May 2025

Dear friends,

As our disciple group reads through the Gospel of Matthew, we see that it’s not only about what Jesus taught, but also about how he taught it. We’re noticing the methods he used and how he structured the process with his disciples. One of our group members is a master cabinet maker, and a few weeks ago he had an “aha” moment: part of his calling is to train apprentices to become master artisans like himself. He realized that this mirrors the process of disciple-making perfectly.

He explained how he begins by teaching his apprentices some theory, then demonstrates the work, and finally lets them practice under supervision until they can do it confidently on their own. This reminded me of my woodwork teacher in primary school, who guided my hands to help me grip the backsaw correctly before letting me make my first cut.

This is exactly how Jesus made disciples—like an artisan teaching an apprentice. It was practical, hands-on, and interactive, with demonstration, guidance, advice, and mentorship. In this way, teaching, parables, practical ministry, and mentoring all flowed together in one seamless, continuous process.

The challenge now is to put this insight into practice in our own lives as disciple-makers and disciple groups. I often ask groups in our online process to send me short video clips of their meetings to see how they’re doing. Many of them start by setting up their meetings like a classroom, with rows of chairs and a teacher at the front. But as they begin to discover Jesus’ way of discipling, they often shift to gathering in homes—or even in a circle at a taxi rank waiting area—facing each other and sharing more personally.

What’s more difficult is weaving discipleship into their whole lives—spending enough time together to truly influence and impact each other. It’s a real challenge, but one that is essential if discipleship is to be more than just another class or meeting.

So how will you do it?
How will you integrate teaching, demonstration, application, and personal transformation into your discipling process?
I find this challenging and would love to hear your ideas.

Regards,
Pieter