I believe that most Christian leaders want to make disciples. And I truly believe that most Christians want to follow God. But, how are all of us doing?
A joint Barna Group and Navigators research project1 revealed confusion among both leaders and followers regarding discipleship. Worse yet, the data indicates that most discipleship efforts are impotent, with only 25% of Christians saying they were in a discipleship relationship. The report concluded:
Churches are in need of new models for discipleship. Current programs capture only a minority of Christians, and most believers do not prioritize and investment in their spiritual growth. At the same time, church leaders desire a clear plan and lack systems to evaluate spiritual health.
The statistics might be shockingly worse than we would have guessed but I am sure this is not new to you. Leaders struggle to make disciples moving from program to program without ever decreasing time. Followers do not seem to engage. So often, it seems that we are only entertaining or educating.
