(By Jim Putin) In recent years, “discipleship” has become the new buzzword. As a result, we’ve seen churches begin to make a shift toward helping people grow up spiritually and utilize the best means to that end. Leaders have begun to recognize that disciple-making involves spending time with the person being discipled outside of a church service. Many have accepted the fact that people learn best in a small group where they can ask questions and get one-on-one attention.
Although leaders now accept that discipleship happens best in relational small groups, something is still seriously missing. Some are using relationship merely as a means to transfer information. They have simply exchanged platforms and are now teaching from a living room rather than a pulpit. They are still aiming for the goal of knowledge alone. Spiritual maturity is much more than simply knowing the right information and learning to follow the rules, or even learning to use your gifts for the purposes of God. If we don’t understand what true maturity is, then our discipleship will still be incomplete. CONTINUE
