Real-Life Discipleship: Building Churches That Make Disciples

The American church, especially the Evangeilcal brand, wonders why Christianity is losing ground and becoming increasingly irrelevent. Could it be that the whole approach to "doing church", the traditional models, processes, and structures, don't need mere tweaking, but re-thought and re-tooled from square one. To continue to mostly do things the way they have typically and historically been done and expect a radically different result... well we all know what that defines... insanity. Trustin Greek method to bring about life and character change, especially in the spiritual realm, has for generations delivered spotty, unimpressive, and unsustained results. A person with experience, wisdom, and knowledge stands before a class or congregation and sincerely hopes to tranfer those things to them by the spoken word then hopes the listener somehow figures out how to turn it into shoe leather for life on the street. Those Both deliveres and receivers then wonder why there is s little routine and observable change toward Christ-like character, values, and behavior. This method seems to be very efficient, optimizing minimal human/spiritual resources to touch the most people in the shortest amount time with the least effort. Scripture bears out that God is not concerned with efficiency, yet that method still remains in the ecclesiastic DNA, seeming to have evolved into some kind of inviolable sacrament in itself. Few deny it works poorly toward its intended end. The primary defense for its retention is "it what we know how to do," the bondage of the familiar and manageable. To change to another takes too much vision, patience, humility, and courage.Jim Putnam started Real Life Church in 1998 with 4 people, if you count him and his wife, in an unfamiliar location with a different model and set of values... a huge advantage over trying to re-invent an existing, tradition-bound entity. "Doing church" or "the Show" was not on his agenda. This model consists of a framework of connected small groups/communities of trust and purpose, intent on building Christ-like character with a strong emphasis on outward vision and personal reproduction. These relationships, with the added element of accountability, are the engine of change. Real Life Church stayed true to those values and methods even as it began to rapidly grow, both wide and deep. As described in the book, the results after 12 years of producing multiplying disciples of Jesus Christ are impressive.Church leaders interested in reading Real Life Discipleship might want to reconsider unless they are prepared to actually do something with what they learn. Otherwise it will just be yet another informational foray into "church change" that goes on the shelf unheeded. For Putnam's compelling model to bear fruit first requires the conviction and vision that change is necessary. That vision, awareness, and conviction may abound but it is the courage to act on them that is in short supply.Putnam and Real Life Church don't just speak a good brand. They offer training for church leaders who want to make a change.

This book is a must for any Pastor that is serious about the great commission. It demystifies the disciple-making responsibilities.

Yes this book gives a step-by-step process now used by a church that began with only two couples meeting to now well over 8500 members worldwide! This church uses a small group of TWELVE men or women that goes through a five stage process through teaching Share, Connect, Minister and Disciple.I'm planning to buy the training manual also.

In 1913 Henry Ford introduced the assembly line and standardized car manufacturing. In 1955 Ray Kroc opened his first McDonalds and standardized the fast food process. And it seems in the 21st century Jim Putman has standardized spiritual growth.You can't argue with success, and so when I heard of Jim Putman, Real Life Ministries and the influence they were having in their community (8,500 people attend their church in a city of roughly 30,000) my curiosity was piqued. Not only had they seen God bring such great numerical growth, but they did it without seemingly focusing on the Sunday morning show but rather through the slower process of discipling individuals and training those disciples to make other disciples. An age old concept to be sure, but here was a church that seeming was actually doing it.Since then I have read and reread the book, had my entire staff read it, elder board, and now we have distributed it to all of our small group leaders. I've been so engaged with this book for the past few months it prompted one of my children to ask me, "Dad, haven't you been reading that book for a long time?" I say this to frame the review that follows because it may seem at times like I'm negative on the book, which I am obviously not. I may just spend more time talking about the book's deficiencies rather than its more prominent and numerous strengths.The one contribution that Putman brings to the whole discipleship discussion is the word "process." Where most churches break down in making disciples is that although they talk about the importance of it, they leave the entire process to chance and maybe intuition. While a few gifted and motivated ministry leaders may be able to systematically help people become better followers of Jesus Christ, many of us mere mortals lack either the structure or the organization to gain any real traction. What Putman puts forth in Real Life Discipleship is a clear, simple, reproducible system for discipleship that takes out a lot of the guesswork. There is not really much new here, other than the fact that the author applies much of the current discipleship thinking to his system. In fact as I was reading, I found myself saying, "This is exactly what I always say" or "I could have written this." The difference is that rather than just having strong values or a philosophy of ministry, Jim has crafted a system and process that actually works and, for the most part, moves the ball forward.Much of what is in the initial chapters of the book will be familiar to those who have read even a couple books on discipleship as Jim sets the stage for the acute need for it and the critical lack of it in our contemporary churches. The genius of Part 1 is Jim's insistence that a mature disciple is characterized by reproduction. This shifts the definition of maturity from intellectual assent or knowledge to obedience (specifically, obedience that results in developing new disciples), a shift that is helpful although perhaps incomplete. Jim says, "I know many Christians who have the ability to be spiritual parents but don't make it a priority. Though they would like to call themselves mature, I would say that they are not. Why? Because they have not prioritized their lives around the mission of Christ, which is to make disciples." Although many people might want to take issue with Jim's assertion, he makes a strong case throughout the book.The bulk of the book is then spent describing moving a person through the discipleship process from infancy to maturity, how to identify where a person is at, what their needs are at each developmental stage, and how to address those needs. Much of what he shares in these chapters is helpful although those more seasoned in ministry might find themselves frustrated at what seems to be simplistic answers to issues we know from experience can be quite complex. Those whose personality and spiritual gifting tends more towards the creative/intuitive side of the equation will routinely feel stifled by a system that, at least on the surface, seems to constrain and restrict original thought or ingenuity. Real Life is the McDonalds of discipleship (chapter 15 is even titled "Creating a Leadership Development Factory"). If you want an individually tailored approach and the freedom to craft and create a different method for different people, it's probably not for you. On the other hand, if you want to adopt a model that seems to work for most people, I would highly recommend this book.I predict this book will simultaneously be extremely frustrating and very helpful for the emerging church crowd. Jim's standardized approach and method is going to make enough postmodern church leaders at least have a mild gag reflex. In addition to taking out all of the creativity and individualism of the discipleship process, there is almost no talk about seriously instilling Kingdom values like justice, mercy, compassion, etc... The thrust of the book seems to be more about the Mission of the Kingdom (creating disciples) rather than reflecting the culture of the Kingdom, which is a weakness. If one were to read only the Sermon on the Mount, it would become immediately obvious that a mature believer is one who lives by the priorities, ethics, and ideals of the Kingdom of Heaven, not just for spiritual reproduction. Inculcating Kingdom values and ideals in people like forgiveness, compassion, generosity, justice and righteousness are more caught than taught; and some aspects of spiritual growth you just cannot script or design.But at the same time, many in the emerging church and missional church movements have much to learn from Jim. Although in the last decade some very creative and culturally relevant expressions of the body of Christ have been started, what most of these more organic expressions have struggled with is the task of actually making disciples and they lack (or refuse to embrace) a clear, simple, reproducible model on how to make more and better followers of Jesus; something any serious student of Jesus wouldn't deny we are called to do.

Must read

Good read/ study. Happy with it.

So many of us are playing at church, but not living the life of Christ in the world. We know there is something more, but cannot quite grasp what it is. Real-life Discipleship is that part we have not grasped: the why and how of sharing Christ, and His great power to bring His promised peace into our lives. Christ came as a servant, and He calls and empowers us to be no less than servants of the Most High God. Real-life Discipleship is the experience of a group of devoted Christians who, taking God at His word, are experiencing the promised growth personally, unitedly, and numerically.I would recommend two additional resources to accompany this book: The Real-life Discipleship Training Manual takes us through the process of discipleship, equipping all Christians to be true disciples. Real-Life Discipleship Training Manual: Equipping Disciples Who Make Disciples and Truth that Sticks teaches how to use Bible stories to reach people Truth That Sticks: How to Communicate Velcro Truth in a Teflon World.

Highlt recommend this book for firm BELIEVer of christ.

Great book to show exactly what Jusus expects each of us to do to further His kingdom.Church including myself is not doing the work He has called us to do.What will He say to me when I meet Him face to face?"Well done thou good and faithful servant"????

At last, a book detailing a ministry that prioritizes disciples making disciples which in turn creates solid and reproducible church growth.

A real-life, practical handle for understanding the process and measuring the progress of spiritual growth.