Bobby Harrington – författare

Question: What is the God-given purpose of the local church? Answer: Relational discipleship. DiscipleShift walks you through five key "shifts" that churches must make to refocus on the fundamental biblical mission of discipleship. These intentional changes will attract the world and empower your church members to be salt and light in their communities.Over the last thirty years, many influential church leaders and church planters in America have adopted various models for reaching unchurched people. While many of these approaches have merit, something is still missing, something even more fundamental to the mission of the church: discipleship.Making disciples—helping people to trust and follow Jesus—is the church's God-given mandate. Devoted disciples attract people outside the church because of the change others see in their Christ-like lives. And discipleship empowers Christians to be more like Christ as they intentionally develop relationships with non-believers.Through biblical and professional insights, Jim Putman and Bobby Harrington discuss the transformational effectiveness of making disciples and just how to do so, in practical terms. You’ll learn:The specific roles of a disciple-making pastor.The components of person-to-person discipleship.How each ministry in your church leads to discipleship.How to implement discipleship in your church.Disciple-making leaders will not produce perfect churches, but they will create effective churches.

In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded his followers to go into the world and make disciples, teaching them to obey all that Jesus had said.  But the very first “great commission” was really given much earlier—to parents.  In Deuteronomy 6, God calls parents to the task of discipleship in raising their children.  Discipleship is the greatest test for the Christian family today.  In today’s busy world, many parents feel overwhelmed and aren’t sure what to do—or even where to begin.  In Dedicated, Jason Houser is joined by Bobby Harrington and his son Chad, as they unpack the simple, practical, and essential practices of spiritually parenting and discipling children in the home.  An inspirational training manual to equip parents, Dedicated will empower parents to pass along their faith to the next generation.

For far too long, the church has tried to make disciples using a one-size-fits-all approach. Some churches advocate 1-on-1 discipling, others try getting everyone into a small group, while still others training through mission trips or service projects. Yet others focus all their efforts on attracting people to a large group gathering to hear biblical teaching and preaching. But does one size really fit everyone?Based on careful biblical study and years of experience making disciples in the local church, Bobby Harrington and Alex Absalom have identified five key relationships where discipleship happens in our lives. In each relational context we need to understand how discipleship occurs and we need to set appropriate expectations for each context.Discipleship That Fits shows you the five key ways discipleship occurs. It looks at how Jesus made disciples and how disciples were formed in the early church. Each of the contexts is necessary at different times and in different ways as a person grows toward maturity in Christ:Public Relationships: The church gathering corporately for worshipSocial Relationships: Networks of smaller relationships where we engage in mission and live out our faith in communityPersonal Relationships: Small groups of six to sixteen people where we challenge and encourage one another on a regular basisTransparent Relationships: Close relationships of three to four where we share intimate details of our lives for accountabilityThe Divine Relationship: Our relationship with Jesus Christ where we grow through the empowering presence of the Holy SpiritFilled with examples and stories, Alex and Bobby show you how to develop discipleship practices in each relational context by sharing how Jesus did it, how the early church practiced it, and how churches are discipling people today.

Many people believe that discipleship is important, but they need help. In fact, the vast majority of Christians report that they have never been personally discipled by a more mature follower of Jesus. Is it any wonder that they have a difficult time knowing how to disciple others?If making disciples of Jesus is the greatest cause on earth, how should we equip people to do it? This handbook is a practical guide for how to embrace the discipleship lifestyle – being a disciple of Jesus and how to make other disciples of Jesus. With contributions from pastors and teachers like Francis Chan, Jeff Vanderstelt, Bill Hull, Jim Putman, KP Yohannan, and Robert Coleman, the authors present seven elements that are necessary for disciple making to occur:Jesus—the original disciple maker and centerpiece of discipleship.Holy Spirit—fuels the disciple-making process.Intentionality—making disciples utilizing a strategy and a roadmap.Relationships—creating a loving, genuine connection with others who trust and follow Jesus.Bible—using the Word of God as the manual for making disciples.Journey—forging a traceable growth story from a new birth to spiritual parenthood.Multiply—reproducing the discipleship process so that the disciple becomes a disciple maker.Whether you are a parent who wants to disciple your children, a small group leader who wants to disciple those in your group, or a church leader who wants to disciple future leaders, the seven key elements in this handbook form a framework for understanding discipleship that can be applied in countless situations. In addition, there are questions provided in each section to help you think through how to apply the material to your disciple making efforts.