After starting a church in the San Francisco Bay Area, in 1991 I wrote a thirty week discipleship manual, titled, “Disciplines for Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.”  This proceeded from two scriptural imperatives.  First, the Great Commission is to make disciples, fulfilling the word “teach,” the only imperative in Matthew 28:19-20.  Second, if making disciples is the work of the ministry, a pastor should equip the saints for making disciples in fulfillment of Ephesians 4:11-12.

When I grew up in an independent Baptist church and in fundamentalism, I never heard of discipleship.  I did not remember hearing of it in a fundamental Baptist college.  In learning biblical exegesis, I understood Matthew 28:19-20.  Because of Ephesians 4:11-12, I read some books on discipleship.  The Lord gave the whole church the responsibility, but I believed the best means is one-on-one.

I first took everyone in the church through the thirty weeks.  The goal was for each to reproduce themselves in another spiritual generation.  Over the years, hundreds finished the discipleship.  Almost all who completed it stuck in our church.  People took it elsewhere and made disciples at other churches.  When my wife and I went to Oregon, we started every new believer on the discipleship.  The church continues with them there.

In the last three months, among other things I edited Disciplines for Disciples for printing and publication.  I will send it in for printing in a week and a half.  We are offering it at a pre-publication price of $8 apiece until I send it in.  It is 162 pages, 8 1/2 x 11, two sided, black and white text, colored front and back cover, and spiral bound.  A teacher’s edition, the answer key, will be separate for $25.  The publication price later will be $11-12 each.

If you want it pre-publication in the next week and a half, let me know at this email:  betbapt and then a very common ending @gmail.com.  Get it as a good tool for fulfilling Matthew 28:18-20 and Ephesians 4:11-12.