When we talk about the 5 different stages of spiritual growth in a disciple as found in the Discipleship Wheel, we use terms that correlate with basic physical stages of growth. The 5 stages are Dead – Infant – Child – Young Adult – Parent. When we are looking at spiritual growth, the difference between the last two stages, Young Adult and Parent, can be hard to discern. Like their physical counterpart, spiritual Young Adult looks very similar to a Parent. This can make it tough to determine when to “push them out of the nest” or release them to serve as disciple makers.
There are certain attributes or actions that are present in the spiritual Parent that aren’t seen consistently in the spiritual Young Adult. Identifying the presence or absence of these attributes in the people you are discipling can help you discern their next step.
There are certain attributes or actions that are present in the spiritual Parent that aren't seen consistently in the spiritual Young Adult. #discipleship Share on XRead through the following descriptions of two different disciples – see if you can determine their growth stage:
Brad has been through and led many Bible studies since he became a Christian. Over the past few years – he has read his Bible from cover to cover repeatedly, and developed the ability to defend and explain his faith very effectively. He loves to study and discuss God’s word. He has a vast library of study resources to draw from and share with others. He is the person people go to when they have Bible questions, knowing he will have the answer. He is kind, humble, and enjoys his special ministry of explaining Scriptures to others.
Sarah has been growing so much spiritually since she joined a small group. She is a first-generation Christian, and has been intentionally invested in by her leader. In the past month, she has begun to realize that Christ’s mission is being hindered by people not making disciples. She enjoys serving at church in the 3 year olds class, but she realizes that if she is isn’t making disciples, she isn’t completing the work God has given her.
What comes to your mind as you read through these descriptions? Do you think you could identify Brad and Sarah’s spiritual growth stage from such a small amount of information?
From reading these descriptions, it appears to me that Sarah is entering into the Parent stage of her discipleship journey, while Brad is still in the Young Adult stage. Too often people think that Bible knowledge alone is the best predictor of spiritual growth. However, knowing all about the Bible but doing little to intentionally make disciples is not a characteristic of a spiritual parent.
There is a reason we use the term spiritual parent rather than spiritual adult. The ability to reproduce and raise up disciples is one of the primary indicators of a spiritual parent.
There is a reason we use the term spiritual parent rather than spiritual adult. The ability to reproduce and raise up disciples is one of the primary indicators of a spiritual parent. #discipleship Share on XA disciple who is ready to become a spiritual parent demonstrates the characteristics below:
- He is ready and capable to reproduce disciples who can disciple others.
- He believes service to others is a vital part of a disciples growth
- He understands what it means to be intentional
- He sees that ministry is best done by a team
- He sees the greater mission to the world
- He has dependable relationships to support himself as he is making disciples
- He has an experience-based understanding of the stages of spiritual growth
You can read more on this topic in the Real Life Discipleship Training Manual
You may also be interested in the following posts:
The Process Of Disciple Making – The Discipleship Wheel (Free Resource!)
3 Keys To Becoming An Intentional Disciple Maker
The 5 Stages Of Growth Of A Disciple (Free Resource Download)
