Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus

by Mark Dever

What does it look like to help others become more like Christ? In this concise guide, pastor Mark Dever outlines the who, what, where, when, why, and how of discipling―helping others follow Jesus. Following the pattern found in Scripture, this book explains how disciple-making relationships should function in the context of the local church, teaching us how to cultivate a culture of discipling as a normal part of our everyday lives. Part of the 9 Building Healthy Churches series.

Genres: Discipleship, Christian, Christian Living, Theology, Church, Christianity, Nonfiction

128 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2016

About the author

Mark E. Dever serves as the senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC. Since his ordination to the ministry in 1985, Dr. Dever has served on the pastoral staffs of four churches, the second being a church he planted in Massachusetts. Prior to moving to Washington in 1994, Dr. Dever taught for the faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University while serving two years as an associate pastor of Eden Baptist Church.

In an effort to build biblically faithful churches in America, Dr. Dever serves as the executive director for 9Marks (formerly The Center for Church Reform, CCR) in Washington, D.C. 9Marks encourages pastors of local churches look to the Bible for instruction on how to organize and lead their churches. Dr. Dever also teaches periodically at various conferences, speaking everywhere from South Africa to Brazil to the United Kingdom to Alabama. Feeling a deep burden for student ministry, Dr. Dever often addresses student ministry groups at campuses throughout the country. He has also taught at a number of seminaries, including Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. Dr. Dever’s scholarly interests include Puritanism and ecclesiology.

Dr. Dever currently serves as a trustee of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; he also serves as a member of the board, vice-chairman, and chairman of the Forum for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. From 1995 until 2001, he served on the steering committee for Founders Ministries, a pastoral movement for biblical teaching and healthy church life within the Southern Baptist Convention. As Guest Senate Chaplain for two weeks in 1995, Dr. Dever opened the daily sessions of the United States Senate in prayer. He is a member of the American Society of Church History and the Tyndale Fellowship. He also held the J.B. Lightfoot Scholarship at Cambridge University from 1989 to 1991.

Reviews

[John Waldrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most practical and readable book about an essential Christian (and may I say Baptist) practice that is woefully neglected. How can one be an obedient Christian without immersion in the practice and art of discipleship? I don't think you can be. Dever's book is divided into three parts, with the first part that is titled "What Is Discipling?" being a very good piece of persuasion that every gospel minister and Christian should take to heart. The second part, "Where Should We Disciple?", does a commendable job of showing the central place the local Church has not only to the Christian life but to the Christian activity of obeying our Lord's Great Commission by engaging in discipling as an ongoing lifestyle. The final portion of the book is the how to part. There is only one part of the book I didn't like, Mark's advice to leave a Church for another one if you think you are not being fed. My more than forty years experience leads me to conclude that attempts to justify such departures by such claims are rarely the real reason for the departure. Oh well. What is missing from this great little book? Perhaps a few comments about terminating a discipleship arrangement. the tone of the book that I appreciate is that Mark Dever is not an ivory tower spiritual leader. We have had too many of those types. Not that a Spurgeon or a Norris or a Criswell are not men God wonderfully used, but the one's who try to copy them are so frequently engaged in self-exaltation. I am delighted to see no trace of that in this book. I think it is healthy for the cause of Christ.

[Salvador Blanco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recommend this book enough for those who want to think about discipling (and practice it) in the local church. Dever takes all the best little anecdotes about discipling and puts them in a readable book without leaving out the importance of the local church (08.25.2019).

Just got done reading for a book club at ICC. So much wisdom in a such a short book! I love the broad definition of discipling:

“Discipling really is just a bunch of church members taking responsibility to prepare one another for glory” (p.43).

“The local church is itself the basic discipler of Christians” (p.53).

“Discipling is a relationship in which we seek to do spiritual good for someone by initiating, teaching, correcting, modeling, loving, humbling ourselves, counseling, and influencing” (p.74).

“We make friends and then walk them in a Christward direction.”

(06.17.24)

[David J. Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Dever defines discipleship as individuals following Jesus. He defines "disciplING" as intentional doing spiritual good to others to help them follow Jesus. Both are necessary.

Discipling is not something only done by a pastor, it's not a twelve or fifteen week program, it's not a process that begins and then is completed this side of heaven. It's an ongoing exercise, just like discipleSHIP is an ongoing exercise. And it takes place in a New Testament church as all of us help each other.

This book helps us see what discipling ought to be, and how to personally put that into practice.

[Morgana Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente livro. Quem dera a igreja brasileira vivesse a cultura do discipulado.

[Leah Batchelor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe my third time through. This book is so helpful in its explanation of discipleship, walking most notably through the WHY, HOW, and WHO. I read it this time around with a younger girl who asked for “mentoring” in order to get on the same page. It was great fodder for conversation. I wish that the final chapter (in such a short book) wasn’t so narrowly written for pastors. I simultaneously chuckle at and appreciate Mark’s discussion of age. He notes the biblical basis for older-to-younger discipleship yet the inevitable mutuality that real discipleship entails, regardless of age dynamics.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Dever does an phenomenal job of explaining how discipling fits into the life of every Christian as well as giving practical application for living it out. This is definitely a book that will point you in the right direction to help you encourage and build up your fellow Christians and church members.

[Eduardo Escobar · Rating 4 out of 5]

ABC del discipulado

Excelente introducción al discipulado en el contexto de la iglesia. Breve, claro y certero, útil para todo cristiano que desee adentrarse, recordar o refrescar la idea del crecimiento cristiano.

[Emily Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite thing about this book was how much it encouraged me to see the local church as the primary place (aside from my own household) to engage in discipleship!

[Lydia Guetzko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I loved this book. I have so much respect for this pastor’s humility. Some of the best ~nuggets~ of wisdom were in the conclusion written by Jonathan Leeman. Literally so good.

[Haley Hoggle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A helpful book!! I like the structure of most 9marks books presenting a complex topic so simply and scripturally! I know that Mark Dever is practicing what he is writing, and that is encouraging for me! Discipleship is helping others follow Jesus. This gives me so much encouragement to serve others well and sit at the foot of the cross while doing so! This book presents biblical principles in a sweet way!!

Some of the things I underlined while reading!!:
“Christian discipling is not so much the work of experts and technocrats; to borrow the old phrase, it’s the work of one beggar pointing another beggar to bread”
“What God wants most of all is for all of you to love him—all your ambitions and your motives, your desires, and hopes, your thinking and reasoning, your strength and energy, all of this informed and purified and disciplined by His Word.”
“Really the “how” of discipling is not that complicated. It’s about doing life together with other people as you all journey towards Christ. We make friends then walk with them in a Christward direction. We want to understand God and his ways and live as the Bible calls us to. We want to be accurate in our understanding and holy in our living. We want to know the truth and to live well. All to the glory of the God and whose image we’re made!”

[Hopson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic little book on discipling by Mark Dever. This book is short, clear, and wonderfully practical. For anyone who is looking to make a start in personally obeying the Great Commission, this is an excellent resource. One of the most helpful sections was Dever's practical advice on knowing who to get started with. Highly recommend this one!

[Brian Pate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mar 2021 - I skimmed through this book because our church interns were reading it. It's even better than I remembered.

Dec 2019 - This is a good book, but I didn't feel like it fleshed out the life-on-life investment that is characteristic of Dever. Part 1 (what is discipling?) was good. Part 2 was mostly about ecclesiology and, though good material, was not directly related to discipleship.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book both raises the stakes and lowers the bar in ways that spur Christians toward doing spiritual good to one another as we “assist one another in the fight for love and holiness”. Such an encouragement to read this a second time and discuss it with my friend.

[Peter Krol · Rating 3 out of 5]

A helpful basic understanding of discipleship, but could have used more scriptural underpinnings to drive its points home.

[Bill Forgeard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fundamental stuff. The local church centric approach was a helpful complement to the parachurch oriented discipling material so many of us have been trained in.

[Justin Nuzum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the single most helpful resource I’ve read on discipleship. It helps immensely to flesh out what exactly discipleship looks like in the context of a local church with similar implications for family life as well. Discipling by Mark Dever has left me eager to meet with my brothers and sisters at church and to help them grow in the Lord.

[JP McCammon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Christian should read this book.

[Grant Thigpen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Currently re-reading.

[Cassendur Mus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfortunately, Discipleship in the church has been viewed as “optional”, “unnecessary”, “chokes up the zeal for evangelism”, or a “westernize professional development practice.” Yet our Lord’s emphasis and stress in the Great Commission is to “Make disciples.” Churches must return and obey this ecclesiological methodology, commanded by Christ, to cultivate a church of maturing and growing believers. Though it is a short read, it offers very practical instruction on the how, the what, the where, the who, and the why of discipling others. My understanding of Discipleship was biblically and additionally clarified after reading this book, which is filled with Scripture references. If you are searching for a guidebook to start up a one-on-one, group, and training/equipping ministry in your church, “Discipling” will disciple you on how to disciple others.

[Tim Michiemo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 Stars

“Discipling” by Mark Dever is an excellent introduction to Christian discipleship. Dever’s book is a brief but well rounded discussion on what discipleship is, who disciples and how to disciple. Rather than emphasizing his own technique Dever humbly exalts the Scriptures but offers wisdom that can apply to some but not all situations. The highlights of this book is that discipleship is something all Christians should participate in, discipleship is a way of loving others, discipleship should be intentional, and pastors should be eager to delegate to raise up leaders. Those familiar with Dever and 9marks ministries will find many familiar things in this book, but this will not retract from the value of the book at all. Ultimately Dever’s book succeeds in its task because it made me want to disciple more faithfully, I highly recommend this book!

[Micah Lugg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great primer on the what/why/how of discipling in the church. Dever provides the biblical support for the call for every Christian to help others follow Jesus. He also provides helpful examples of what this kind of relationships looks like. He understands the diversity of personalities and giftings in the church and thus his instruction is not a one-size-fits all approach.

I also appreciated how he places the work of discipling within the context of a local church. Much the discipling literature is written by those involved in parachurch ministries. This doesn't mean it's invalid, but sometimes it is lacking in a fully-orbed picture of the Christian life. Dever's work helps fill out that picture.

[Chuck Shorter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, Little Book.
Although 5”x7”dimensionally & 113 pages in length, this book contains a depth of practical information about establishing a culture of discipleship in a local Church.

What I found most excellent:
- Centers around the local Church ministry
- Makes references other books which I will be adding to my list
- Very practical, immediate action, types of application
- Provoking!! Am I doing “deliberate spiritual good” in the lives of others?

This is one book in a series of 9. I’ll have to look for the others 8 and get them on the list.
HIGHLY Recommended.

[Dkovlak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book on discipling. There are a number of good lists to be followed when beginning a discipling arrangement and carrying out a discipling arrangement.

This book would make an excellent group study. It would help each of us fulfill the great commission: (Matthew 28:19).

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, - Matthew 28:19

THIS IS A COMMAND BY GOD, NOT A SUGGESTION!

[Hudson Christmas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Dever's book surrounding the topic of discipling within the church is a practical, insightful, and encouraging read about practical ways that discipling can grow within the church body. Dever is able to keep his statements focused on the individual reader, while never shying away from talking about the church body's responsibility to disciple as a whole. Very practical and very easy to read, I recommend this book.

Update: I think the exact same way about this book.

[David Chung · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brisk read that should help Christians understand, and perhaps recover, the "plainness" of discipling one another. According to Dever, "Discipling others now is how I try to leave time-bombs of grace." And as good as the book is, the conclusion by Leeman might have been my favorite part.

[Justin Heck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book on discipling I've read. Concise, practical, and inspiring.

[Reed Schafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What a joy to be used by God to disciple others! Why would you not spend your life doing this?”
-Mark Dever

I loved this book. That’s my review.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and clear. “[Discipleship] is about doing life together with other people as you all journey toward Christ” (86).

[Pig Rieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I only listened to this one on Hoopla.

As is typical of 9Marks and Mark Dever material, the book is no attempt at novelty or new strategies; rather, it puts toward relationships built around the Word of God and in the context of the people of God. The work is an amalgam of Biblical wisdom and examples of the application of said wisdom. It offers no steps, levels, or quick fixes; rather, it is a call to work for the spiritual and eternal betterment of others.

[Bobby Bonser · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read and accessible book on the topic of discipleship. I appreciated the authors premise and intentions to help others follow Jesus more. I think perhaps my only criticism is that the gospel was not as central as I think it should be. The result was that the book came off a little bit formulaic or formal when I think discipleship is a bit more organic than it was presented. But I was encouraged, on the other hand, to be more intentional about pursuing friendships and relationships with brothers in Christ.