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HOW TO DISCIPLE • How to Be Jesus’ Disciple: A Vision for Discipleship

Our culture isn’t exactly friendly to the concept of discipleship. In a culture where
friendships and communication can be said to be cheap, it is no surprise that a The Big Picture
relationship expensive in terms of time, energy, and care is difficult. In order to
Understanding Jesus’ culture
truly understand discipleship, we have to look beyond the current climate of our helps us understand what
culture today. We need to discover the true meaning of discipleship in Jesus’ day in
discipleship truly means.
order to find out what it means for us today.

To understand discipleship, you have to understand the ancient Jewish way of

educating children. For the Jews, education was one of their highest values. It was
the way that they passed on their faith to the next generation. In particular, their
education centered on the study of the Old Testament. In fact, rabbis in Jesus’ day
would argue about how early a child could begin memorizing the Bible. The
Talmud, an ancient Jewish teaching document, states, “Under the age of six we do
not receive a child as a pupil; from six upwards we accept him and stuff him (with
Torah) like an ox.”

Jesus would have started His education at a school called Bet Sefer or House of the
Book, a Jewish equivalent of primary school for those who were 6 to 10 years old.
From the ages of 6 to 10, education focused on one thing: memorizing the Torah—
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. For people in an oral
culture, memorization was much easier. Humans still have this ability today—we
just choose to memorize different subjects, the lines from popular movies and
songs, for example.

At the end of Bet Sefer, only the best of the best students would continue their
education. Those who were the best at memorizing would go on to Bet Talmud or
House of Learning from the ages of 10 to 14. Here, they would focus on memorizing
the rest of the Jewish Scriptures. In fact, there are still Jewish men and women who
do this today.

If you were the best of the best at the end of Bet Talmud, you would present
yourself to a Rabbi and enter Bet Midrash. The students here would be elite
students similar to Ivy League students today. The rabbi would ask you questions to
see if you were really the best of the best. This was extremely important for

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 Resource HOW TO DISCIPLE • How to Be Jesus’ Disciple 2

the rabbi. Rabbis had a particular way of interpreting and teaching of the Scriptures
called their “yoke.” Jesus refers to this in the Gospels when he says, “My yoke is
The Challenge
easy and my burden is light.” In order to spread this yoke, the rabbi would want only We cannot let our
the best disciples. He would ask them questions like, “How many times does the own imperfections and
word well appear in the book of Genesis?” or, “How many times does Habakkuk inadequacies hold us back
reference Deuteronomy 17?” Off the top of their heads, the disciples would recall from following after Jesus.
the memorized words and count them. These were the law school or GMAT
questions of their day.

If the rabbi believed that you had what it takes, he would say the two words in
Hebrew every disciple would want to hear, “Lek Hackeri”—“Come follow me.”

Upon hearing these words, the disciple would leave his family and his village and
follow the rabbi wherever he went. A blessing developed: “May you be covered in
the dust of your rabbi.” The hope is that the disciple would follow behind the rabbi
so closely behind that the dust from the rabbi’s sandals would cover him.

If the rabbi prayed a certain way, then the disciple also prayed that way. If a rabbi
told a certain story, then you learned how to tell the story. If the rabbi ate a certain
way, well, you get the picture.

Now, if you didn’t have what it takes, the rabbi would say: “You know the Torah
well, but you don’t have what it takes. Go back to your village. Go and make babies
and hope they become rabbis. Go and ply your trade.”

How does this system relate to the Scriptures we know? Turn to Matthew 4 and
read about the time when Jesus calls His first two disciples, Peter and Andrew.

Sometimes we can read the Gospels as if they were about another world. We don’t
question them. We just assume instead that this is just the way things work. If we
stop and imagine that the disciples are normal people, it is pretty odd that they drop
their nets and follow Jesus just because He says, “Come follow me.”

But if you understand their system of discipleship, the scene makes a whole lot more
sense. Jesus, as the rabbi, says the two words every Jewish boy would want to hear,
“Lek Hackeri”—“Come follow me.” But, Jesus is not your typical rabbi. Peter and
Andrew aren’t in Bet Midrash. They are plying their trade. They were not the best of
the best of the best. And yet, Jesus still calls them. They follow because a rabbi
thinks they are good enough. The rabbi thinks that they can be like Him.

What does this following by the disciples of Jesus look like in the Gospels? When do
the disciples try to be like Jesus? Turn to Matthew 14 for one example. There, the
disciples encounter a pretty odd sight—Jesus is walking on water. The disciples have
seen a lot of really crazy things, but this one has to be the

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 Resource HOW TO DISCIPLE • How to Be Jesus’ Disciple 3

strangest. Again, the disciples are normal people. What would you think if you were
in a boat and your teacher was walking on water? The disciples’ reaction was sheer
terror (Matthew 14:27).

But Peter’s reaction is much different. He asks, “If it is you, Lord, tell me to come out
on the water.” Why would he do this? If his rabbi is able to walk on water, then
Peter as a disciple can do this too. And sure enough Jesus says, “Come.”

There is an interesting question in the midst of all of this: How old were these
disciples? Usually, we think of them as grown men with beards. We know that Peter
is older because he has a mother-in-law (Matthew 8:14). Jesus also discusses the
temple tax with Peter. Only those 20 and older pay the temple tax, so Peter was
most likely over this age. How old were the other disciples? Jesus worked within a
particular context and culture. As we saw above, disciples were usually called
around the age of 14 or 15. Some rabbis had a lead disciple who was older than the
rest. He helped train the other disciples. If this scenario was the case for disciples, it
would make sense that Peter, as the eldest, would be seen as the leader.

Before we get too carried away, however, stop and think about whom Jesus chooses
to be His disciples, to be people like Him—perhaps, 14 or 15 year old boys on the B
team. They were young men who weren’t the best of the best. And yet, Jesus still
believes in them. He still believes that they can be like Him. He still calls them out on
the water.

All of this background has radical implications for our own discipleship.

First, we are all individually called to be disciples of Jesus. It is easy to shoot holes in
our own character and talents. And yet, Jesus still believes in us. In return, He is
asking for us to trust in Him. Will we drop our nets and follow Him?

Second, it helps us understand what a discipleship relationship is supposed to look

like. For those who disciple others, you don’t have to be the rabbi. Jesus is our rabbi.
You’re not a doctor and they’re not the patients. You aren’t a therapist or a spiritual
director. The disciples are not obedient to you. They are obedient to Jesus Christ and
the Church. You are an older disciple helping other disciples to know how to follow
the rabbi. The discipler lives out St. Paul’s words: "Imitate me as I imitate Christ" (1
Corinthians 11:1). You’re an older brother or sister helping them drop their nets.

Third, discipleship is more than just teaching others, it is a way of life. Our culture is
very much concerned with acquiring skills in order to perform tasks. Skills aren’t
bad, but left on their own, they will not amount to much. More important than skills
is the character we possess and the way we integrate our faith in Jesus Christ into
everything that we do. Pope Benedict XVI once said, “To evangelize means…to teach
the art of living.” Discipleship is not a one-hour lesson once a week. It is sharing our
very selves (1 Thessalonians 2:8).

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 Resource HOW TO DISCIPLE • How to Be Jesus’ Disciple 4

Finally, don’t underestimate the power of discipleship. Jesus was totally dedicated to
For Discussion
these 12 men for 3 years. As a result, 11 of them were willing to spread the Gospel all
over the world. Ten of them died as martyrs. While it is more difficult in our culture, 1. What stood out to you the
most about Jesus’ method
discipleship can nevertheless be even more powerful today because of its radical na-
of discipleship?
ture. Never before has there been such a need to serve as examples for others. Disci-
pleship is crucial to carrying on the faith in our generation. 2. Why do you think that
Jesus didn’t choose the
best of the best?

3. Do you think the idea of

discipleship is difficult in
our culture today? Why?
Why not?

4. What element of
discipleship applies most
to you today?

(Note: This whole concept of Jesus as rabbi isn’t a secret teaching. In fact, Jesus is
called “rabbi,” sometimes translated “teacher,” several times throughout the
Scriptures (for instance, John 20:16; 3:2; 3:26; 6:25). Because we don’t understand the
culture, the meaning throughout the Gospels is lost on us. Much of this article was
inspired by Rob Bell and a chapter called “Dust” in his book Velvet Elvis. For more on
this subject, see the website: www.followtherabbi.com)

End

FOCUS Equip is based on Ephesians 4:12 “for the equipment of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building up the
body of Christ.” These materials seek to equip you for lifelong Catholic mission.
We would love to hear your feedback at: focusequip@focus.org

Copyright © 2011 – FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students)

Do not use or make copies without written permission from FOCUS.
Resource

HOW TO DISCIPLE • The Concept of Spiritual Multiplication

Light the Fire

Sacred Scripture says that our God is a consuming fire (see Hebrews 12:29), and The Big Picture
Jesus Himself said, “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were
The concept of spiritual
already kindled!” (Luke 12:49). The early Church Fathers taught that this passage multiplication is rooted
referred to Christ’s desire to see the fire of divine love ablaze upon the earth.
in Scripture and has
proved to be effective in
St. Dominic, the founder of the Dominicans, was a great evangelist in the thirteenth our world today.
century. When he received his call from God to become an evangelist, he had a
vision of a dog carrying a burning torch in its mouth. As the dog was running
through a dry wheat field, the torch ignited a fire in the field. God told St. Dominic
that he was to be like that dog, igniting fires in the hearts of the people he served.

Making Disciples
As we try to decide the best way to reach the world for Jesus Christ, we should look
to His example. In order to reach the world with His saving message, Jesus came at
a specific time, to a specific nation, to twelve specific men. Even among the twelve,
he focused much of His time on three of His Apostles (Peter, James, and John). Yes,
Jesus preached and healed the masses, but His lasting impact was realized through
His Apostles. Jesus reaches the world through those who follow Him.

So, too, we can see in history that the Apostle John mentored St. Polycarp and St.
Ignatius of Antioch, both bishops and martyrs in the early Church. St. Paul
mentored St. Timothy and St. Titus; some of his instructions to them are found in
the books of the Bible named after these men. In The Second Letter to Timothy, St.
Paul shows us that he taught Timothy about Christ and also taught him how to
teach others about Christ. “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ
Jesus, and what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful
men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). The role of discipleship
is to light the fire of God’s love in our own hearts first and then in the hearts of
those around us. In following St. Paul’s encouragement to teach, but even more, to
teach others how to teach, we desire to raise up a generation of “spiritual
pyromaniacs” who go about setting spiritual fires and teaching others to do the
same.

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Shotguns and Rifles

When you shoot at a target with a shotgun, you will both hit and miss it. After the
The Challenge
pellets leave the barrel of the gun, they spread out rapidly. If you look at your target, We have to have the
you will see that some of the pellets have hit the target and others have gone right patience to know that our
by it. When you shoot a rifle at a target, you also either hit or miss it, but when you investment today in just a
hit the mark, there is no doubt about it. The bullet from the rifle leaves a lasting handful of people can
impact. provide a lifetime of fruit.

In our lives as disciples, we can take one of two strategies: we can try to be
something to everybody or we can try to be everything to somebody. In this article,
we will discuss the concept of “spiritual multiplication.” This effective method of
evangelizing is about leaving a lasting impact on the lives of at least a few close
friends and then encouraging them to do the same with others.

Giving To Versus Giving Through

The old adage “Give a man a fish and you have fed him for a day; teach a man to
fish, and you have fed him for life,” is just the beginning. Imagine if you could also
teach the man how to teach others how to fish. You would then have not just him
but the whole village for a lifetime. With spiritual multiplication, we teach men and
women how to “fish” spiritually and we teach them how to become teachers of
teachers. We pass on the faith and we also pass on the vision and the tools to make
future leaders, who in turn will go out and lead others.

Life in Christ is meant to be shared. Jesus Himself challenges us in the Sermon on the
Mount to pass on the faith to others:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a
lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory
to your Father who is heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

Our salvation in Jesus Christ is the greatest gift imaginable. To the degree that we
recognize what Christ has done in our life, we will want to share Christ’s gift with
others. We never want to impose the faith on anyone. We do want to propose it to
others by sharing what God has done for us and letting them know that God’s grace
is available for anyone who asks for it. A great way to express our gratitude for our
new life in Christ is to share it with those we meet. In this way, we will not only go to
Heaven but also invite others to join us.

Growth by Addition Versus Growth by Multiplication

Imagine that you were given the gift of an evangelist. For the rest of your life, you
would be allowed to bring one million people to faith in Christ every year. One
million new Christians would be added to the Church every year. Each of these
people would live the rest of their lives as committed Christians. However, like many
Christians, each of these converts would never become evangelists themselves.

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Now, imagine that you were given no special gift for evangelization but you were
willing to live the model of “win, build, and send discipleship.” You would simply
invest your life in leading two other people to Christ. Your time would be invested in
efforts such as loving them, praying with and for them, sharing the ordinary aspects
of daily life, sharing the fullness of the faith with them, and equipping them to go
out and do the same for at least two others. “[T]he true apostle is on the lookout for
occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to unbelievers... or to the
faithful” (CCC, 905).

Imagine that after these two, you never reached any other person directly for Christ.
Imagine that you spent an entire year building up these two persons and the
following year, they each followed your example and went out and spent an entire
year investing their lives in the conversion of only two other persons each.

This process of each Christian investing in the lives of two other persons for the
sake of Christ would slowly but surely over the years begin to change the world.

At the end of the first year, the “super evangelist” would have one million converts
to Christianity and you would have only two disciples. At the end of the second year
the super evangelist would have a total of two million converts. And you would have
a total of six, the two people you mentored and the four with whom they had
worked. For several years, it would appear that being a super evangelist was the
only way to go. Eventually, however, an amazing thing would happen. Each year the
group of people committed to discipleship would gain momentum and size. Slowly
at first, but steadily, they would reach more and more people. Each person would
turn to Christ and each would become a “mini evangelist” committed to reaching
two other persons with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! In the nineteenth year, the
discipleship model would actually begin reaching more persons! Exactly 1,048,574
new converts would be added that year. The following year, the “super evangelist”
would reach another one million people but those ordinary Catholics who were
committed to discipleship (the “mini evangelists”) would reach another 2,097,150!
By the twenty-fourth year, the “super evangelist” would have reached 24 million
people, but the discipleship group would have reached over 33 million people! And
all of these Christians would know and live their faith in Christ; all would share it
with others also.

If This Is How Christians Are to Act, Why Doesn’t the Church Do It This Way?
We might wonder why the faith does not grow this way. In a certain sense, we can
say it has and it does. Certainly, in the early Church, “the first disciples burned with
the desire to proclaim Christ: ‘We cannot but speak of what we have seen and
heard’” (CCC, 425; Acts 4:20).

And even today, “The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it,
but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it: ‘All, however, must
be prepared to confess Christ before men and to follow him along the way of the
Cross, amidst the persecutions which the Church never lacks.’ Service of

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and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation: ‘So every one who acknowledges
me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but
whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in
heaven’” (CCC, 1816).

Nevertheless, it seems there are many Catholics who do not even know the faith, let
alone witness to it. We must caution that we should focus on what we can do rather
than on what others do not do. If you have the knowledge and the talent to evangelize,
let the process begin with you. Perhaps that evangelization will take place within the
Church itself to poorly catechized Catholics.

Also, we must be careful to recognize the structure of discipleship within the Church
that must be understood and respected. The Pope works in union with the bishops,
who in turn pastor their individual flocks, which are called dioceses. The bishops serve
the Christians in their dioceses by working in union with their priests, who serve in
local parishes. The priests care for us, and each of us in turn is called to care for our
brothers and sisters in Christ through witness and discipleship.

Lay people also fulfill their prophetic mission by evangelization, “that is, the
proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life.” For lay people, “this
evangelization... acquires a specific property and peculiar efficacy because it is
accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the world” (CCC, 905).

Our own work of evangelization must fit within the apostolic structure of the Church.
“Lay people who are capable and trained may also collaborate in catechetical
formation, in teaching the sacred sciences, and in use of the communications
media” (CCC, 906). We must be well-prepared to evangelize and must submit ourselves
to the Church in doing so, being careful that the Christ we proclaim is indeed the very
Christ proclaimed by the Church.

End

FOCUS Equip is based on Ephesians 4:12 “for the equipment of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building up the
body of Christ.” These materials seek to equip you for lifelong Catholic mission.
We would love to hear your feedback at: focusequip@focus.org

Copyright © 2011 – FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students)

Do not use or make copies without written permission from FOCUS.
Resource

HOW TO DISCIPLE • How to Use the Discipleship Road Map

Have you ever felt lost with God? Not lost in that you are far from Him, but lost in that
The Big Picture
you don’t know what He wants you to do. You have a relationship with Him, you are
The Discipleship
praying daily, you are seeking His will, but you aren’t sure what God wants from you.
Road Map helps you
What is the end goal? What is your next step in life? What pitfalls should you be looking
understand the
to avoid?
vision for rooting
ourselves in Jesus
While Jesus won’t give us specific directions for each step of our lives, He lays out a road
Christ and living out
map for what it means to accept His Word and live it out in the Parable of the Sower.
His mission through
incremental growth.
The Parable of the Sower
The Catechism explains the role of the parables in Jesus’ ministry: “Jesus' invitation to
enter his kingdom comes in the form of parables, a characteristic feature of his teaching.
Through his parables he invites people to the feast of the kingdom, but he also asks for a
radical choice: to gain the kingdom, one must give everything. Words are not enough,
deeds are required. The parables are like mirrors for man: will he be hard soil or good
earth for the word? What use has he made of the talents he has received?” (CCC 546).

Jesus uses the parables to teach us about the kingdom and our role in it. Let’s see what
we can learn from Jesus’ Parable of the Sower:

"Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the
path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground,
where it had not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth
of soil; and when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root it
withered away. Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and
choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and brought
forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a
hundredfold." (Mark 4:3-8)

In this parable, Jesus uses agricultural analogies to tell us about the kingdom. Later in this
chapter, he will go on to explain the parable (Mark 4:14-20): The seed is the word of
God. The birds devouring the seed on the path are the devil. The grass with no depth
that is scorched are those who fall away when tribulation or persecution comes. The
ones among thorns are those who hear the word but are ultimately overcome by the
cares of the world. The seed sown in the good soil are those who hear the word, accept
it, and bear fruit.

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 Resource How to Use the Discipleship Road Map 2

Let’s look at how this can apply to our own lives.

The Discipleship Road Map: An Introduction

In the parable, Jesus reveals His desire for those in the kingdom: that they would avoid
pitfalls and bear fruit. How do we do this? FOCUS has developed a tool based on these
principles to identify stages in the process: the Discipleship Road Map. To begin, go
ahead and read about the different stages on the Discipleship Road Map tool attached
to this article.

What’s with the Trees?

You might notice the trees that accompany the stages on the Discipleship Road Map.
These trees help illustrate Jesus’ agricultural analogies found in the Parable of the
Sower by showing the growth that occurs as we accept God’s word more in our lives
and spread it to others.

In nature, a seed has two distinct jobs when it first begins to grow; likewise, a Christian
has two distinct jobs from the moment he begins his life of faith.

First, when a seed first begins to grow, it sends roots into the ground. These roots
allow the plant to receive nutrients, provide stability as it grows taller, and protect it
from being scorched by the sun, like Jesus talks about.

Just as a plant without roots will die, an evangelist without prayer is lifeless. In Dom
Jean-Baptiste Chautard’s book The Soul of the Apostolate: The Interior life of Grace as
the Key to Saving Souls, he states, “The entire success of the apostolate depends on
one thing: An interior life centered on the Blessed Eucharist.”1 We must continually
seek after a deeper and deeper relationship with God as we evangelize. It is only by
the grace of God that we are able to grow, and only through the Holy Spirit that the
work of evangelization can occur. Developing these roots is crucial in the Beginning
Disciple and Growing Disciple stages, but they remain important in every stage.

Second, when a seed germinates, it seeks to grow up above the ground. Many plants
quickly spread high and wide in order to soak up the sunlight. When they grow strong,
they won’t be choked by the weeds that Jesus talks about in the parable. This growth
also gives them space to bear fruit.

Similarly, as we grow in Christ, we want to prepare ourselves to bear fruit as well.

Jesus’ goal for His disciples is that we would bear much fruit—thirtyfold and sixtyfold
and a hundredfold! When we grow in our love of the Lord, He is also asking us to share
this love more and more with others. In addition, He is asking that we would not only
share the gospel but teach others how to share it as well (2 Timothy 2:2). This is why
the trees not only bear fruit below them, but those new trees will bear fruit as well
(the Spiritual Multiplier stage).

1
J. Chautard, The Soul of the Apostolate (Tan: Rockford, IL., 1946), p. 192.

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 Resource How to Use the Discipleship Road Map 3

There is a beautiful relationship between the roots in the ground and the growth above
ground, between our relationship with God and our evangelization of others. Pope
Paul VI once said, “The person who has been evangelized goes on to evangelize
others” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 24). Pope Francis assures us that the reverse is true as
well: “You will experience that the one who evangelizes is evangelized” (World Youth
Day, 2013). Following Jesus’ analogy and the words of our holy fathers, may we grow
deeper in our relationship with Him as we grow deeper in our outreach to others.

How to Use the Discipleship Road Map

After outlining the different stages of discipleship, a series of questions included with
the Road Map will guide readers through the tool. First, it asks, “Where do you place
yourself right now on the Discipleship Road Map?” and “Why do you place yourself
there?” Second, it asks, “Where do you feel God is calling you to be on the Road Map?
Why?”2 Assuming that someone feels God is calling him to a deeper commitment, the
rest of the questions help him to outline a plan for reaching this stage.

Principles in the Road Map

This line of questioning is fairly straightforward, but it can produce some great results.
These are some principles that will help guide your use of the Discipleship Road Map:

1. God’s Grace
It bears repeating that the Road Map is simply a tool to help someone in his walk
with Jesus; it is not meant to define someone’s entire relationship with God. This is
not a how-to guide for pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps in your walk
with Jesus. While our efforts are needed as well, all growth in the spiritual life
comes from God’s grace.

2. Sharing the Vision of Spiritual Multiplication

The Road Map allows someone to understand the importance of Jesus’ mission
and the work of spiritual multiplication. Often, the mission of FOCUS or the Church
can be reduced to Christian activities: leading a Bible study, helping the poor, or
volunteering for a project, to name a few. The Road Map helps lay out the bigger
picture of what we are called to do and how we get there.

Some have asked, “When do we share the Road Map with others?” The best time
to share it is when someone has made a commitment or recommitment to Jesus
Christ and His Church. Remembering back to the seed analogy, a Christian has two
goals: to be rooted in Jesus and to bear fruit. The Discipleship Road Map reminds
them to grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus and in His mission.

2
Pope Francis asked a similar line of questions during his homily on the Parable of the Sower and Discipleship at the
World Youth Day Vigil in Brazil in 2013. He asked, “Jesus tells us that the seed which fell on the path or on the rocky
ground or among the thorns bore no fruit. What kind of ground are we? What kind of terrain do we want to be? For the
full speech, see: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/speeches/2013/july/documents/papa-
francesco_20130727_gmg-veglia-giovani_en.html. The Discipleship Road Map and use of the Parable of the Sower and
questions were made prior to the pope’s speech.

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 Resource How to Use the Discipleship Road Map 4
The Challenge
3. Self-selection
Don’t make assumptions about others; let them read over the Road Map and The Challenge
determine for themselves where they are and where they want to be. For instance, Be willing to step out and
some who you thought were Disciple Makers might realize that they are only present to others the Church’s
Beginning Disciples and are focused on becoming Growing Disciples. Without vision for evangelization.
knowing this information, you might spend a year investing in these people, only to
discover later that they were not prepared to invest in others. Maybe they met
with you because they didn’t want to let you down, or they didn’t quite understand
your expectations in the first place. The Road Map can help you avoid these
mistakes.

4. Accountability
Remember that the people you are working with are Jesus’ disciples, not yours.
That being said, the Road Map can be a great tool for accountability. Once the
people you are working with identify where they want to be, you can shape your
relationship and conversation in this direction. Your discipleship is now centered
on getting them to the next level in their walk with Jesus Christ and their outreach.
If they initially desired to be a Disciple Maker, but later on don’t take time to
evangelize, you can point to the Road Map and say, “You told me you want to be a
Disciple Maker. A Disciple Maker has a heart for people and is willing to make any
sacrifice for others. Do you think you are doing this right now?” Your main concern
is to help them accomplish their goals; the Road Map keeps you from trying to drag
disciples in directions they don’t want to go. Nothing could be more frustrating.
Once you know where they are in their walk with Jesus, you can adjust your level
of investment.

5. Incremental Growth
For Discussion
The Discipleship Road Map also allows for incremental growth. For someone who is 1. Where would you place
starting off as a Beginning or Growing Disciple, the idea of becoming a Spiritual yourself right now on
Multiplier might be daunting. But the Road Map lays out incremental steps that the Discipleship Road
someone can take to get closer to their goal. At the same time, don’t be afraid to Map? Why do you place
let the Holy Spirit guide that person in a new direction, if that’s where they feel yourself there?
God is calling them.
2. Where do you feel God
The Discipleship Road Map is only a tool, but it can be a highly effective one as we seek is calling you to be on
to follow the Holy Spirit and grow in our own holiness and evangelization efforts. May the Road Map? Why?
God bless you as you seek to do both!
3. What things do you
need to do, change, or
sacrifice to make strides
toward your goal?

4. Do you know anyone

whom you could walk
through the Discipleship
Road Map?
End

FOCUS Equip is based on Ephesians 4:12 “for the equipment of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building
up the body of Christ.” These materials seek to equip you for lifelong Catholic mission.
We would love to hear your feedback at: focusequip@focus.org

Copyright © 2013 – FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students). You are free to make copies for non-commercial use
as along as you attribute the material to FOCUS. For commercial use please contact us.
 DISCIPLESHIP ROAD MAP
Beginning Disciple Growing Disciple Commissioned Disciple Disciple Maker Spiritual Multiplier

NOTE: Each section below describes a stage within discipleship with Jesus Christ. Each section builds on one another.
The overall goal in the Christian life is sanctification; all growth in the Christian life is done through God’s grace.

BEGINNING DISCIPLE • Acts 2:37-38; CCC 1427; CCC 1

• Change of attitude towards Jesus Christ and the Church He established (favorable) (Romans 10:8-10)
• Change of attitude towards sin (unfavorable) (1 John 1:5-9)
• Has made a verbal profession of commitment to Jesus Christ to others (Mark 5:18-20)
• Desires to grow spiritually (Philippians 4:8)
• Has received the sacraments of initiation or has gone to Confession if already a Catholic (Acts 2:37-38)

GROWING DISCIPLE • James 1:19-25; CCC 1694

• Has developed a heart for God that motivates his/her attitudes and actions
• Is willing to make any sacrifices to grow, even change his/her schedule
• Observable changes in attitudes and actions can be seen
• Is committed to chastity, sobriety, and excellence in their state of life.
• Consistent in continually growing in the basic habits of the Christian life, including but not limited to:
• Seeks interior growth through daily prayer with Scripture and spiritual reading (John 1:1-18; Ephesians 6:18)
• Grows in sanctification through the reception of the sacraments (Acts 2:42)
• Builds character through the virtues and the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-16)
• Accepts suffering and uses it to unite him/her to Christ (Colossians 1:24)
• Practices the spiritual and corporal works of mercy (Matthew 25:31-46)
• Is open to the Holy Spirit (John 16:7; 12-13)

COMMISSIONED DISCIPLE • Matthew 28:18-20; CCC 905

• Has decided to answer the call to take part in the mission of the Church
• Is actively striving to win people over to Jesus and His mission, to build them up in small-group Bible studies and to send them
out to spiritually multiply (John 15:8)

DISCIPLE MAKER • 1 Thessalonians 2:8; CCC 1816

• Led someone to commit his/her life to Jesus Christ and His mission and is helping them engage in the work of evangelization,
disciplemaking and friendships through a mentoring relationship (2 Timothy 2:2)
• Has developed a heart for God’s people and is willing to make any sacrifice to help another grow, even change his/her schedule (1
Thessalonians 5:11)
• Makes life decisions (vocation, location, relationships, etc.) based upon how he/she can most effectively fulfill the Great
Commission

SPIRITUAL MULTIPLIER • 2 Timothy 2:2; CCC 3

• Has been the major influence in helping others
become disciple makers (has produced a strong third
generation)
• Has been trained and equipped to go to another location
and remain active in lifelong Catholic mission in which
this process is repeated
• Regular participation in personal prayer and sacramental
life of the Church; Fulfills Vocational commitments;
BEGINNING GROWING COMMISSIONED DISCIPLE SPIRITUAL
Leading a life of evangelization and discipleship through DISCIPLE DISCIPLE DISCIPLE MAKER MULTIPLIER

small groups; Lives an influential life of faith, parish, Mark 4:1-8, CCC 546
community, and workplace
 DISCIPLESHIP ROAD MAP
Beginning Disciple Growing Disciple Commissioned Disciple Disciple Maker Spiritual Multiplier

Where do you place yourself right now on the Discipleship Road Map?

Why do you place yourself there?

Where do you feel God is calling you to be on the Road Map?

Why?

What is it going to take to get there?

What things do you need to do or change or sacrifice to make strides towards your goal?

Are you willing to do these things?

Together with an accountability partner, write down an action plan to get to the next step in the Discipleship Road Map.

GROWING DISCIPLE COMMISSIONED DISCIPLE

1. Has a heart for God 1. Has a heart for people
2. Makes any sacrifice to grow 2. Makes any sacrifice to help another grow

The Discipleship Road Map is adapted from The Fuel and the Flame by Steve Shadrach (Atlanta: Authentic, 2003), p.110-113.
 Resource

HOW TO DISCIPLE • Spiritual Multiplication Depth Chart

Uniting Prayer and Evangelization

The Big Picture

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus sends His twelve apostles two by two to cast out demons and
to heal the sick (5:7-13). They are successful to some extent, until one day they run into a Prayer needs to be
problem: Jesus, Peter, James, and John return from the Transfiguration to hear that some of at the heart of our
Jesus’ disciples are unable to heal a possessed boy. After Jesus casts out the demon, His evangelization.
disciples ask Him, “Why could we not cast it out?” Jesus’ response: “This kind cannot be
driven out by anything but prayer and fasting” (9:28-29).

This was just the first step for the disciples. Eventually, they were given an even bigger task
than casting out demons and healing the sick; they were told to make disciples of all
nations. The task they began almost 2,000 years ago remains the task for the Church and for
us today. It is easy for someone to look at a campus, a parish, or a neighborhood and think,
“How are all of these people going to come to know and love Jesus Christ?”

Ultimately, the task of evangelization must begin with prayer. Pope Francis said,
“Evangelization is done on one’s knees…. Without a constant relationship with God, the
mission becomes a job. The risk of activism, of relying too much on structures, is an ever-
present danger…. And the more the mission calls you to go out to the margins of existence,
let your heart be the more closely united to Christ’s heart, full of mercy and love. Herein lies
the secret of the fruitfulness of a disciple of the Lord!”1

As Pope Francis beautifully notes, prayer is an integral part of evangelization. The more we
seek to evangelize, the more we need to pray! So how do we pray for others in our
evangelization efforts? Let’s look to the apostle Paul for inspiration.

St. Paul, a Model for Prayer and Evangelization

St. Paul preached the gospel to all kinds of cities and peoples in the Roman Empire. As he
spread the gospel, he continued to pray for those he met, but he prayed for each in
different ways according to their needs. In Paul’s letters, he describes the issues these
groups face and the prayers that he offers for them.

First, he prayed for the lost.

There are people who did not grow up with the Faith and who do not know God or Jesus
Christ. St. Paul met a lot of these people; in his Letter to the Romans, he writes, “Brethren,
my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved” (10:1). This should
be our prayer for them as well.
Continued on page 2

1
Pope Francis, Holy Mass with Seminarians, Novices, and Those Discerning Their Vocation. July 7, 2013.
 Resource Spiritual Multiplication Depth Chart: Uniting Prayer and Evangelization 2

Second, he prayed for recent converts.

Paul traveled from city to city, gaining converts and writing them letters to encourage
them. The Corinthians are a great example: They’ve converted, but Paul wants to make
sure they don’t fall back into their old ways. In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul
writes, “I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus….
He will also keep you firm to the end” (1 Corinthians 1:4:7). Paul is thankful and,
through prayer, trusts that they will not fall away.

Third, he prayed for faithful disciples who are working through adversity.
We can see Paul’s encouragement for the Church in Thessalonica, too. They are
disciples of the Lord, living in community and seeking to make disciples. St. Paul prays
for them in this way, “We give thanks to God always for you all, constantly mentioning
you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and
labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:2-
3). Rather than correcting them, Paul prays for their labor of love to spread the gospel.

Fourth, he prayed for his co-laborers, those who are making disciples.
We have two letters from Paul to St. Timothy. In his second letter, Paul writes, “You
then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard
from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach
others also” (2 Timothy 2:1-2). In order to accomplish this task, Paul writes, “I thank
God whom I serve with a clear conscience, as did my fathers, when I remember you
constantly in my prayers.” (2 Timothy 1:3). Paul prays constantly for Timothy to reach
and equip others who will in turn lead others to do the same.

What’s in the Spiritual Multiplication Depth Chart?

Just like Paul, you probably know someone in each of these stages. Paul shows us that
prayer was the heart of his evangelization, and FOCUS has created a tool called the
Spiritual Multiplication Depth Chart to help prayer be the heart of your evangelization
as well.

The Depth Chart contains five different stages so that you can pray for these people in
different ways. These five stages closely match the different groups of people Paul was
praying for. (The Depth Chart is attached to this document.)

Here are the five stages from left to right:

 New Contacts
 Meaningful Contacts
 Beginning/Growing Disciples
 Commissioned Disciples
 Disciple Makers

At the top of the Spiritual Multiplication Depth Chart, you will find the words “Win,
Build, Send” with different phrases underneath. “Win, Build, Send” is a model that
FOCUS uses to reach out to college students on campus. The phrases before each word
are a part of FOCUS’ Main Thing to help describe what each stage of the model looks
like, as well as how to help people in each stage.

Continued on page 3
 Resource Spiritual Multiplication Depth Chart: Uniting Prayer and Evangelization 3

How to Use the Spiritual Multiplication Depth Chart

To get started, divide the people in your life into these stages. Keep in mind that The Challenge
placing people in stages doesn’t define their relationship with God; it merely helps you Pray on a daily basis for the
to pray for them in the best way you know how. It may be self-explanatory, but New people on your Depth Chart.
Contacts are people you meet. You want to pray that you are able to connect with
them again. Meaningful Contacts are people you have seen at least a few times. You
probably know their names and some information about them. The final three stages
match up with the Discipleship Road Map. The biggest difference between a
Meaningful Contact and a Beginning/Growing Disciple is that a Beginning or Growing
Disciple has made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ as the center of his life. Don’t
just assume someone fits in one of these last three stages; if you are able, sit down
with that person and walk him through the Discipleship Road Map. (For more, go to
FOCUSEquip.org and read the article “How to Use the Discipleship Road Map.”)

After you have placed at least five people on the Depth Chart, you will want pray for
them each day during your prayer time. Prayer will be the fuel for any of the
evangelization you will have. Ask God to help them grow deeper in their love of Jesus
and His mission, and to give you guidance as you help them reach their goal. As you
continue praying, people might move into and out of different stages, which you can
track on your Depth Chart.

The Spiritual Multiplication Depth Chart can be used in a number of different ways. It
can be as informal as outlining the chart by hand on a sheet of scrap paper, or you can
use the chart attached to this document. In addition, FOCUS has a program called Acts
2:47 that can help you keep track of your groups online; just go to acts.focus.org to
find out more. (If you are at a FOCUS campus or are working with the Digital Campus,
ask your missionary how you can access this website.)

We hope that the Discipleship Road Map can help you make prayer the heart of your
evangelization. We will be praying for you as you seek to reach people for the gospel.

End

FOCUS Equip is based on Ephesians 4:12 “for the equipment of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building
up the body of Christ.” These materials seek to equip you for lifelong Catholic mission.
We would love to hear your feedback at: focusequip@focus.org

Copyright © 2013 – FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students). You are free to make copies for non-commercial use
as along as you attribute the material to FOCUS. For commercial use please contact us.
 SPIRITUAL MULTIPLICATION DEPTH CHART
WIN BUILD SEND
Inviting college students into a Inspiring and equipping them In which they lead others to do
growing relationship with Jesus for a lifetime of Christ-centered the same.
Christ and His Church. evangelization, discipleship and
friendships.

BEGINNING/ COMMISSIONED DISCIPLE

MEANINGFUL CONTACTS GROWING DISCIPLES MAKERS
DISCIPLES

NEW CONTACTS
Resource

HOW TO DISCIPLE • Come Follow Jesus (with Me)

Inviting Others into Discipleship

The Big Picture

We must be wise stewards of our time, energy, and talents. This is especially true with
discipleship: Jesus preached to the masses, but He also had a group of 70 disciples. Of Discipleship is a huge
those 70, he narrowed the group down to 12 apostles—and even among these 12, He investment in the life of
further narrowed the group down to three: Peter, James, and John. How do we another person. What
determine whom we should invest in? factors determine who
you should disciple?
Prayer
Prayer is our first step in choosing a disciple. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI offers some
valuable insights: “Jesus had to acquire the disciples from God. The same is always true.
We ourselves cannot gather men. We must acquire them by God and for God. All
methods are empty without a foundation of prayer. The word of the announcement
must always be drenched in an intense prayer life.” It is noteworthy that Jesus Himself
prayed all night long before choosing His apostles. A great way to begin this process of
prayer and discernment is to use the Spiritual Multiplication Depth Chart. For more, see
the article, “Spiritual Multiplication Depth Chart: Uniting Prayer and Evangelization” on
FOCUSEquip.org.

Three Determining Factors

Our intellects should also be used in our discernment process. What practical tools can
we use to help us choose someone to disciple? FOCUS uses three methods to help you
(and them) determine whether being in discipleship is a good fit: the Discipleship Road
Map, FACT, and the Big Three.

The Discipleship Road Map

The most important factor for discipling someone is their response to the Discipleship
Road Map. Because this tool is so helpful, we have created a separate article to explain
the vision behind it and how to use it. (Check it out on FOCUSEquip.org under the title
“How to Use the Discipleship Road Map.”)

This Discipleship Road Map lays out the vision for discipleship and spiritual
multiplication. You want to disciple people who are seeking to love Jesus Christ and to
live out His mission. The Discipleship Road Map explains this vision and helps people
identify where they are now and where they want to be. Without this exercise, you
might end up trying to steer parked cars—people who aren’t motivated to evangelize.

Continued on page 2
 Resource Inviting Others into Discipleship 2

Rather, check the Discipleship Road Map to be sure that those you are working with
have a relationship with Jesus and want to live out His mission. The Challenge
Earnestly ask the Lord who
Are They FACT? He is calling you to disciple.
As you are looking for someone in whom you can invest your very life, remember to
look for someone who is FACT: Faithful, Available, Contagious, and Teachable.

Faithful
A faithful individual is someone who believes in the Church and Her teachings. It does
not mean that this person needs to know all of the Church’s teachings; the faithful
person does, however, need to believe that the Catholic Church is the one true Church
established by Christ and to trust in Her teaching authority. In addition to this, a faithful
person is also someone who is faithful to commitments—for example, to attend weekly
Bible study.

Available
In order to live out His mission, someone has to be available to do it. Look for someone
who has (or is willing to make) the time to live out Jesus’ mission. This doesn't always
mean that they cancel all of their other activities or obligations. But, someone must
look to integrate Jesus’ mission into these plans in a meaningful way.

Contagious
In order to draw others to Christ, we need to be able to show the joy of living the
Christian life. Look for someone who has a joyful spirit and can draw others into this
same joy. Keep in mind that your disciple does not need to be an extrovert, but should
have the social graces to effectively reach out to new people. The disciple does not
need to be the coolest person on campus, but they should have a contagious joy that
can actively influence a specific affinity group on campus.

Teachable
As we mentioned before, the person does not need to know all of the Church’s
teachings in order to be asked into discipleship. At the same time, we need to make
sure that those in whom we are investing are open and willing and ready to learn more
about their faith. These individuals must also be willing to be held accountable and
open to the correction.

The Big Three

As FOCUS student missionaries, we ask you to live as examples of moral authority in
the Big Three: chastity, sobriety, and excellence. These are some of the toughest
virtues to acquire on a college campus. By living as examples in these areas, we will be
able to show others what a difference Christ has made in our lives. (For more on these
virtues, see the FOCUS Bible studies titled “Christ-like Leadership for Men” and “Christ-
like Leadership for Women.”)

Chastity
God has made us to love and be loved, and we know that true love always seeks the
good of the other. Unfortunately, because of our fallen nature, this love isn’t always
expressed in the best way. Chastity is nothing more than choosing to love in the right

Continued on page 3
 Resource Inviting Others into Discipleship 3

Sobriety
One of the biggest temptations during college life is the misuse of alcohol. As Catholics, For Discussion
we do not believe that alcohol is evil in itself; at the same time, we know that alcohol is
1. Have you ever used the
often abused and used by those not of legal age. In 1 Peter 5:8, St. Peter tells us: “Be
Discipleship Road Map
sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls like a roaring lion, looking for
before?
someone to devour.” It can be tough enough to make the right decisions when we are
sober; we must therefore not allow ourselves to be weakened by misuse of alcohol or 2. Which aspect of the three
to use alcohol if not of legal age. tools did you find the
hardest to use?
Excellence
So many people in our world today just do enough to get by. St. Paul challenges us to 3. Why is it important to think
do more: “Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men, knowing hard about whom we
that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you are serving the disciple?
Lord Christ” (Col. 3:23-24). By striving for Excellence in all we do, we glorify God and
sanctify our daily living. Our example of excellence can also call others to higher 4. Practically, how will discern
standards. As Pope Benedict XVI said, we are not made for comfort; we are made for who you are going to
greatness. disciple through prayer?

Meeting with Students versus Discipling a Disciple-Maker

Finally, keep in mind that you can meet with students in a number of different ways.
Some of those with whom we meet might be just beginning to explore the Faith and
still need to make a basic commitment to Jesus Christ. We are there to walk alongside
them one on one. At other times, students engaged in their faith might need advice:
Maybe their relationship broke up, or they need help evangelizing others. Maybe they
just want to learn more about the vision behind spiritual multiplication.

On the other hand, some of the students you disciple will be actively evangelizing on
their own or equipping others as disciple-makers. This is an important distinction to
make: You can be working with students at several different levels as you live out the
FOCUS “Win, Build, Send” model. If you have disciples whom you are equipping, you
want to make them your first priority. But even those in formal discipleship will still
need help with continual conversion of their own lives, and those in informal
discipleship can quickly have a conversion and reach out to others.

How to Ask Someone into Discipleship

The Discipleship Road Map is an excellent place to begin a conversation about
discipleship with others, which can in turn help you discern whom to disciple. For more
information on the Discipleship Road Map, see the article “How to Use the Discipleship
Road Map” on FOCUSEquip.org.

End

FOCUS Equip is based on Ephesians 4:12 “for the equipment of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building
up the body of Christ.” These materials seek to equip you for lifelong Catholic mission.
We would love to hear your feedback at: focusequip@focus.org

Copyright © 2013 – FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students). You are free to make copies for non-
commercial use as along as you attribute the material to FOCUS. For commercial use please contact us.