measuring discipleship

reacting to the statement: "The measure of a church discipleship effort is the number of new leaders in ministry in the church and community".

at least it's got me thinking. initially, this statement rubs me wrong. it seems to place a lot of value in the product and little in the process. theoretically, if the number of new leaders in ministry was the measure of success for your discipleship effort then it opens the door for the end justifying the means. and how do you measure those leaders? is it slapping a label on a new disciplee? like, congrats, you've arrived! you're a leader!

and what about those who will never become "leaders". i know the case can be made that we're all leaders in some capacity, but it seems like this is born out of our culture's obsession with inciting everyone into leadership (a tendency i'm afraid the Church has bought hook, line and sinker). (for a interesting perspective on this, check out joe stowell's followership)

but it still begs the question, how do you measure discipleship?

let's just say i'm in the disciple-making business (just the thought of referring to it as a business makes me queasy, but for the sake of the arguement...). how do i know that i'm being effective? how do i know if God is using me? how do i know if my "business" (ministry just sounds so much better) is successful?

and aren't we all in the disciple-making business whether we signed the paperwork or not? that's what Christ called us to in the great commission. His main command was to make disciples. the "go" was inferred...like, "as you're going". you're already going...and you've got a job to do while you're at it!

so how do we know if we're being effective at our job ("calling" sounds better in my conservative brain)?

won't the ultimate job review come at the end of this life when we hope to hear our Savior say, well done good and faithful servant?

so maybe a better question is, how do i make disciples?

and i totally get it that it's got to be God who causes the growth. we might plant the see, water, etc...but it is God who causes it to actually grow and flourish (1 Cor. 3:6).

maybe behind the labels and programs is a better understanding of what Christ meant. which leads to the more foundational question:

what is a disciple?

someone who looks, lives, acts, thinks, talks, breathes like Jesus.

oh man. ok, so maybe my "disciple effort" in the church shouldn't be focused on building people towards a position, but pushing them to the person of Christ.

still, how do you measure the effort?

thots?