We’ve already considered an important question about being disciplemaking teachers:
Prayerfully we see the value of discipling students and not just showing up to teach a lesson. But, that does lead to another question so many teachers sense to be a reality in their lives.
FAQ about Discipleship & the Time it Takes
What if I don’t have time to work with students one-on-one?
Discipleship is a process that happens over the course of time, not instantaneously. The principle of sowing and reaping comes into play. The less we sow, the less we reap. The first thing we need to do is ask ourselves how much of a priority it is for us to be disciplemaking teachers. We usually make time for what we view as important. With that said, most teachers do have limited time so we need to consider options:
Rather than one-on-one time with each and every student, can you choose a few students to invest more time into? Remember that Jesus spent more time with the twelve disciples than He did with the masses. But even among the twelve, He invested more into just of few of them. He discipled all of His followers but not all with the same intensity and intimacy.
You’ll find three more suggestions in the Bible Teacher’s Handbook of Frequently Asked Questions which also responds to these questions about discipleship:
- Why isn’t teaching a Bible lesson enough?
- What’s the ultimate goal of discipleship?
- What if students don’t want to be discipled?
The handbook answers questions about 48 other aspects of teaching with a total of 153 questions.