Discipleship That Fits by Bobby Harrington, Alex Absalom

Discipleship That Fits by Bobby Harrington & Alex Absalom ISBN-13: 9780310522614 Trade Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: Feb. 9, 2016

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Based on careful biblical study and years of experience making disciples in the local church, Bobby Harrington and Alex Absalom have identified five key relationships where discipleship happens in our lives. In each relational context, we need to understand how discipleship occurs and we need to set appropriate expectations for each context.

Public Relationships : The church gathering corporately for worship

Social Relationships : Networks of smaller relationships where we engage in mission and live out our faith in community

Personal Relationships : Small groups of six to sixteen people where we challenge and encourage one another on a regular basis

Transparent Relationships : Close relationships of three to four where we share intimate details of our lives for accountability

The Divine Relationship : Our relationship with Jesus Christ where we grow through the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit

Filled with examples and stories, Alex and Bobby show you how to develop discipleship practices in each relational context by sharing how Jesus did it, how the early church practiced it, and how churches are discipling people today.


My Review:
Discipleship That Fits is about how discipleship occurs in different group sizes. People don't normally feel comfortable sharing private struggles in a group of over 100 people, for example. The authors identified five types of groups and how people expect to interact in groups of that size. They also compared these group types to examples in the Bible, like Jesus teaching the crowds, the seventy-two, the twelve, the three, and spending time alone with His Father.

The authors speak from experience, and they share what they've learned. They included examples of how groups of these sizes might be organized. They're clear about the strengths, weaknesses, and goals of discipleship in each context and that all five are important in their different ways. While they included advice specifically for church leaders, it's actually aimed at any Christian. They wrote with a casual tone and were easy to understand. I'd recommend this book to Christians interested in forming discipleship groups.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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