Strategic and Tactical Discipleship Essentials for Leaders

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…Jesus

Strategy is the overall big picture plan to achieve certain objectives. As an example, the overarching strategy of the US Navy is two-fold: (1) Keeping the sea lanes open. Ensuring that: imports vital to our survival and defense arrive at our various ports and our exports reach their destination; and (2) Projecting the power of the nation to areas of vital national security and/or interest such as sending a Carrier Strike Group to the Persian Gulf on May 8, 2019.

Tactics, on the other hand, has to do with setting resources, plans and procedures in place to carry out specific strategies and strategic objectives. This would include the actions of the carrier strike group while deployed. US Naval tactics are built around “sending” trained/discipled warriors equipped with various platforms and deployed in certain manners from which to achieve these two strategic objectives.

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” Sun Tzu, The Art of War

We readily recognize the initial scripture as the beginning of The Great Commission. In context, Jesus has just risen from the dead and the eleven disciples have gone to the mountain in Galilee where Jesus had instructed them to go. Even then “some doubted”, a fact which has given me comfort from time to time in my own journey.

We also know that in the previous verse Jesus declared a major game changer, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” With this “Truth” established, our Lord then said to these disciples, and all future disciples…Therefore go and make disciples. In another post-resurrection appearance Jesus declares the same strategic/tactical imperative…As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. John 20:21b

In a similar fashion, the overarching strategic objective of God is the redemption of mankind and the establishment of His Kingdom rule in the hearts of men. The Divine plan is for God’s love to touch and impact people as though Christ Himself were physically walking the earth. The divine tactical imperative to attain this strategic objective, among the nations and through the generations, is dependent upon “a going” to make disciples. This is Plan A, or simply The Plan, as there is no Plan B.

The Church’s incrementally-fading-influence in the culture gives adequate testimony to the fact that “Go and make disciples”, has at this point fallen short of The Plan. The ancient maxim of Sun Tzu, “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory”, seems to have some relevance in the life of the American Church. Leaders must have a functional understanding of the relationship of strategic thinking to tactical execution. Winston Churchill once observed, “However beautiful the strategy, you must occasionally look at the results.”

In order to develop effective strategic/tactical discipleship operations on the local level, the following critical essentials are offered for consideration. Remember, momentum is only significant if the trajectory is correct.

1. Effective discipleship strategy/tactics must have…must have, a leadership mobilization initiative component. The root word for “go” is the same as for the word “lead”. Before Jesus gives the command to “make disciples” He says “Go”. I believe the intended trajectory is into the “plentiful” harvest fields Jesus previously spoke of. So we must “occasionally” exit our buildings where The Church regularly meets in order to comply with “Go”. Discipleship tactics must conform to the New Testament template---to equip his people for works of service…Ephesians 4:12-13.

2. Inspired, passionate, and capable senior leadership at the local level is also a critical essential for this discipleship dynamic and mobilization initiative to be created. Functional Paul/Timothy relationships must become the rule---not the exception---and the expected norm among the men in every congregation. Our men must have a variety of small group settings where this dynamic can form and be operational.

3. Senior leadership must know their effective disciplers, those who passionately embrace The Great Commandment in word and in deed. A tepid embrace of The Great Commandment will significantly hobble the implementation of The Great Commission and consequently adversely impact discipleship initiatives. Within this reservoir of passionate Christ followers is the obvious prime place to recruit, train, equip, and send disciplers to disciple.

4. It is an exercise in futility to expect men who have never been discipled to go and make disciples. Just imagine if the military, organized sports, corporations, or even fast-food chains had no tactical plan and resources allocated to recruit, train, and equip personnel to attain their strategic objectives…vis-a’-vis discipleship.

5. It is also futile to attempt to disciple men who do not wish to be discipled or who are unfamiliar with the concept or requirements of discipleship. Therefore, we must actively promote the concept of discipleship as an understood essential of the Faith. When local leadership promotes the biblical standard of making disciples as “our standard”, then men will respond. It is in our masculine DNA.

“Good tactics can save even the worst strategy. Bad tactics will destroy even the best strategy. Wars are not won with defensive tactics.” General George S. Patton

Discussion: Jesus said “Follow Me” on several occasions but it was a declaration as well as a challenge. He was issuing a paradigm shift for the very life of the individual. He was not creating a new system of religion with a list of rules to follow, instead, He was offering His life to follow. Simply stated, “die to self”, drop your nets, learn a new way to live life and become “fishers of men”.

Sacrificial living or living to serve others is not a popular subject in 2023 America, yet it is at the core of “making disciples”. Many “church folks” seem to believe that such a life is only for military, law enforcement, fire fighters, missionaries, and pastors.

One thought for local strategic/tactical planning would be for leadership to embrace the relevant facts of #4 and #5. Then, develop strategies to specifically transform these negative factors into Kingdom assets. 2 Timothy 2:2 is but a single verse, yet if these faithful/reliable men fail to make contact with “others” whole generations are at risk.

The follow-on verses, 2:3-7, provide various reference points---soldier, athlete, farmer---demonstrating that discipline and hard work are necessary and required to achieve the goal of discipleship---“Christ-likeness”. Paul summarizes his theology in 2:8 “Remember, Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel.” (NIV) This is refreshingly simple.

Why should we assume that our many discipleship programs will work if they are not modeled after the imperatives of the New Testament template? A reasonable question, perhaps seldom asked by leadership, would then be, who are you discipling?...or even, who is discipling you?

Developed by: Barney Barnes, Warrior Spirit Ministries, 3-8-2023