Have you noticed that some churches are seeing attendance dwindle, while others are having trouble fitting everyone into three services on Sundays?  What is the reason for this?  Could it be that one church has fallen into an “anything goes” mentality, while the other one is practicing the principles of Christian discipleship?  After reading about Jim Putnam’s book, Real Life Discipleship, on the NavPress website, I realized why my church has been so successful in its outreach to the community. 

 

Christian discipleship may mean many different things to different people, depending on who you ask, but after reading Real Life Discipleship I had a much better appreciation for America’s fastest-growing churches.  Jim Putnam has gained experience in this area from his 17-year ministry as pastor of Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho.  He is also a nationally known speaker and author with a strong background in sports.  In his books, he does a great job of instilling the value of good coaching in effective Christian discipleship.  

In Putnam’s eyes, churches can work very much like a professional sports team, with each member playing a part in achieving the church’s mission.  It’s amazing to see what can happen when a small army of believers grows into a larger one, and every person is contributing to the goal of disciple-making.   Even if you’ve read several books on the subject of Christian discipleship, this book will help you discover the most important lesson of all – what the Bible says about effective discipleship.

In addition to the book itself, NavPress also publishes a valuable workbook for leaders who want to employ the principles of the book in their ministries.  This thorough and results-oriented approach is explained by breaking it down into components which allow every member of the church to get involved in the ministry.  The ultimate goal here is to reach others for Christ in an increasingly fallen world.  This book is packed with Biblically sound strategies that help people grow as Christians. It incorporates the story of redemption in a way that calls people to take up the mantle of Christian discipleship. 

According to one review I found on Amazon, if you read one book on Christian discipleship – other than the Bible of course – this should be the book.  Needless to say, I felt fortunate that this is the one my pastor chose for us to read this summer in preparation for ministry training.