Discipleship is the foundation of all successful ministry. Most people would agree with that. Jesus himself seemed to make that point in John 15. His teaching on the vine and the branches is not only about our growth but also about bearing fruit. The combination results in missional discipleship…

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:1-5)

Connected to the vine

Let’s look at that relationship in a bit more depth. Why do we need it? How does it work? What difference does our connection with God make in the kind and quality of the fruit we produce? Discipleship is often interpreted as helping Christians become better – often more knowledgeable – Christians. But that definition lacks the relational component – being personally connected to Jesus – as well as pouring out our lives in service of God and others. All that we do flows out of our own connection and intimacy with God. Without that, the tasks we perform are hollow, and the fruit we bear (if any) will not be of good quality. Spiritual formation leads to missional engagement. If it does not, the formation is defective.

And bearing fruit

So what do we need to do instead? How can we remain connected to the vine? We need to nurture our relationship with Jesus, drawing our strength, energy, and sustenance from him. We also need to engage not just in teaching Christians to become better Christians, but in actually making disciples. That means making new disciples, not just trying to improve existing ones. And it means encouraging and empowering those new disciples to go and make more disciples. This is what will make our connection to the vine strong and our fruit ripe and flourishing.

Intentional Missional Discipleship

Reflect on this. How could this be a game-changer for you and for your ministry in 2021? What could you or your leaders do in order to make missional disciplemaking foundational in your context? What could you do to promote spiritual formation that truly leads to missional engagement? Return to the foundation of what is really important: connection to the vine and the fruit that grows out it.

Upcoming Fuller DMin: Leading for Healthy Growth

This Doctor of Ministry cohort at Fuller Seminary is focused on a vision for healthy growth. It has been designed for pastors who are leading existing churches and for planters who are starting new churches.

Especially during these challenging times, it’s important that we zero in on the essentials. The program focuses on missional discipleship, transformational leadership, and fruitful ministry. Together, these components create a simple ministry flow that results in healthy ministry growth, flourishing churches, and communities reached with the gospel. We’ve put together a cohort that helps you live into each of these areas in turn. If you’d like more information on the cohort, you can find it here.