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Jesus was able to disciple a group of men to DO and to BE like him. Then He called His disciples to also go and
make disciples in the world. It meant that they were called to live out the way that Jesus had taught and
demonstrated to them. I believe, whether you like it or not, parents are called to disciple their children.
The Greek word for disciple is mathetes which means learner. We are commanded TO LEARN and TO DO every
single thing that our Rabbi (Jesus) did. It is a lifelong process. According to Mike Breen in his book titled Building
a Discipling Culture, the process of learning takes three forms:
1. Information
Jesus taught the Sermon of the Mount and many parables to His disciples. For us, this learning step takes
place in a classroom setting when teachers impart information and we listen and learn facts and ideas. Is
making disciples as easy as the following equation?
Right information / teaching = Right behaviour = Disciple
Children need to first make a choice to receive the gift of salvation, then the choice to follow Jesus as His
disciples. Can we just tell our children to read the Bible, pray, tithe, be kind, attend church, and tell others about
Jesus? In that, we’re assuming that they can figure it all out themselves by giving them a to-do list to follow.
We can ask them to pray, but we may forget that even Jesus’ own disciples had little clue as to how to pray
rightly although they were close to Him. Thus, information alone has its limits. Hence, it is crucial that our
children are not simply following the motions, but are encouraged to understand why they are doing what they
do in desiring a relationship with Him. It goes from information to becoming a part of them, which in turn would
lead them to the next step.
2. Apprenticeship
In Luke 11, when Jesus was asked by the disciples to teach them how to pray as He prayed, He did not simply
give them another sermon. Instead, He taught them. This probably happened a lot. The disciples saw the life of
Jesus as something they wanted for themselves. Jesus constantly taught and showed His disciples how He
lived; clearly, a high level of apprenticing was going on.
Jesus preached the Good News, healed the sick, cleansed the lepers and drove out demons. Then he sent out
the twelve to do the same – and they were astounded to discover that they were able to do what He did.
“Teaching and Theology were ways of describing reality and then Jesus showed His Disciples how to live in
that reality.” Mike Green
Thus, it is not enough for us to impart information to our children but to show and demonstrate to them every
step in learning how to read the Bible, to pray, to love and forgive, to be humble, to confess, to trust God in
time of adversity, and to give thanks at all times. While you might not be a perfect example, you must
constantly strive to be a living example in their lives. Children learn from how we face our failures by His grace.
Parents should invest their time, energy, skills and lives in their children, teaching them why they do what they
do. Ultimately, be present with your children, so that you may fulfil your role to train them in the way they
should go.
3. Immersion
GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES……
IN YOUR OWN HOME
Amie Chew (Camberwell MC)
Family Column
The disciples were almost always with Jesus. When He retreated to places, the disciples were immersed in a
relationship where Jesus was completely accessible . They learnt big chunks of information from the Sermon of
the Mount and how to develop skills in an apprenticing relationship. But by immersion, they saw how all of
these things connected together to even the smallest things.
As Jesus started his ministry in Capernaum, His reputation grew rapidly. One might say a revival had broken
out in Capernaum. The disciples were probably very excited about His second day as they told Jesus that
“Everybody is looking for you!” Amazingly, Jesus’ response was to “Let us leave and go to other places”. The
disciples might have wondered, “Why and how would He know He was supposed to leave and not stay where
He is currently most wanted and needed?” The answer lies in what He did early in the morning. The scripture
stated that before dawn, He got up and spent time with His Father and then did something contrary to what
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