Disciple-Making Church, The

by Bill Hull

Scripture places high priority on the disciplemaking capacity of the church, This book shows how to accomplish it. Foreword by Howard Ball.

Genres: Discipleship, Christian, Leadership, Church, Theology

256 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 1990

About the author

Bill’s passion is to help the church return to its disciple making roots and he considers himself a discipleship evangelist. This God-given desire has manifested itself in 20 of pastoring and the authorship of many books. Two of his more important books, Jesus Christ Disciple Maker, and The Disciple Making Pastor, have both celebrated 20 years in print. Add his third in the popular trilogy, The Disciple Making Church , and you have a new paradigm for disciple making.

Reviews

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A philosophy through implementation plan for creating a disciple-centered training in the church. Based heavily on Jesus' training of the disciples, Bill Hull lays out a picture of a church that shows, teaches, walks with, leads, and unleashes disciples to the world. The solution to the churches problems, he says, is in discipleship. His plan is seemingly very elaborate. It involves heavy training and testing and guidance, but the end result is willing ministers to decentralize the ministry of the pastor. In other words, the Pastor is freed from the day-to-day ministry time-killers, and other people in the church are able to use their gifts to the fullest. The result is minister-members and a Pastor-coach to lead them. Bill Hull gives some great development of the Pastor as coach concept. He lays out the pastoral responsibility as a encourager, motivator, confronter, even a participator, but not the only player. Great. Long chapters make this one a little slow getting through, but the first 8 chapters are packed with solid stuff. Skip 9...It is not worth it. I promise.

I liked this one. Ever since my leadership training and discipleship group at Northland the last two summers, I have been burdened for this kind of discipleship--One-on-one and small group training to impress the burdens and heart of a ministry on other eager disciples. This book lays out why discipleship-centered ministry is so important, who is to be involved, what difficulties you will face in implementing it, when to start, and how to go about laying it out. I think Hull's strongest sections are the first four. The implementation of it is a little weak. He describes the end result merely as training a disciple to go out and join a rec league and help out at the rescue mission. That's great, but I see a disciple as one who takes up discipling others…evangelizing and discipling.

Bill Hull's ministry experience shines a little to glaringly at a couple of points as he rants on about church's inability to change, petty arguing, and other pad church problems.

All in all, a solid foundation for starting this type of ministry in a church. Good philosophy, good tips . . . Not perfect, but I guess it drives you back to the True Discipler . . . our Savior. Worth the cost for the thoughts it provokes, and for bringing the importance of disciple-making back to the forefront of our ministry.

[Randall Darden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hull does an excellent job of exegeting Scripture. He provides the reader with an interesting perspective on applying Biblical models of discipleship in the contemporary American church. This is pretty dense read, but worth the work. He creates some language to describe the "disciple making plan" that is more confusing than helpful, (i.e. the "come & see" stage, the "come & follow me"stage and the "come & be with me" stage) but I can work around semantics. Whereas many of the other books on discipleship are much shorter or much more specific. Hull thoroughly covers Christ's model, the disciple's model, and then how those models can be contextualized to today. Some of the quotes that stood out to me are as follows. "God expects every believer to a mature reproducing disciple...Every disciple should make disciples." p.20 "If we have not taught obedience and encouraged it through accountability, we have not discipled." p22 "...discipling is not an event; it is a process." p.33 " I believe conflict is normal to effective ministry. Though I hate conflict, I suggest that those who want to obey God learn to live with it." p.113 "I'm not sure why evangelicals experience so much angst over God's will: It always seems clearly communicated when needed. So many Christians want to know too much too soon; they would rather walk by sight, knowing what is going to take place beforehand. However, God requires us to walk by faith, not knowing the unnecessary." p.126 "No one loves His people more than God, who forces them to face hard tasks. No one likes to leave a comfort zone, but God prods us from our comfortable niches with the driving force of the great commission." p.208

[Brandon Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Bill Hull's work. He values the life of the church as key to the disciple-making enterprise. it was refreshing to walk through this book again. I appreciated how he identifies how the early church grew disciples and multiplied churches. I wish it was about 15% shorter in legnth--become a little unfocused.

[Joseph Chung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent in helping disciples and pastors who want to implement disciple-making in church settings. The book could be better if the language is polished for easier reading.

[Sean-david · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hull has done some nice work, but seems to imply that discipleship can no longer be accomplished through small, intimate friendship and servant as was with our Lord.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good follow-up to "Jesus Christ Disciple Maker"

[Andy]

0210

[Glyn Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good ideas, good things to apply in your church, but boringly written. I have read better.

[DAVID WILSON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent ~ Easily shows how a entire church and develop a Disciple Making process ( as spiritual supported) and watch new Christians grow in their faith.

[Mark Barth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read and wonderfully helpful in the challenge of today's church toward discipleship.