I don’t know why we use this word. It’s old and outdated and no one really understands what it means.

I’ve heard this sentiment expressed numerous times about the word “discipleship”. Even though every denomination names it as THE priority, whether I’ve been with people on a parish away day working out how to make it central to their life, or writing materials for churches to use, or discussing with church leaders…confusion and disagreement reign.

It’s God’s church, and He provides the growth!

Yet I am convinced that being and making disciples is the one thing – the only thing - that Jesus calls us to. We don’t have to grow the church – it’s God’s church, and He provides the growth. We don’t have to do God’s mission for Him – we just join in with Him. But our great commission is to go and make disciples of Christ. If we start there, everything else follows. Disciples serve, grow, love, pray, and seek God’s kingdom. The best way to see the church and Kingdom grow is…to grow people.

Our great commission is to go and make disciples of Christ.

Being and making disciples can often seem hard to do, and counter-intuitive to church communities which have so many activities to maintain. Discipleship: Start this Way and Discipleship: Walk this Way are my attempt to offer a clear way through any confusion about discipleship, to demystify it, and provide a guide to what difference it makes for an ordinary Christian to live as a disciple. To help people, and churches, we need to put making disciples at the core of our existence.

I am delighted that Mark Carey, a disciple-maker I have huge respect for, read the books and summarized them like this, ‘Over many years I have longed for a practical, simple, authentic and inspirational book relating to ordinary discipleship. This is it.’

How did these books emerge? In my role in the Diocese of Birmingham I was able (during lockdown) to write a comprehensive series of resources to help grow disciples. To do this, I researched over forty existing resources and asked over 100 people what they thought was essential. My big question was this: Most people, whether they call themselves Christians or not, live pretty much the same lives as anyone else on the planet. We all eat, sleep, work, watch TV, see our friends, go shopping… So how does being an ordinary disciple feel any different? How do we understand what it means to be a disciple, but more importantly what it means in our lived experience?

After 18 months I had over 110 group sessions and a lot of content. I put it all together, sent it to a Christian literary agent, and asked whether it might become a book.

His answer was, “No.”

“Go back to a blank sheet of paper,” he said, “and write the book you want to read.”

I wrote the books I would want to give to ordinary Christian disciples

So, drawing on that material, I wrote the books I would want to give to ordinary Christian disciples. The kind of books you might give to people who were confused about what this amazing life means, or to people who wanted to know how to start, or to church leaders who had done one course with people but were asking “What next?” A simple framework developed – the first looking at how discipleship begins – its heart, foundations and daily attitude – and the second at how it is lived – its lifestyle, character and aim.

I AM CONVINCED...

... that making ordinary disciples is our main life calling.

I hope these books will inspire and resource everyday Christians to follow Jesus, and lead others to follow Him, with confidence and joy.

ABOUT GUY

Revd Guy Donegan-Cross is currently Enabler of Learning for Discipleship and Mission for Church of England Birmingham, where he has responsibility for resourcing a culture of discipleship across a hugely diverse area. He has engaged in parish ministry in four different contexts, most recently leading St Mark’s, Harrogate. He is chair of the Simeon’s patronage trust, with responsibility for the patronage of 180 livings across England. He is passionate about discipleship, the relationship between charismatic and contemplative spirituality, and political and environmental concerns. He loves amateur dramatics, improvisation, live music, novels, walking, jazz, and his Norfolk Terrier Bess.

Discipleship: Start this Way and Discipleship: Walk this Way are available to order now at brfonline.org.uk/guy-donegan-cross or click the images below.