This is a guest post by Don Bennett. He has spent the past 12 years serving as a Pastor in different roles. Currently he serves as an Associate Pastor at the Meeting House (Oakville – Main Site), a Multi Site Church throughout Southern Ontario. His passion is to invest in people and engage in conversation.

One key thing I have learnt in my time in ministry is the importance for an evangelist to always have a discipleship pathway in mind for anyone they are connecting with. This comes from my journey as well. I Responded to a great gospel message on Good Friday 1992 and was on a high. The Pastor handed me a bible and affirmed my decision. After reading from page one for a few days I quickly realized I had no idea about what to do with this book and the stories I was reading. How does any of this relate to a decision to stand up and receive Jesus? I went on to listen to the teaching, sing in worship services, but not know what to do next. Then I stumbled away for years until I hit rock bottom and reached out to ask questions.

After thirteen years of full time ministry I have seen how good evangelistic tools can be thwarted by not knowing what to lead a person towards.

David Kinnaman in the book unChristian wrote

“Most people in America, when they are exposed to the Christian faith, are not being transformed. They take one step into the door, and the journey ends. They are not being allowed, encouraged, or equipped to love or to think like Christ. Yet in many ways a focus on spiritual formation fits what a new generation is really seeking. Transformation is aprocess, a journey, not a one-time decision.”

I have read very often the arguments surrounding the Great Commission and how Pastors and Teachers have said “it says make disciples and not converts” and while it is true, perhaps it’s a bad argument to make to an evangelist, who is stewarding their gift to lead people to Jesus and then to a place (church or small group) to carry that forward into a discipleship pathway.

What are we leading people into, rather simply towards? That is a statement both an evangelist and Pastors need to wrestle with. This is a partnership and a gift stewardship model. It is an image of the entire body functioning as one.

In my journey I have worn the hat of both the evangelist and a Pastor. I love people and my concern is the decline in assimilating new people who come tofaith into a body where they can receive the discipleship they need to grow in this new faith and ask the questions that they have on next steps without fear or anxiety of the significance of their questions.

What are your best ideas in leading people into discipleship? Please share in the comments!