Letter four of five in FIRST things FIRST focuses on Situational Discipleship. Every person is different and should be treated individually when it comes to learning and growing in Christ. One set pattern of discipleship will never work for everyone. It takes a situational approach that is geared toward the individual for discipleship to be most effective.
For example, some people learn best in a download environment. In other words they prefer to sit and listen to teaching as a method of learning. Others need discussion environments. They learn best when they are able to interact with one another through healthy dialogue. Still others prefer one on one conversations in order to grow and develop. They may learn best by conversing with a friend or mentor over a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
That’s why there is not one correct approach to discipleship. More importantly, discipleship is not just limited to teaching. Most people learn better by what they see and experience rather than what they simply hear taught. I guess you could say discipleship is more often caught than taught. It’s caught through observation and made real through personal experience.
That’s why an effective discipleship process must be situational. Simply forcing everyone to attend the same new believers class or small group does not work for everyone. It’s much easier than taking an individual approach, but in the long run it is far less effective. Discipleship must be more of a process and less of a program. It must be focused on each specific person rather than a generic audience. Truly effective discipleship must be SITUATIONAL!
