Discipleship, as mandated by Christ in Matthew 28:18–20, is not an optional ministry of the Church but its central mission. The Great Commission is not merely a call to preach or gather; it is a call to make disciples—followers who learn from Jesus, live like Jesus, and help others do the same. This essay undertakes a critical evaluation of a recent interview with two deacons at Fairlane Church of Christ, Jason Bobo and Jesse Emery, in which they candidly reflect on the state of discipleship within their congregation. Their reflections are analyzed in light of the six-part discipleship blueprint provided by MakingDisciples.Today series of theological and strategic blog resources.
The purpose of this evaluation is to assess alignment, identify omissions, and propose corrective pathways to bring Fairlane’s discipleship culture into greater obedience to the biblical mandate.
I. Discipleship in the Local Church: Context and Importance
The modern church faces a dangerous tension: vibrant activity masking spiritual stagnation. In “The Forgotten Mission – Rediscovering Our Purpose,” it is made clear that while many churches maintain doctrinal fidelity and operational consistency, they often drift from their missional purpose. Fairlane is not alone in this. The spiritual malaise described—programmatic busyness without transformation—reflects a national pattern. Churches may retain structure, funding, and faithful leadership, yet remain stalled in terms of spiritual reproduction.
As Jason and Jesse note, discipleship at Fairlane is “organic.” While this term may carry a positive connotation of authenticity, in this context it reflects a lack of intentionality, direction, and reproducibility. This aligns with the central concern raised in Lesson 3, “Why Discipleship Fails”: the absence of vision, pathway, and relational culture. In churches where these pillars are missing, the mission is quickly displaced by maintenance.
Thus, this evaluation begins with affirming the sincerity of the leaders interviewed while simultaneously recognizing that good intentions must be directed by theological clarity and strategic execution.
II. Defining the Disciple: Clarity as a First Step
One of the most glaring omissions in the interview is the lack of a clear, theological definition of a disciple. While both Jason and Jesse speak about the importance of “heart for people” and “being Christ-like,” these sentiments fall short of the biblical model. Lesson 2, “What is a Disciple?”, insists on a precise definition: A disciple is someone who learns from Jesus, follows Him, and reproduces others in the same pattern. This definition reflects not only the Greek term mathētēs (learner) but also Jesus’ practice of relational, embodied apprenticeship.
This threefold framework—learning, following, and reproducing—is absent from the interview. Without it, discipleship risks being reduced to either intellectual study or vague spirituality. The interviewees rightly emphasize Christ-like character and relationship with Jesus, but never articulate that a true disciple must also make other disciples. Jesus’ model always involved multiplication (Matt. 28:19; 2 Tim. 2:2). This omission is not merely academic; it undermines the Church’s very purpose.
III. Organic vs. Intentional Discipleship: A False Dichotomy
Both deacons repeatedly use the term “organic” to describe discipleship at Fairlane. By this, they mean relational, informal, and non-programmatic. While relational discipleship is indeed biblical (Jesus discipled through shared life, not just curriculum), the idea that structure opposes authenticity is a false dichotomy.
In fact, Lesson 4, “The Discipleship Pathway”, outlines how intentional structure supports organic growth. The four-step process—Connect → Grow → Serve → Multiply—provides the church with a clear map, enabling every member to know where they are and what their next step is. Without such a map, even the most passionate members will “drift or stall,” as noted in the blueprint.
What Jason and Jesse express is a desire for organic reproduction, but without a pathway or tools to guide others there. This contradicts Jesus’ example, who called disciples into a process: observation, participation, delegation, multiplication (cf. Luke 9, Matt. 10). Structure is not the enemy of authenticity—it is its necessary scaffolding.
IV. Cultural Blind Spots: Discipleship and Modern Busyness
A profound observation made in the interview is the impact of modern culture’s pace on spiritual formation. Jesse remarks that discipleship does not fit easily into the rhythms of contemporary life. This diagnosis is supported by Lesson 3, which asserts that our cultural formation is outpacing our spiritual formation. Discipleship requires slowness, presence, and depth—qualities undermined by today’s hyper-speed lifestyle.
However, the interview stops short of proposing countermeasures. There is no strategy to integrate discipleship into daily life, no call to Sabbath practices, digital boundaries, or the cultivation of holy rhythms. The Fairlane blueprint, by contrast, urges the church to reframe discipleship not as an event, but a lifestyle (Lesson 2). Without spiritual disciplines and community support, cultural currents will continue to sweep believers into superficiality.
V. Relational Depth: A Needed but Underdeveloped Theme
The interview touches on the idea of relational discipleship—Jesus meeting people “where they are,” building relationships over time, and the importance of loving people deeply. This resonates with the theological vision found in Lesson 2 and Lesson 5, which both stress that discipleship is inherently relational and embodied.
However, what is lacking is practical guidance for cultivating those relationships. There is no mention of mentoring pairs, triads, small groups, or coaching. There is no strategy for matching newer believers with mature ones, or for developing accountability and vulnerability. The blogs provide this direction. For example, Lesson 4 calls for triads (2–3 people), mentoring pairs, and small groups to function as vehicles for deep connection and transformation.
The interview acknowledges the problem but offers no solution. This leaves the relational nature of discipleship aspirational, not actionable.
VI. The Role of Leadership and Accountability
Perhaps the most insightful portion of the interview comes near the end when Jason reflects, “What are you doing to bring people in?” This moment of self-reflection is pivotal. Lesson 6 insists that transformation begins when leaders own the mission personally, not just administratively. Without modeling disciple-making, elders and deacons cannot expect it from others.
However, this insight needs to be expanded. The interview does not propose that elders, deacons, or staff form a Discipleship Vision Team, as laid out in the final blog. There is no talk of piloting small groups, training leaders, or building second-generation disciplers. There is no roadmap to multiplication—only a recognition that it would be nice “if more people were involved.”
Leadership, as modeled by Jesus, means initiating, training, and sending. Fairlane needs leaders who will not only reflect, but act: mentoring others, telling their stories, and aligning ministries under one mission.
VII. The Missing Metrics: Defining and Measuring Success
Another notable absence in the interview is the lack of measurable goals. While both Jason and Jesse express longing for deeper discipleship, they do not articulate what success looks like. How many people are in discipleship relationships? How many are growing, serving, and multiplying? What spiritual fruit is being tracked?
Lesson 6 challenges this passivity. Churches must track not only attendance, but spiritual reproduction. Metrics must shift from “How many came?” to “Who is growing, and who are they investing in?”
Without a clear target and consistent evaluation, the mission will remain vague. As the saying goes, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” Discipleship, as Jesus defined it, includes fruitfulness: “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:8)
VIII. The Call to Multiplication: From Idealism to Obedience
Throughout the interview, there is an underlying sentiment that discipleship is good but difficult, desirable but distant. This ambivalence must be replaced with gospel urgency. As Lesson 1 and Lesson 6 assert, discipleship is not optional—it is the mission. Churches that fail to multiply are not simply missing best practices; they are disobeying Christ.
Multiplication is not the domain of pastors alone. Every believer is called to “teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2). The Fairlane blueprint illustrates this with the image of a mustard seed (Matt. 13:31–32), showing that while kingdom growth may begin small, it is meant to spread exponentially.
The interview misses the opportunity to make this call. It never explicitly states that every member is a disciple-maker. It never charges the congregation to move from passive attendance to active obedience. And it never offers a concrete first step.
The discipleship vision laid out in the blogs calls the church to form a culture of disciple-makers, not attendees. It envisions a future where grandparents disciple young families, teens mentor children, and every believer knows who they are discipling. Without this vision, the church risks remaining a well-intentioned but ineffective institution.
IX. From Dreaming to Doing: Charting a Way Forward
To bridge the gap between the interview’s reflections and the blueprint’s vision, Fairlane must move from desire to direction. The following action points emerge clearly:
- Define the Disciple
- Adopt the triad: Learner, Follower, Reproducer.
- Teach this from the pulpit, in small groups, and leadership training.
- Establish a Pathway
- Implement the Connect → Grow → Serve → Multiply model.
- Use it to align all ministries and assess spiritual progress.
- Form a Vision Team
- Recruit 10–15 leaders to model disciple-making and launch pilot groups.
- Share testimonies and gather feedback.
- Equip Every Member
- Provide simple tools (reading plans, questions, mentoring guides).
- Normalize relational discipleship through training and stories.
- Track and Celebrate Fruit
- Develop metrics for spiritual growth, reproduction, and leadership development.
- Celebrate multiplication stories monthly.
- Create a Culture of Multiplication
- Emphasize that disciple-making is for all, not a select few.
- Shift from program maintenance to people movement.
Conclusion
The interview with Jason Bobo and Jesse Emery reflects a heart that longs for more—more spiritual depth, more intentionality, more love for people. Yet, as James reminds us, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:17). Passion must be paired with a pathway. Reflection must lead to action. The church must move from merely talking about discipleship to doing it—relationally, intentionally, and consistently.Jesus’ last command must become our first priority: “Go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matt. 28:19). The time to shift from maintenance to mission, from spectatorship to multiplication, is now. Fairlane has the heart. The blueprint exists. The question is—will we obey?