How to Make Disciple Makers: A Book Review on The Master Plan of Evangelism
The Master Plan of Evangelism was published back in 1963. What is now considered a Christian classic first began as a seminary class on evangelism sixty years ago. At that time, Dr. Coleman was just starting out and couldn’t find a lot of material on the subject, but he did have his Bible.
Overview
By watching the Master Evangelist, Christ himself, walk through the pages of the gospels, he took note of how He reached the world with the gospel. Interestingly, though Jesus did speak to the crowds throughout His ministry, His methods actually centered around a small band of faithful disciples. This runs contrary to our understanding of evangelism as sold-out stadiums and crusades.
To be clear, there is nothing wrong with that, for He certainly used those. But the most effective means of evangelism is through personal discipleship. Coleman outlines eight strategic means of reaching people in the book:
Selection: Focusing on a few and investing deeply in them.
Association: Doing life together with these few, intentionally pouring His truth into them as you go through life together.
Consecration: Calling them to not just Christian behavior but to a dedicated, all-out relationship with God Himself.
Impartation: In reliance on the Spirit, living a life of giving away truth even if it means dying to self in the process.
Demonstration: Following the example of Christ yourself and showing them how to do the same in their lives.
Delegation: Sending out your disciples with practical work assignments to do in their own life, out of dedication to Christ and in full dependence on Him.
Supervision: Debriefing their work assignments and guiding them in their journey, imparting still more, calling them to deeper commitment to God, reorienting if they go astray and reminding if they forget.
Reproduction: Training and helping those we disciple to embrace Christ’s mission for reaching the world and making more disciples, joining in the mission themselves.
How This Book Impacted My Life
I have applied these principles in a few different ways—in a floundering college fellowship, when starting a women’s small group/teaching ministry, and at home with my own children. These eight principles have helped me to focus on not just programs but people’s hearts—and that has made a lot of difference.
The most challenging principle, I think, is the last one: reproduction. As disciple-makers, our goal is not merely to make a disciple. But if that disciple does not have the heart to replicate more disciples, their faith will die with them.
Training disciples is important. But training disciples to train others is what is going to keep a ministry growing and thriving, even when the leaders move on. For campus ministry, this is critical because there is a constant turnover every four years.
Now, this has become a key consideration in ministry for us. How do we not only train up disciples but train up disciples who can replicate this process even if we leave?
No matter my intentions, any ministry I start will have a shelf life because I have a shelf life. I might get sick, the Lord might move me into another ministry, or a myriad of other reasons might lead me away from this job.
If a ministry lives or dies because of me, then something is wrong. Even Jesus left His earthly ministry—but His is not only continuing, it is exploding in some parts of the world. That’s the kind of ministry I want!
This is true not only for those who are working on the front lines on mission fields or vocational ministries but also in the smaller fields of home. As a parent, I remember being challenged to apply these very same principles with my own kids. Though not a traditional mission field, they are still unsaved and need to hear the Gospel when they first come to me.
Using the strategy in this book and applying it to my children has refocused my purposes as a parent. God has blessed me with these particular children. My work is to invest in them and get to know them, to faithfully share the Gospel with them, and to equip those that respond to use their gifts and talents to serve Him and make more disciples wherever they go.
Conclusion
Ultimately, this book has made me strongly aware that discipleship is not about getting more notches in my belt. It is about identifying the potential people around me and investing my life into their growth and maturity in Christ so they can go out and make more disciples.
Or perhaps more precisely—make more disciple-makers.
Every person I counsel, disciple, teach, or train has a circle of influence. With that in mind, I ask two levels of questions: How will this help this person? And then: how will this help this person help someone else? How can I help them give it away?
This vision has propelled me over the years in all that I do. Every person we encounter is not just an individual but someone God will one day use. This is what makes ministry so exciting! You never know where God will take the person you are working with.
So at this point in history, we have the opportunity to do the same. Will I take up the baton and run the race in my time? Will you?
It is hard work. Sometimes there are no rewards or fruit. But that is not what Jesus commanded us to do.
He calls us simply to labor faithfully to make more disciples. He will see to the harvest.
And one day, we will. People from every tribe, nation, and tongue will gather. And some of them may be there because you have been faithful to obey His call.
