Making disciples (pdf) An ebook by Jon Swanson
From the Introduction
I have a friend who is building a network of people. Rather than delegating, he wants to end up with lots of people who share his values about his field. As I talked with him, I realized that he could learn from the way Jesus did the same thing. Jesus wasn’t building a structure, wasn’t creating an institution. He wanted more than that.
He was working closely with a handful of guys. Just a dozen. When he graduated them, he wanted them to do with others what he had done with them.
These followers are called disciples. A disciple, for our purposes, is a person who chooses to allow the life and teaching of someone to shape his/her own life. People shaped by life-changing relationships.
Apprentice is one of our best words for this, a person working with a master craftsman.
This book is for people who are
1. wanting to grow a movement by making disciples, and
2. willing to consider Jesus as a model.
We’re going to look at ten principles we can observe from Jesus.
Making disciples (pdf) An ebook by Jon Swanson
Thanks for stopping by. I used to write here. But I don't anymore. 
Levite Chronicles 
Pingback: Seth Godin said I had to ship. So I am. « Levite Chronicles
Jon:
I agree with the bulk of what you lay out in “Making Disciples.” Intentionally differentiating between one’s disciples and fans should guide every leader’s strategy and actions.
One way you define disciples is that “they loved his [the leader’s] worldview.” I do not think the disciples loved his world view, because they did not understand it (to your Point #1). Rather, they intensely desired his worldview; to enjoy life the way he did, to love the way he did, to impact others the way he did.
Disciples truly are the fruit of the leader. If the leader is strong enough, engaged enough and intentional enough, then he will teach and release, correct and continue, answer and question, build up and step back.
A weak leader gathers fans and followers, directs and dissembles, and fails to replicate. No fruit.
Excellent final point on who gets the attention.
An edit suggestion:
– In the summary list of 10, change #5 to begin with a verb like the others listed, perhaps “Discipline to show your love”
Your delivery was received. Thanks for shipping it.
Jon, thanks for this. I appreciate most that you didn’t oversimplify or make it sound easy.
Curtis. thanks for your generous feedback. I’ll think about the worldview. They were certainly absorbing it. And I wonder if they discovered they loved it in the same way they discovered that they followed..Sometimes love happens before we know it. But I appreciate the close reading.
Your contrasting of weak and strong leaders, (ineffective and effective) is very helpful.
And I like the parallel structure suggestion.
Thank you, Mick, very much.
Jon, I just finished your ebook. I love it.
If you have not read Regi Campbell, Mentor Like Jesus, I know you will enjoy as well.
After learning from you & Mr. Campbell, I have a ways to go…
That’s the point. We all have a long way to go. And that it’s a process, not a point. And that it takes relationship.
Thanks, Matthew.
I read, I thought, I laughed, I pondered… You have a way of taking the complex and simplifying it so your readers can understand but not so simple that the knowledgeable can’t learn from it. It’s a good introduction to the topic. I’ll be watching for more!
Thank you, David.
Pingback: Whose opinions should matter to you? « Levite Chronicles