Which is more important, people often ask, evangelism or discipleship? It is often stated as though discipleship is just about growth after conversion. Sometimes people describe it as an apparent conflict between evangelism and spiritual formation (or "sanctification").
I am glad that we do not have to pick.
Both of these imperatives were included in Jesus' command when he told us to "make disciples" (Matt. 28:19-20). He instructed us to baptize people (conversion) and to teach them to obey all of his teachings (sanctification). All along, we can trust that he is present with us by his Spirit.
Why do I bring this up?
Well, a few years ago, Bill Hull and I wrote a short eBook called Evangelism or Discipleship: Can they Effectively Work Together? Since many people are still talking about the tension between these two topics, we redesigned, reformatted, and re-released the eBook this week!
Please join us at the National Disciple Making Forum in October, where you can hear Bill Hull, Jim Putman, Robby Gallaty, and many others.
Blessings,
Bobby Harrington
Executive Director, Discipleship.org
