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Discipling in a Multicultural World
Our multicultural world needs countercultural disciplers.
People from all over the world are coming to Christ from a variety of backgrounds. This requires more people who are willing to commit to the effort and sacrifice it takes to invest in new believers.
Rooted in over four decades of multicultural discipleship experience, Ajith Fernando offers biblical principles for discipling and presents examples showing how they apply to daily life and ministry. He addresses key cultural challenges, such as the value of honor and shame, honoring family commitments, and dealing with persecution, and helps us think realistically about the cost and commitment required for productive cross-cultural ministry. This practical guide to discipleship will help us help others grow into mature and godly followers of Christ.
People from all over the world are coming to Christ from a variety of backgrounds. This requires more people who are willing to commit to the effort and sacrifice it takes to invest in new believers.
Rooted in over four decades of multicultural discipleship experience, Ajith Fernando offers biblical principles for discipling and presents examples showing how they apply to daily life and ministry. He addresses key cultural challenges, such as the value of honor and shame, honoring family commitments, and dealing with persecution, and helps us think realistically about the cost and commitment required for productive cross-cultural ministry. This practical guide to discipleship will help us help others grow into mature and godly followers of Christ.
288 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2019
60 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
Ajith Fernando
68 books21 followersAjith Fernando serves as Teaching Director of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka after being National Director for 35 years. Ajith is a visiting lecturer and Council President of Colombo Theological Seminary and also serves as Visiting Scholar at Tyndale University College and Seminary in Toronto. He has written 15 books and his books have been published in 19 different languages. The Call to Joy and Pain was awarded the Christianity Today Book of the Year Award for church and pastoral leadership.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 12, 2024
Well done!
August 19, 2019
The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16–20) commands Christ’s followers to “make disciples of all nations.” That discipleship has at least two basic components:conversion, symbolized by baptism, and change, realized through ever-increasing obedience to Christ’s commandments. Notice also its multicultural shape. Christ commands His followers to disciple “all nations,” which means “people groups,” not “nation-states.”
In Discipling in a Multicultural World, Ajith Fernando outlines “biblical principles about discipling” and presents “examples about how they apply in daily life and ministry.” Fernando is the former national director of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka, which he now continues to serve as teaching director, and the author of seventeen books. This book is the fruit of mature biblical reflection and decades of practical ministry experience.
Fernando divides the book into two parts: “Introducing Spiritual Parenthood” and “How People Change.”
Part 1 uses the metaphor of spiritual parenting to describe discipleship, which he defines as “an affectionate relationship of caring between people who see themselves as having a parent-child relationship.”
Part of the genius of this metaphor is that it’s multiplicative. Consider what Paul wrote to Timothy: “the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). As Fernando notes, “Four generations of Christians are mentioned here”: Paul, Timothy, reliable people, and others.
The parenting metaphor also jibes well with the New Testament understanding of the community of believers as a spiritual family. This understanding cuts against the grain of both Western individualism and the familism of the developing World. “Many church communities [in the West] have diluted the biblical idea of the solidarity of the community and its importance in the life of a Christian,” Fernando writes. The challenge of discipleship in Western contexts involves, in part, incorporating individuals into the body of Christ.
By the same token, however, the familism pervasive in most traditional cultures, including that of the Bible, presents a different challenge. For many converts in Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim contexts especially, to become a Christian is a lonely experience because one is immediately cut off from one’s family and extended community. Fernando wisely notes that converts belong to “two families—their earthly family and the family of God.” Discipleship in such contexts requires a delicate balance between honoring one’s earthly family and ongoing membership in one’s spiritual family. Disciples in these contexts often experience suffering, persecution, and loss of honor — a pattern we also see in the New Testament. Fernando offers wise advice about how disciplers can help disciples navigate these negative experiences.
Drawing on the work of missiologist Paul Hiebert, Fernando identifies three kinds of transformation in Part 2, “How People Change”:
1. cognitive transformation, where a person’s belief system changes;
2. affective transformation, where we personally experience God; and
3. evaluative transformation, where we evaluate the beliefs and practices of the prevailing culture.
He devotes the bulk of this part of the book to describing what the Bible says about these three kinds of transformation, highlighting the role of Scripture, prayer, the discernment of right and wrong, and the experience of healing in the discipleship process.
Three chapters — 10, 11, and 12 — focus on right and wrong. “In the Bible and in today’s culture,” Fernando writes, “people respond to issues of right and wrong along three lines: (1) guilt and forgiveness, (2) honor and shame, and (3) fear/bondage and power/liberation. Although all three lines are present in every culture to a degree, Western culture typically follows the guilt/forgiveness line, while traditional cultures follow the other two.
In a multicultural world, disciplers must understand all three so they can help disciples make sense of Christian faith and practice in culturally adequate ways. While the entire book contains mature biblical reflection seasoned with practical ministry experience, these three chapters are the best part, in my opinion.
I close this review with two sentences from Fernando’s concluding paragraph. First, “Disciplers are servants of disciplees, doing all we can to help them grow and be fruitful.” This mindset is crucial, both to avoid authoritarian forms of discipling and to count discipling’s costs. Spiritual parenting, like parenting, isn’t easy.
Second, in light of that cost, Fernando prays: “In this busy world, may many Christians rise to pay the price of investing in people in this comprehensive way.”
Amen to that!
Book Reviewed
Ajith Fernando, Discipling in a Multicultural World (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019).
P.S. If you liked my review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.
P.P.S. This review was written for InfluenceMagazine.com and appears here by permission.
In Discipling in a Multicultural World, Ajith Fernando outlines “biblical principles about discipling” and presents “examples about how they apply in daily life and ministry.” Fernando is the former national director of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka, which he now continues to serve as teaching director, and the author of seventeen books. This book is the fruit of mature biblical reflection and decades of practical ministry experience.
Fernando divides the book into two parts: “Introducing Spiritual Parenthood” and “How People Change.”
Part 1 uses the metaphor of spiritual parenting to describe discipleship, which he defines as “an affectionate relationship of caring between people who see themselves as having a parent-child relationship.”
Part of the genius of this metaphor is that it’s multiplicative. Consider what Paul wrote to Timothy: “the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). As Fernando notes, “Four generations of Christians are mentioned here”: Paul, Timothy, reliable people, and others.
The parenting metaphor also jibes well with the New Testament understanding of the community of believers as a spiritual family. This understanding cuts against the grain of both Western individualism and the familism of the developing World. “Many church communities [in the West] have diluted the biblical idea of the solidarity of the community and its importance in the life of a Christian,” Fernando writes. The challenge of discipleship in Western contexts involves, in part, incorporating individuals into the body of Christ.
By the same token, however, the familism pervasive in most traditional cultures, including that of the Bible, presents a different challenge. For many converts in Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim contexts especially, to become a Christian is a lonely experience because one is immediately cut off from one’s family and extended community. Fernando wisely notes that converts belong to “two families—their earthly family and the family of God.” Discipleship in such contexts requires a delicate balance between honoring one’s earthly family and ongoing membership in one’s spiritual family. Disciples in these contexts often experience suffering, persecution, and loss of honor — a pattern we also see in the New Testament. Fernando offers wise advice about how disciplers can help disciples navigate these negative experiences.
Drawing on the work of missiologist Paul Hiebert, Fernando identifies three kinds of transformation in Part 2, “How People Change”:
1. cognitive transformation, where a person’s belief system changes;
2. affective transformation, where we personally experience God; and
3. evaluative transformation, where we evaluate the beliefs and practices of the prevailing culture.
He devotes the bulk of this part of the book to describing what the Bible says about these three kinds of transformation, highlighting the role of Scripture, prayer, the discernment of right and wrong, and the experience of healing in the discipleship process.
Three chapters — 10, 11, and 12 — focus on right and wrong. “In the Bible and in today’s culture,” Fernando writes, “people respond to issues of right and wrong along three lines: (1) guilt and forgiveness, (2) honor and shame, and (3) fear/bondage and power/liberation. Although all three lines are present in every culture to a degree, Western culture typically follows the guilt/forgiveness line, while traditional cultures follow the other two.
In a multicultural world, disciplers must understand all three so they can help disciples make sense of Christian faith and practice in culturally adequate ways. While the entire book contains mature biblical reflection seasoned with practical ministry experience, these three chapters are the best part, in my opinion.
I close this review with two sentences from Fernando’s concluding paragraph. First, “Disciplers are servants of disciplees, doing all we can to help them grow and be fruitful.” This mindset is crucial, both to avoid authoritarian forms of discipling and to count discipling’s costs. Spiritual parenting, like parenting, isn’t easy.
Second, in light of that cost, Fernando prays: “In this busy world, may many Christians rise to pay the price of investing in people in this comprehensive way.”
Amen to that!
Book Reviewed
Ajith Fernando, Discipling in a Multicultural World (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019).
P.S. If you liked my review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.
P.P.S. This review was written for InfluenceMagazine.com and appears here by permission.
Read
October 23, 2023Insightful and solid book on the basics of practical, high-investment discipleship, but less content on cultural values/etc than title indicates.
February 14, 2021
Fernando's book is somewhat misnamed - whilst there are some practical points on discipling those from other cultures (I appreciated especially the chapters on family, opposition, honour-shame and being set free from fear) the book is more widely a vision for deep discipleship. The breadth of discipleship Fernando has in mind for those into whom he is inputting is broad and inspiring, and the wisdom from an evangelical elder is timely - but this volume could have done with tighter focus and editing. The promise held out in the introduction - that readers would be better equipped to disciple those from other cultures - is not really achieved.
January 1, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It is a short, but rich book on Discipleship. It seems to be most focused on the one-on-one aspects of discipleship and does a great job laying out the why and how of mentorship. He doesn’t skimp on the theoretical or practical—which seems to be the norm for this type of book—and for that I was very appreciative. The only drawback was that it was light on the “multicultural” aspects of discipleship apart from stories from different cultures.
This is a great book for any pastor thinking through how to create a mentoring cultural in their church.
This is a great book for any pastor thinking through how to create a mentoring cultural in their church.
August 30, 2019
Ajith Fernando has written a new book which is extraordinarily helpful for everyone in multicultural ministry. The uniqueness of Ajith as a writer is his ability to bridge eastern values and western values. He speaks wisely into both worldviews. His thesis in this book is that disciple-making is like spiritual parenthood. He says, “In this book we are looking at discipling as an affectionate relationship of caring between people who see themselves as having a parent-child relationship.” (Ajith Fernando, Discipling in a Multicultural World, Crossway Publication, 2019, p. 27)
Part One of the book deals with The challenges of committing to disciple-making. He does not minimize the vulnerability and strain of being spiritual parents (p. 33), nor does he minimize the struggle in “battling for the souls of people” nor the extraordinary time commitment needed to help young converts become like Jesus Christ (p. 35).
Part Two is entitled “How Christians Change.” He has many provocative challenges for disciplers in this section. Quoting Hiebert, he says, there are three kinds of transformation when a person is converted. “First is cognitive transformation where a person’s belief system changes.. Second is affective transformation where we personally experience God… and experience new depths of love, joy peace and freedom from guilt…The third is evaluative transformation where we evaluate the beliefs and practices of the prevailing culture. Those in keeping with the gospel (like honoring parents) are retained with a Christian flavor and those that contradict the gospel (like sexual indulgence, prejudice and dishonesty) are rejected” (Pp. 143-144). Those of us in cross-cultural ministry recognize how significant this third aspect of transformation is as part of a discipler’s agenda so that believers can flourish in a multicultural world.
What makes Ajith’s books so compelling is his consistent, honest applications of Biblical principles in daily ministry. Those applications come out of his decades of experience as a CEO of Youth For Christ in Sri Lanka and as a leader/teacher among other leaders around the world. 5 stars M.L. Codman-Wilson 8/28/19
Excerpts:
“Most people initially come to Christ because he meets their personal needs. Soon they discover that some of their personal requests for which they earnestly pray are not granted. They may be tempted to turn away from Christ and seek refuge elsewhere, and some do. But, they will stay with Christ if they realize that He is the truth… It is vitally important to get the truth of the Word into the lives of believers… Today many people read the Bible to receive an inspiring word that lifts them up and gives them strength to face life. This is indeed one of the ways that the Bible blesses us. But the primary reason for reading the Bible is to get God’s thoughts into our lives so that we can become more Christ-like people.” (pp. 147-148).
“In our discipling we must explain the gospel in such a way that people realize the primacy of grace and the futility of works for salvation. This is a big challenge. Sadly, because people from non-Christian backgrounds find the atonement so difficult to understand, many Christian leaders don’t spend much energy trying to explain it to converts. This is suicidal!” (p. 190).
“The Greek words for confessing… homologeo itself literally translates as “same word,” which gives us the idea “to say the same thing [about].” As Warren Wiersbe explains, “to confess sin, then, means to say the same thing about it that God says about it” (p. 187).
Part One of the book deals with The challenges of committing to disciple-making. He does not minimize the vulnerability and strain of being spiritual parents (p. 33), nor does he minimize the struggle in “battling for the souls of people” nor the extraordinary time commitment needed to help young converts become like Jesus Christ (p. 35).
Part Two is entitled “How Christians Change.” He has many provocative challenges for disciplers in this section. Quoting Hiebert, he says, there are three kinds of transformation when a person is converted. “First is cognitive transformation where a person’s belief system changes.. Second is affective transformation where we personally experience God… and experience new depths of love, joy peace and freedom from guilt…The third is evaluative transformation where we evaluate the beliefs and practices of the prevailing culture. Those in keeping with the gospel (like honoring parents) are retained with a Christian flavor and those that contradict the gospel (like sexual indulgence, prejudice and dishonesty) are rejected” (Pp. 143-144). Those of us in cross-cultural ministry recognize how significant this third aspect of transformation is as part of a discipler’s agenda so that believers can flourish in a multicultural world.
What makes Ajith’s books so compelling is his consistent, honest applications of Biblical principles in daily ministry. Those applications come out of his decades of experience as a CEO of Youth For Christ in Sri Lanka and as a leader/teacher among other leaders around the world. 5 stars M.L. Codman-Wilson 8/28/19
Excerpts:
“Most people initially come to Christ because he meets their personal needs. Soon they discover that some of their personal requests for which they earnestly pray are not granted. They may be tempted to turn away from Christ and seek refuge elsewhere, and some do. But, they will stay with Christ if they realize that He is the truth… It is vitally important to get the truth of the Word into the lives of believers… Today many people read the Bible to receive an inspiring word that lifts them up and gives them strength to face life. This is indeed one of the ways that the Bible blesses us. But the primary reason for reading the Bible is to get God’s thoughts into our lives so that we can become more Christ-like people.” (pp. 147-148).
“In our discipling we must explain the gospel in such a way that people realize the primacy of grace and the futility of works for salvation. This is a big challenge. Sadly, because people from non-Christian backgrounds find the atonement so difficult to understand, many Christian leaders don’t spend much energy trying to explain it to converts. This is suicidal!” (p. 190).
“The Greek words for confessing… homologeo itself literally translates as “same word,” which gives us the idea “to say the same thing [about].” As Warren Wiersbe explains, “to confess sin, then, means to say the same thing about it that God says about it” (p. 187).
February 2, 2019
Discipling in a Multicultural World by Adith Fernando compressive work that describes the essence of the discipling process. Fernando brings a wealth of experience as a longtime director of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka. His expansive knowledge and lengthy tenure provide a breadth and depth of wisdom that is missing in many discipling resources.
Spiritual Parenthood
Mr. Fernando introduces a subject that is foreign in most discipleship literature, namely, spiritual parenthood. This missing perspective is explored from several different angles and reveals how disciples serve as spiritual parents to their disciples.
The Process of Change
The second half of the book explores how disciples change. The practical section is a primer on sanctification. Fernando addresses real concerns and offers godly wisdom for disciples in an international context.
Discipling in a Multicultural World is a worthy read and helpful addition to a growing list of discipling resources. The real strength lies in its appeal to multicultural contexts.
Finally, a helpful series of appendices is included. Most helpful is a checklist of topics for discussion.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
Spiritual Parenthood
Mr. Fernando introduces a subject that is foreign in most discipleship literature, namely, spiritual parenthood. This missing perspective is explored from several different angles and reveals how disciples serve as spiritual parents to their disciples.
The Process of Change
The second half of the book explores how disciples change. The practical section is a primer on sanctification. Fernando addresses real concerns and offers godly wisdom for disciples in an international context.
Discipling in a Multicultural World is a worthy read and helpful addition to a growing list of discipling resources. The real strength lies in its appeal to multicultural contexts.
Finally, a helpful series of appendices is included. Most helpful is a checklist of topics for discussion.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
February 22, 2019
The unity of the body (the church) and their striving side by side for the gospel. This biblical pattern needs to be burned into every Christian leader: Discipleship groups are mission teams-people growing in their love of God and each other, and serving God together.
True Discipleship should look the same now matter where you worship. However, my however is not to dispute but to state the obvious. There are areas in this world where darkness is prevalent that the light of the Gospel shines brighter. I appreciated Fernando's teaching and the cultural battle he faces. In the US, we have our own battles of materialism, individualism, oppression, and racism, that discipleship might be difficult to obtain. His testimony is remarkable as he has raised the bar where the bar here is somewhat misplaced. Regardless, the teaching brought me hope and bar to obtain.
Highly recommend.
A Special Thank you to Crossway Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
True Discipleship should look the same now matter where you worship. However, my however is not to dispute but to state the obvious. There are areas in this world where darkness is prevalent that the light of the Gospel shines brighter. I appreciated Fernando's teaching and the cultural battle he faces. In the US, we have our own battles of materialism, individualism, oppression, and racism, that discipleship might be difficult to obtain. His testimony is remarkable as he has raised the bar where the bar here is somewhat misplaced. Regardless, the teaching brought me hope and bar to obtain.
Highly recommend.
A Special Thank you to Crossway Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
February 20, 2019
Discipleship and evangelism are words that are frequently used in the church, but are not always put into practice. How do so many of us who have not been discipled well or at all disciple others?
That's what I was looking to find in Ajith Fernando's Discipling in a Multicultural World.
Because of the authors experience in Sri Lanka, I felt that we readers would be in for a treat from a fresh perspective. I found this to be true as Ajith skillfully and thoughtfully points out the weaknesses in discipleship within much of the Western church and elsewhere.
One of the greatest strengths of this book is that it’s not a reiteration of existing discipleship material. Discipling in a Multicultural World brings a new perspective, challenging conversation, and solid, Biblical solutions to the matter of discipleship in our multicultural world.
The appendices in the back of the book are helpful and applicable, yet a little brief in showing practical steps.
That's what I was looking to find in Ajith Fernando's Discipling in a Multicultural World.
Because of the authors experience in Sri Lanka, I felt that we readers would be in for a treat from a fresh perspective. I found this to be true as Ajith skillfully and thoughtfully points out the weaknesses in discipleship within much of the Western church and elsewhere.
One of the greatest strengths of this book is that it’s not a reiteration of existing discipleship material. Discipling in a Multicultural World brings a new perspective, challenging conversation, and solid, Biblical solutions to the matter of discipleship in our multicultural world.
The appendices in the back of the book are helpful and applicable, yet a little brief in showing practical steps.
November 27, 2024
Okay so this was a super unique book on discipleship. I think Ajith Fernando and his background just meshes really well with me and the way I have experienced things. I was initially not liking the book a ton but then got to chapters about the hardships and dishonor we can experience as disciples of Christ and the cost of following Jesus that really turned it around for me. I think this book was a very unique take on discipleship and covered topics like honor/shame and contextualized ministry that I don’t often see. Great resource if you’re looking to go more in depth into cross-cultural ministry or really ministry in general. This book spoke to me and addressed things I’ve even wrestled with myself and I greatly appreciated it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2024
I enjoyed being able to read a book about discipleship from someone who is not American and not using Western ideas.
He has been educated in the west and still applies some similar principles.
The book does talk a lot about dealing with parents, dealing with family, dealing with community- vs individualistic discipleship.
And has chapters on the 3 different cultural paradigms guilt/innocence, shame/honor, fear/power.
But it is mostly a book on what and why and how of discipleship.
He has been educated in the west and still applies some similar principles.
The book does talk a lot about dealing with parents, dealing with family, dealing with community- vs individualistic discipleship.
And has chapters on the 3 different cultural paradigms guilt/innocence, shame/honor, fear/power.
But it is mostly a book on what and why and how of discipleship.
March 9, 2019
In the book Discipling in a Multicultural World, Ajith Fernando explores relationship discipleship and the struggles of discipling in our multicultural world.
This was an easy ready with basic information. I would recommend this book for those beginning the discipling journey. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was an easy ready with basic information. I would recommend this book for those beginning the discipling journey. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 23, 2021
If you desire to make disciples like Christ or to be discipled in Christ-likeness, this book is for you. Two key takeaways for me are the concept of spiritual parenthood between discipler and disciplee, and the way that the gospel ministers to honor-and-shame based cultures. Very insightful, biblical, and practical. Thank you, Ajith Fernando for sharing your stories and wisdom with us.
April 30, 2022
Wisdom from South Asia
Ajith provides a unique perspective on Disciplemaking that deserves pondering, especially by those of us from the West. He covers discipleship and so much more. The blended insight from culture, psychology and humanity alongside of biblical reflection is immense.
Ajith provides a unique perspective on Disciplemaking that deserves pondering, especially by those of us from the West. He covers discipleship and so much more. The blended insight from culture, psychology and humanity alongside of biblical reflection is immense.
February 20, 2020
Parts of this were extremely clear and helpful... others felt like a bit of filler... kind of goes back and forth between "thoughts on discipleship" and the nature of the Christian life. But overall quite useful and highly recommended.
July 18, 2020
The Goodreads two-star rating perfectly describes my experience with this book: "it was ok."
A few good nuggets, but I would imagine some of the books in the footnotes probably provide better treatments of the topic.
Won't plan on re-reading.
A few good nuggets, but I would imagine some of the books in the footnotes probably provide better treatments of the topic.
Won't plan on re-reading.
August 10, 2020
Great book for a team to go through, Fernando is the kind of author you ant behind a book like this. He balances the culture with the biblical values well, and is aware of the things he does not have space to address.
June 15, 2021
The author does a great job of bring up issues that those of us in the west may not think of. He does a great job of handling with honor/shame and what telling the truth looks like in other cultures.
November 30, 2022
This may be my favorite book on discipleship I have read. Definitely my favorite book on cross-cultural ministry that I have read. I love that it is written by someone with a multicultural background with over 35 years of experience who has lived in different cultures. Ajith is balanced, theologically rich, Bible saturated, gospel centered, and gives us a kingdom cultured perspective of discipleship. As a missionary (me) who is often fatigued with cultural struggles, he reassures from scripture and experience that the Holy Spirit transforms people by the Word of God. Cross cultural ministry, especially among the unreached (and all people for that matter) takes time, commitment and patience.
January 17, 2019
This timely book is a breadth of fresh air. If you want to know what discipleship looks like, slowly read and digest this book.
‘Discipleship’ has become a buzzword of our age. Many speak about the importance of discipleship in our churches but few truly understand the ‘whats’ and ‘hows’ of discipleship.
With decades of experience in Bible soaked cross-cultural ministry, Ajith Fernando carefully and insightfully sheds light on this often misunderstood topic. Not only does this book clearly steer away from a shallow unbiblical pragmatic approach but it also takes its cues from the strong foundation of God’s inerrant Word.
Fernando successfully teases out God honouring principles from the Bible and helps his readers see how these principles apply in our multicultural world. In other words, he places the Bible next to our newspapers (cultural exegesis) and helps us see challenges and methods of discipleship.
The world that we live in is increasingly multicultural. In addition to broad biblical principles, this book also guides the readers in discipling people from other cultures. Fernando gently encourages his readers to understand foreign concepts like honour, shame, family abandonment, and persecution. Christians would be equipped to better serve brothers and sisters from other cultures by reading this book.
This short book is an easy read. You don’t need to be a theologian to glean its wisdom. Fernando writes with a clarity and charity accessible to all kinds of audiences.
I thank Crossway for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
‘Discipleship’ has become a buzzword of our age. Many speak about the importance of discipleship in our churches but few truly understand the ‘whats’ and ‘hows’ of discipleship.
With decades of experience in Bible soaked cross-cultural ministry, Ajith Fernando carefully and insightfully sheds light on this often misunderstood topic. Not only does this book clearly steer away from a shallow unbiblical pragmatic approach but it also takes its cues from the strong foundation of God’s inerrant Word.
Fernando successfully teases out God honouring principles from the Bible and helps his readers see how these principles apply in our multicultural world. In other words, he places the Bible next to our newspapers (cultural exegesis) and helps us see challenges and methods of discipleship.
The world that we live in is increasingly multicultural. In addition to broad biblical principles, this book also guides the readers in discipling people from other cultures. Fernando gently encourages his readers to understand foreign concepts like honour, shame, family abandonment, and persecution. Christians would be equipped to better serve brothers and sisters from other cultures by reading this book.
This short book is an easy read. You don’t need to be a theologian to glean its wisdom. Fernando writes with a clarity and charity accessible to all kinds of audiences.
I thank Crossway for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 14, 2019
I'm not here to say that there wasn't anything good in this book. There certainly was. What I didn't like, however, was his negativity in the book. Fernando seemed to have a dislike for discipleship in the West and was quick to point it out, which is fine, but a lot of the time I didn't feel like it was backed up in a substantial way. A lot of the book read as an "us vs. them" mentality in reference to the West and the East. To me, it didn't seem to do a good job of talking about discipleship from a truly multicultural viewpoint, but rather just broadly looking at the two, West and East. Again, not everything in the book was bad, of course, but I also don't think most of the parts I liked were anything revolutionary or things I hadn't before heard.
May 10, 2019
Discipleship is more often talked about than walked. It is also seen more like a program rather than a lifestyle. It is more like a one-off activity instead of a continuing parenting relationship. These observations kick off a mind-blowing treatise on what it means to disciple people in an increasingly pluralistic and multicultural environment. At the heart of this book's message is spiritual parenting. Author Ajith Fernando asserts that discipleship is essentially helping "born again" believers to grow and mature into spiritual adulthood. The discipler looks after the disciple. This is a caring relationship rather than several one-off programs. Fernando recognizes early on from the experiences of some of the so-called discipleship programs in the past. One of them was the realization of a lack of knowledge over what happened to people who had finished the programs earlier. He was a beneficiary of Sam Sheppard's decision to nurture a group of leaders before embarking on any new Church programs. The driving force for change should be people rather than programs. I sense that one of the biggest threats to discipleship in the Church might very well be discipleship programs that substitute short-term curriculum for long-term cultivation of relationships. Care, conviction, and commitment are keys to ensuring that spiritual parenting is sustained over the long haul. The goal is not a certificate of attendance or a degree earned. The goal has to be Col 1:28 to present everyone mature in Christ. That is why discipling is a spiritual exercise. In fact, one of the main reasons why discipleship is not popular is not because it is not taught but because of the price of commitment. People give up after a while for different reasons.
There are many gems to keep in this book.
- Major cause for burnout is due to insecurity in leaders. This is intimately related to the lack of relationship with God. (speaking out at using insecurity as a reason for doing discipleship)
- "We must not ruin our health by having insufficient sleep" (speaking against restlessness)
- "Discipling looks like an inefficient use of time" (speaking against the culture of efficiency and quick measurements of success)
- "They openly share about themselves, but often in superficial relationships with people unwilling to pay the price of costly commitment to them." (speaking out against the fear of cultivating relationships)
- "we evangelicals may have gone beyond that to view salvation as something individualistic." (speaking out against individualism that pushes against true discipleship)
- "The comfort of friends is one of the great antidotes to bitterness." (speaking about support and not some self-service exercise)
- "Christianity, then, is a religion of postponed honor." (speaking about the cost of discipleship)
My Thoughts
===============
A key point is about the discipler's inner life and his relationship within his family. Like a well-experienced discipler, he notes that many full-time ministers spend more time caring for others that he neglects his own family's spiritual needs. We need to know our limits and not to over-commit ourselves to the detriment of the family. At the same time, knowing our own weaknesses prevents us form falling into the spiritual potholes that damage not just ourselves but the very community we claim to love. I applaud Fernando's keen observation about the nature of superficiality and insecurity that impacts the way we do ministry, even discipling. Insecurity in us breeds the hunger to keep doing things to attract attention and to gain recognition. If these fall outside of God's will, we are in danger of operating outside of our calling. Rights are less important than responsibility. Insecurity is the biggest culprit in the failure of cultivating spirituality in others. It is the cause of burnout. It hurts relationships. It even manipulates others for the sake of self. It breads even deeper levels of insecurity.
Second, Fernando redefines commonly used Christian terms with a relational perspective. "Discipling" is about investing in people, especially younger believers. "Mentoring" is for investment in more mature believers. Such a distinction is vital to put a distance between common church-run programs with a focus on investment and care. He applies the ten commandments by pointing out the dual nature of our relationships: with earthly family and our spiritual family. Discipleship means teaching disciples to build good relationships with their families. Show them how to be good members instead of expecting their families to behave in a particular way. Encourage youths in their studies. When he starts sharing about relationships with believing children and their non-Christian parents, I recognize that he speaks from personal encounters. After all, Sri Lanka is very much a non-Christian country and tensions do arise when family members change their faith beliefs. This is where the "multicultural world" context comes in. Fernando writes about suffering, persecution, and "loss of honor," something unique to the South Asian culture. Discipleship is also about teaching one another the real possibility of suffering and pain. Perseverance and hope are crucial to faithfulness. Fernando shares quite a lot from the book of Acts, understandably so since he had previously written an entire commentary on Acts. That commentary remains one of my favourite commentaries.
Finally, I appreciate the way Fernando takes discipleship to a whole new level and applies them directly to relationships. That is exactly what discipleship is about. Jesus had told us to "make disciples of all nations," and it is all about working with people instead of anything else. We don't have to be in a third-world country in order to experience what multiculturalism is about. Many of us living in the West are already experiencing that. Multiculturalism have arrived at our shores in the Western world. Though Fernando writes from a Sri Lanka point of view, there are so many ideas that we could apply to our modern world in the West. He touches on many relationship matters such as prayer and intercession; guilt and forgiveness; honour and shame; friendship and community; joy and healing; etc. While the topic seems to be on discipleship, we learn that it is essentially about the gospel where Christ came for us in spite of who we are, that we might become the people we were meant to be. Discipleship is that relational curriculum of faith to do just that. May more people learn about spiritual parenting and to teach others to do the same.
Ajith Fernando has been the National Director for Youth For Christ in Sri Lanka for over 35 years. He is now a teaching director there. He lives in Colombo with his wife Nelun where both actively serve the urban poor as well as mentoring younger staff and pastors. Ajith is also a prolific author, writing compelling articles, books, and commentaries on top of his busy ministry work. The author has been blessed with a generous six-month sabbatical package from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School to write his book. He is a graduate of Asbury and Fuller Theological Seminary.
Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
There are many gems to keep in this book.
- Major cause for burnout is due to insecurity in leaders. This is intimately related to the lack of relationship with God. (speaking out at using insecurity as a reason for doing discipleship)
- "We must not ruin our health by having insufficient sleep" (speaking against restlessness)
- "Discipling looks like an inefficient use of time" (speaking against the culture of efficiency and quick measurements of success)
- "They openly share about themselves, but often in superficial relationships with people unwilling to pay the price of costly commitment to them." (speaking out against the fear of cultivating relationships)
- "we evangelicals may have gone beyond that to view salvation as something individualistic." (speaking out against individualism that pushes against true discipleship)
- "The comfort of friends is one of the great antidotes to bitterness." (speaking about support and not some self-service exercise)
- "Christianity, then, is a religion of postponed honor." (speaking about the cost of discipleship)
My Thoughts
===============
A key point is about the discipler's inner life and his relationship within his family. Like a well-experienced discipler, he notes that many full-time ministers spend more time caring for others that he neglects his own family's spiritual needs. We need to know our limits and not to over-commit ourselves to the detriment of the family. At the same time, knowing our own weaknesses prevents us form falling into the spiritual potholes that damage not just ourselves but the very community we claim to love. I applaud Fernando's keen observation about the nature of superficiality and insecurity that impacts the way we do ministry, even discipling. Insecurity in us breeds the hunger to keep doing things to attract attention and to gain recognition. If these fall outside of God's will, we are in danger of operating outside of our calling. Rights are less important than responsibility. Insecurity is the biggest culprit in the failure of cultivating spirituality in others. It is the cause of burnout. It hurts relationships. It even manipulates others for the sake of self. It breads even deeper levels of insecurity.
Second, Fernando redefines commonly used Christian terms with a relational perspective. "Discipling" is about investing in people, especially younger believers. "Mentoring" is for investment in more mature believers. Such a distinction is vital to put a distance between common church-run programs with a focus on investment and care. He applies the ten commandments by pointing out the dual nature of our relationships: with earthly family and our spiritual family. Discipleship means teaching disciples to build good relationships with their families. Show them how to be good members instead of expecting their families to behave in a particular way. Encourage youths in their studies. When he starts sharing about relationships with believing children and their non-Christian parents, I recognize that he speaks from personal encounters. After all, Sri Lanka is very much a non-Christian country and tensions do arise when family members change their faith beliefs. This is where the "multicultural world" context comes in. Fernando writes about suffering, persecution, and "loss of honor," something unique to the South Asian culture. Discipleship is also about teaching one another the real possibility of suffering and pain. Perseverance and hope are crucial to faithfulness. Fernando shares quite a lot from the book of Acts, understandably so since he had previously written an entire commentary on Acts. That commentary remains one of my favourite commentaries.
Finally, I appreciate the way Fernando takes discipleship to a whole new level and applies them directly to relationships. That is exactly what discipleship is about. Jesus had told us to "make disciples of all nations," and it is all about working with people instead of anything else. We don't have to be in a third-world country in order to experience what multiculturalism is about. Many of us living in the West are already experiencing that. Multiculturalism have arrived at our shores in the Western world. Though Fernando writes from a Sri Lanka point of view, there are so many ideas that we could apply to our modern world in the West. He touches on many relationship matters such as prayer and intercession; guilt and forgiveness; honour and shame; friendship and community; joy and healing; etc. While the topic seems to be on discipleship, we learn that it is essentially about the gospel where Christ came for us in spite of who we are, that we might become the people we were meant to be. Discipleship is that relational curriculum of faith to do just that. May more people learn about spiritual parenting and to teach others to do the same.
Ajith Fernando has been the National Director for Youth For Christ in Sri Lanka for over 35 years. He is now a teaching director there. He lives in Colombo with his wife Nelun where both actively serve the urban poor as well as mentoring younger staff and pastors. Ajith is also a prolific author, writing compelling articles, books, and commentaries on top of his busy ministry work. The author has been blessed with a generous six-month sabbatical package from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School to write his book. He is a graduate of Asbury and Fuller Theological Seminary.
Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
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