Discipling thru relationships

I read the below blog from the ramblings of a preacherman
I think it is relevant to our current discussion on making disciples.

Community

Engaging people in their lost condition, winning them to Christ, teaching and training them and then helping them get plugged into ministry is discipleship. I think somehow we have assumed that if someone gets saved, joins a church and then starts attending services they are being discipled. They may be initially, but if it stops in the pew and everyone involved is content there, then the process has broken down.

I mentioned earlier that some are concerned with getting people "churched." I am too, but not in the traditional sense of the word. I don't just want people coming to our services. I want to see them go all the way so that they are truly becoming like Christ in every way, until that process culminates in the individual giving their life away in ministry. Not only are they being a disciple, but now they are making disciples.

That is discipleship. Discipleship can only happen in the context of relationships; and to form relationships requires us to start thinking outside the pew. Jesus formed close relationships with only a handful of men. He preached to the multitudes, but He radically influenced a handful. That handful in turn did the same. He made disciples who in turn made disciples. Jesus did it with that end in mind, and He did it on the street, in the marketplace, on the hillside, at cemeteries, while they ate. In other words, through relationships.

"By this shall all men know you are my disciples, that you quit smoking and drinking and cussing and start attending church every week." No, "that you have love for one another." It is easy to say you love someone. It's a whole other thing to say that you want to enter into a relationship with them. Love your enemies? Try entering a relationship with them. That's radical, but it may be a better indicator of discipleship than singing in the choir.