WITH HIM:
A biblical model of discipleship for men
By Ken G. Smith
10 Publishing. 60 pages. £4.99
ISBN 978 1 911 272 342
Reading this brief book, on a key principle of Christian discipleship, is rather like sitting down for an hour with elderly pastor to garner the choicest bits of his wisdom after a lifetime of ministry.
It is a one point book: making disciples involves sharing life with people so that they can see, as well as hear, what it means to be a follower of Jesus. This is being ‘with him’. The book is written with men in mind, but from the start makes clear that ‘with her’ is just as important!
Life together
Ken Smith explains how he was first taught this principle through working alongside folk from the Navigators. He then illustrates the biblical background of ‘with him’ through the ministries of Jesus and Paul. Before explaining how to find people to disciple and giving a few principles of what to teach when they are ‘with you’.
The point the book makes is vital in our age of church programmes and professional ministry. We must remember that learning to be a follower of Jesus has never primarily been done in the classroom, but rather by living out life together. By listening, seeing, trying, failing, discussing and praying together. It is the reality of this kind of disciple-making, standing shoulder to shoulder with a more mature believer, that will equip people to be faithful to Christ in an ever increasingly hostile world.
The book is undoubtedly a little idiosyncratic at times, but find me a Christian minister who isn’t! My only question is whether the one point needed to be published as a book, rather than an article or paper.
