted “character” by “example and modeling.”
    
    That brings us back to the question again, “Are we coaching women to become disciples?”  With coaching, we get better! Coaching doesn’t require knowing everything in advance, just a willingness to learn together. This is a process of passing on what is received not just personally growing in Christ’s likeness. Every disciple must be a trainer, a coach helping others grow through guided experiences.  Even as women gather in small groups, discipleship can take place.  We are embracing three key questions to ask each person as they process truth in their small groups.

    1.    What truth has God taught me?
    2.    How will I apply it to my life?
    3.    Who will I share it with?


Truth that is transferable and transforming!

by Jan Stockdale, Women’s Ministry Team Leader

Fellowship Bible Church of NWA

email her at jastockdale@fellowshipnwa.org