Jessie Cruickshank is an ordained minister and a nationally recognized expert in disciple making and the neuroscience of transformation. She has spent two decades applying neuroeducation research to discipleship, ministry leader training, experiential education, and organization development. Cruickshank’s newest book is Ordinary Discipleship: How God Wires Us for the Adventure of Transformation (NavPress).
While many Christians would profess a belief that the Great Commission is a call for everyone, most books on disciple making stand outside the reach of the everyday believer. Often, they either focus on systematic theology and read like seminary-lite resources, or they focus on disciple making from a position of organizational leadership. That leaves these books disconnected from the majority of believers, who don’t readily see themselves as spiritual leaders.
Moreover, few of these resources focus on the actual work and relational dynamics of disciple making, choosing to look at church-related activities instead. All this further reinforces the impression that only the qualified few are actually commissioned. However, successful disciple-making movements, both domestically and abroad, have understood the need to shift the paradigm by equipping ordinary followers of Jesus to be not only disciples but also disciple makers from the beginning.
At its core, making disciples is a relational activity. It is about one person sharing their faith with another in a transformative way. The science of learning and interpersonal relationships matters, and understanding our humanness is the foundation for all effective ministry. Yet books on discipleship are often oriented around theological intelligence (TQ) or program management, while relationship skills and emotional intelligence (EQ) are often skipped or assumed. This leaves everyday followers of Jesus feeling like disciple making is too complicated. They assume they don’t know enough to do it competently, and this self-perception rarely changes over time.
To bridge this gap, we have to train ordinary people in the relational skills to be Spirit-led in helping others be changed by Jesus. Perhaps by facilitating a more accessible paradigm of disciple making, we will see more people responding to the Great Commission, and our prayer for laborers will be answered.
I have found these first three books, which are focused specifically on discipleship, helpful.
Hero Maker: Five Essential Practices for Leaders to Multiply Leaders by Dave Ferguson and Warren Bird (Zondervan) offers five practices of apprenticeship, modeled by Jesus, that show us both how to develop people and how to release them into their next season. This accessible work finds easy application in a variety of contexts, from the workplace to sports.
Ordinary Disciples, Extraordinary Influence: Stories to Fuel a Life of Unshakable Faith by Galen Burkholder and Brother Tefera (100 Movements Publishing) describes practices and postures that the ordinary follower of Jesus can employ in their everyday life to help them disciple another person. Stories of disciple making from around the world make this book feel accessible and relatable.
The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon (Baker Books) looks at how the everyday follower of Jesus can build relationships with the people in their lives and neighborhoods.
These next three books are written to a much broader audience and aren’t specifically about discipleship; however, they can help you think about it from different perspectives.
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown (Random House) shares stories and science to help readers find the courage not only to embrace their potential influence, but to do so in a healthy way that allows each of us to have the impact we desire.
The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip Heath and Dan Heath (Simon & Schuster) looks at the science that explains why we don’t experience every moment equally. The authors coach us on how we can think about our interactions differently to make little moments go a long way.
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (New World Library) is a seminal work describing the Hero’s Journey. He unpacks the cultural role of this archetype that appears throughout the myths that shape and teach us, and shows us what inspires us to be brave despite risk and danger. This story pattern remains compelling, and it provides a template for the callings we respond to and the journeys we go on.
