-
I have a pretty accurate internal GPS. That means, when I think I know where I am going, I generally don't look at a map or have a guide (aka - my phone). Of course, that means there are times I have missed turns, gotten lost, and had to seek help (aka - my phone). Discipleship can be that way too. When we think we know where we are going, we don't necessarily seek out help or tools that can guide us. This is unfortunate, because we may just lose our way.
To help others with this problem, I have developed a Discipleship Pathway, that I hope is of help to others. It is merely a tool and not a solution. With that being said, I have a few disclaimers:
1 - Never accept a label in place of a story. In other words, when we are trying to assess ourselves or others, we don't want to "box" anyone into a label. Rather, each person is unique and won't quite fit into the descriptions we may try to give them. This also means, we have to get to know another person, in order to know what they need to grow in their faith life.
2 - This is a conceptual framework and most of us will not fit neatly into any one descriptive area. So, when you are working through this discipleship pathway - understand that any one person could have a spiritual marker in one column, a moral marker in another, and still another in mission. So, we can't just assign someone to a spot and think they will cover all of where they currently are.
3 - We all have to start somewhere. If after examining this pathway, you start to assign yourself further down the chart than you would like to be, don't despair. This isn't a contest. Rather, use it as a launching point to try and grow in your discipleship.
4 - Don't assume that because someone is "involved at church", prays, serves, etc. that they are already an intentional disciple. The difference between a non-disciple and a disciple is intention. Have they said "yes" to the call of Jesus? For more on what make a disciple, click here. So, you should also understand what it takes to evangelize someone, bring them to conversion, and how we make disciples in the first place.
Now, with those disclaimers out of the way, I will give you the Pathway of Discipleship. Some things to point out. First of all, merely being a disciple is not the goal. We want to help others grow in holiness, prayer, virtue, and mission. We ourselves should also have the same goal. So, the point of the pathway is to help conceptualize the vision of a disciple and what the needs are at different stages.
Note - to see a bigger version of the image, right click on it and open in a new tab or download.
I did a webinar with Ave Maria Press, discussing this pathway. You can watch it below. It spells out a lot more details and answers a lot of questions you may have.