Growing Up: How to Be a Disciple Who Makes Disciples

Last fall I discovered Growing Up: How to Be a Disciple Who Makes Disciples, written by Robby Gallaty. Gallaty reminds local church pastors and Sunday school teachers of the essential goal of our ministries, the goal established by our Lord, before his ascension. We preach and teach ultimately to make disciples, who make disciples. I have been teaching Christian education courses at a Christian university and seminary for 8 years, after serving as a missionary in France for 12 years. Throughout this time, I did not conscientiously correlate Christian education with discipleship. Gallaty has reminded me, with his book Growing Up, that the mandate for Christian education is to make disciple-making disciples (Matt. 28:18-20). I, therefore, have chosen Gallaty’s book for a seminary Christian Education course, “Teaching for Discipleship,” that I am teaching this spring. As Christian educators and pastors, the end of our ministries is not to teach and preach. The end of our ministries must be to make disciples, who make disciples. As teachers and preachers, Gallaty challenges us in Growing Up to recognize that our roles as teachers and preachers must vacillate between being an authority and being a guide and a facilitator in a classroom or Bible study. He also challenges us to remember that our teaching methodologies must be adapted in order to avoid rendering our learners as passive disciples and to see them as active participants in the teaching-learning process. In fact, they need to share in the teaching responsibility while being discipled. Gallaty argues that discipleship best occurs in “D-Groups,” small (3-5 people), closed, and gender-specific groups for the purpose of discipleship and not evangelism. The members in these groups experience intimate accountability and receive a model that is easy to replicate, when they make disciples. Multiplication, the goal of discipleship, occurs more easily. Gallaty provides the necessary steps for disciple making. He walks the reader through the process of teaching Christians how to pray, to interpret God’s Word, to follow Christ as Lord, to meditate on Scripture, to witness to the unsaved, to develop the discipline of Bible study, and to disciple other Christians in these disciplines. As a local church pastor, Gallaty practices what he preaches. He does not limit himself to the exposition of God’s Word through Sunday sermons. He follows his Master, who also discipled people in smaller groups. Gallaty’s goal is not to increase the number of Sunday morning sermon listeners. His goal is to replicate himself in the lives of other disciple-makers, who go out from the local church to make other disciple-making disciples. If this is your goal as a Christian educator or local church pastor, you will not regret purchasing Growing Up to learn how to serve Christ in obedience to his Great Commission. Everything that we are doing as teachers and preachers of God’s word--sermons, Bible studies, and discipleship groups--is done in obedience to Christ’s final command to make disciples, who make disciples.

This is a wonderful study to do with a small group of people

"Growing Up" is a difference maker to both the experienced Disciple of Christ who wants to disciples other sand the new follower of Christ that desires to become a Disciple. The book is not Dr. Gallaty's thoughts but rather models the Great Commission mandate "to go and make disciples." God has chosen us to complete his mission. He gives the increase but we are his ambassadors. I do not understand why he would choose us but his choice is clear and his command is even clearer. We must make disciples. Dr. Gallaty defines the task and plots a course that is crystal clear in all respects. "Growing Up" lays out the plan in a way that I have never seen done before. It is brilliant, refreshing, and doable. I have read the book twice and starting a third time. It is deeply challenging and I have learned much from reading it and using my Bible. Let me quickly give honor and glory to God for how he has worked in Dr. Gallaty's life. He is not a person that is simply writing from theory. He is a product of discipleship. It is what he is when you talk to him. He lives, teaches, models, and disciples others. He is the real thing and gives all credit and glory to his Lord. I deeply respect the man and his passion for seeing the Great Commission fulfilled to make disciples of all peoples. I look forward to using the material in my next D-group. I think you will find it practical, useful, Biblical, and very useable for your disciple groups too.

I would recommend this book to beginners who don't have a clear idea of what discipleship is or why it is important. Robby is so clear in the book, even a middle or high school student could understand the material. You never move past the basics though, so, at any age it is a great resource for Christians who have not been discipled yet or are hesitant to start their own disciple-making group. The appendices in the book are an added bonus, too!

I haven’t read much of anything until I searched for discipleship books. This one jumped out at me. I read it through in a week. It jump started my daily scripture reading and journaling. Once a lost and struggling Christian I now see a clearer picture of my purpose and calling. I am now in the process of re-reading and taking notes for the purpose of implementing a discipling process in my church.

In Growing Up, Robby Gallaty strikes the perfect balance between theological, biblical, academic, simplistic, and yet extremely practical. Whether a seasoned disciple-maker or brand new to the game, Gallaty provides a great resource for leaders of all types to use. Gallaty not only provides sound biblical guidance on disciple-making, but he does so in a very culturally relevant way, giving wonderful illustrations and biblical principles. Disciple-making is obviously the overwhelming theme of the book, but Gallaty also provides the reader with an extremely useful method for H.E.A.Ring the Lord in personal quiet time. Using information from his other book, "Creating an Atmosphere to HEAR God Speak," Galltay outlines how to journal, pray, and dive deeper into the Word. Although this book can be used in a discipleship program at your church or ministry, it's also very relevant for the new, stagnant, or mature Christian for practical ways to journal and grow deeper in understanding Scripture. Keeping the main thing the "main thing," Gallaty provides easy avenues for your discipleship programs to stay focused on the Word of God more than anything else. Whether you are just starting out in discipleship or have been discipling people your entire life, I strongly recommend that you use this very practical book to help guide your disciples in a closer walk with the Lord.

One of the greatest book on discipleship that I have ever read in my life, i have been so blessed reading this excellent piece of work

basics

Must read, I wish I read this when I first became a believer. Generations will benefit from this book. Will definitely implement from this point forward.