Discipling in a Busy Season

I am a wife and a mother of four with an unquenchable passion for generational disciplemaking. God is my priority, followed by my husband and children, yet I hear the call to make disciples every day.

My journey with Christ began when I met The Navigators at West Virginia University. At a summer “Equipping Institute” a few years later, we were looking up verses on various topics to share them with others. It soon dawned on me that all I learned from God’s Word was to be applied to my life and passed on to others for their spiritual growth! I caught the vision for making disciples and received the call on my life for generational disciplemaking.

I entered the workforce as physical therapist and married. God blessed us with four wonderful children. God also blessed me with patients, co-workers, and women in the church who came to Christ, and I was able to disciple some of them. I noticed that disciplemaking was not demonstrated or promoted in any church I attended, yet my passion for disciplemaking continued.

In God’s sovereignty, many years later in my church in Florida, I met some local NCM staff. Brian was actively introducing discipleship to our pastor, elders, and other men. While, his wife Debi, was developing coaching for The Navigators. Joy filled my heart as I realized that disciplemaking was becoming the culture in my church!

Yet though the men had already been growing in discipleship and disciplemaking for several years, no one was helping the women. I spoke with my pastor and he encouraged me to move forward. Soon Debi and I were co-leading the A Woman’s Journey of Discipleship on Wednesday evenings. One of the women went on to disciple three others. Then Debi and I offered The 2:7 Series® with a faithful group of five. All was well until one of my children began a struggle that required me to spend many hours helping her with homework in the evenings.

God gave me a vision for a pathway for discipleship that could meet Sunday mornings. I envisioned a room filled with round tables, with multiple small groups of five or fewer discussing God’s Word together on Sunday mornings. We would offer Growing in Christ for younger believers, The 2:7 Series for equipping disciplemakers, and The Ways of the Alongsider for more advanced disciplemakers. Our church leaders were all for it, and Discipleship Discovery was launched! I could prepare during the week and meet on Sundays while my family was at church. I would connect further with the women through weekly texts and emails and meet individually or call occasionally.

God has blessed this discipleship ministry. Two of the women in my first group went on to facilitate another small group. Many have been equipped to disciple others before going on the mission field, moving, returning to work full time, or before military deployment. Now when our pastor knows of a new believer he sends her to one of us. We are considering how we can help people who come to Christ through our food pantry ministry.

The time I spend preparing lessons helps me grow personally as a disciple and as a disciplemaker of my children. My children have a heart for the lost and they reach out to newcomers at church and to friends in school. They take Scripture memory seriously. They love God’s Word and faithfully study it. One night I practiced the Bridge™ Illustration with my youngest to present to my group. Sarah came to fully grasp the gospel message and received Christ as her Savior that night!

Though my time for ministry is limited during this busy season of life, God has given me the desires of my heart and allowed me to play a role in generational disciplemaking. And in His goodness, He has even used this ministry to help me and my children grow as disciples.