As I travel to different churches and nations, people often ask questions about how to be more fruitful and effective in discipleship. While being fruitful and effective is important, this is the wrong question. Many people are fruitful and effective and yet are not able to see their discipleship grow beyond a few dedicated people. The reason for this may be that their discipleship process is not reproducible.

The real question we need to ask about whatever discipleship process we employ is: “Is it duplicable?” or “Can it easily be copied by others?”

As Jesus made disciples, He expected all twelve to do what they saw Him do. He expected them to copy Him.  New Testament discipleship was not about watching a spiritual superstar do his thing, rather it was about watching and copying. Consider the following verses:

Matthew 9:35  Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

Jesus preached, taught, and ministered healing and deliverance from town to town. He expected His disciples to do the same. After setting the example, He sent them out, telling them to preach and to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. (Matt 10:7,8)

Paul followed the same discipleship pattern as Jesus. He told the Corinthian disciples to follow his example, to copy, or to duplicate what they saw him do.

1 Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

If we want our discipleship process to be duplicable, we must set the example and expect others to follow. Too much of what is called discipleship today is impossible to copy, it is basically a novice believer watching an expert act like a spiritual giant with no expectation of becoming a spiritual giant any time in the near future.

The writer of Hebrews had the same idea about discipleship as Jesus and Paul.

Hebrews 13:7  Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Just as Jesus preached and healed the sick, then expected His disciples to do the same, just as Paul followed Jesus and expected the Corinthians to follow his example, so the writer of Hebrews exhorts the Hebrew disciples to imitate the faith of their spiritual leaders.

This is discipleship in its most basic form: imitation and following someone’s example.

With these verses in mind, the question we need to ask about  the way we do discipleship is this: Is my discipleship method simple enough that it can be copied by others? Or, is my discipleship method so spontaneous and complicated that no one could possibly imitate it?

If we want those we disciple to actually disciple others, then we must set an example of discipleship that is simple, systematic, and strategic, otherwise it will not be duplicable.