The Discipleship Map: Igniting a Movement at Cragmor Church
In 2024, Cragmor Church received a divine charge that set our hearts ablaze: “Go.
Proclaim. Make Disciples.” As Andrew Perkett, our Church Life and Outreach Director,
shared in a previous blog, this mission is our rallying cry. To guide us on this sacred
journey, we’ve turned to Justin G. Gravitt, a passionate voice from The Navigators,
whose book The Foundation of a Disciplemaking Culture unveils the transformative
power of the Discipleship Map. In Chapter 5, Gravitt calls us to embrace a “new” map
for discipleship—a map that leads to lives changed and eternities shaped. So, what is
this new map, and why does it set our souls on fire?
The Old Discipleship Map (ODM): A Fading Path
Imagine a time when the world believed California was an island, misled by maps drawn
from Hernán Cortés’ 16th-century assumptions. For 200 years, this error shaped reality
until truth prevailed. Similarly, Gravitt reveals that the Old Discipleship Map (ODM) has
led churches to a lack of multiplication for generations. It separates belief from
obedience, salvation from discipleship, and casts disciple-making as optional: a choice
rather than a calling.
Under the ODM, discipleship often means sitting in classes, absorbing knowledge, and
serving in ministry roles out of duty, not destiny. In this model, only a mere 5% of a
church’s members shine in their God-given gifts, while 95% linger as spectators,
students, participants in a Sunday school class or small group, filling roles as “warm
bodies” rather than thriving as world-changers. The result? A church heavy on talk, light
on action, and nearly barren of accountability. The ODM fails to produce disciples who
make disciples, stalling the multiplication Jesus envisioned. We cannot settle for this
broken path. Our hearts yearn for more - a map that leads to revival.
The New Discipleship Map (NDM): A Divine Adventure
A map isn’t just lines on paper; it’s a guide to a life of purpose, a compass for eternity.
The New Discipleship Map (NDM) beckons us to weave our everyday lives into God’s
eternal mission: to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). While earthly
treasures fade, people and God’s Word endure forever. Disciple-making is our chance
to invest in what lasts: to leave a legacy that echoes in heaven.
The NDM isn’t a suggestion; it’s a divine command. Every believer is called to own this
mission, to step boldly into the adventure of discipling others. Gravitt shares a story of
Mike, a faithful church member of over 50 years, shaped by the ODM. When Mike
wonders if his life has fallen short, because he hasn’t been involved personally in
making disciples, Pastor Colin responds with grace: “God has been glorified by your
faithfulness, Mike. Now, He’s inviting you to a new chapter - a call to disciple others as
Jesus did.” The NDM doesn’t dismiss past devotion; it builds on it, igniting a fresh
passion to follow Jesus’ model of personal, transformative discipleship.
This isn’t a quick fix. Just as it took 200 years to correct the myth of California as an
island, shifting from the ODM to the NDM demands courage and time. It reminds a
committed leadership. It demands a leadership desire to follow a new map. Gravitt
reminds us, “The longer a flawed map is accepted, the harder it is to change.” But
change we must! Cragmor Church is called to rise, to transform from a gathering of
attendees into a movement of disciple-makers who multiply God’s love across
generations.
Drawing the New Discipleship Map: A Vision for Eternity
To chart this bold path, Gravitt adapts four questions from Patrick Lencioni’s The
Advantage, lighting the way for Cragmor’s transformation:
Why do we exist?
We exist to become disciple-makers who radiate Jesus’ love, character, and mission in
all we do.
How do we behave?
As broken people being redeemed, we live with Jesus’ humility, aligning our hearts,
priorities, and methods with His way of discipling.
What do we do?
We love God fiercely, love one another deeply, and pour our lives into making disciples
who make disciples.
How will we succeed?
Success flows from our obedience to God’s call and our unity in His vision. Every
believer is commissioned to make disciples, and every disciple can spark a chain
reaction of faith as they grow in Christ.
The Call to Cragmor: Be the Spark
The journey to the NDM is a holy adventure, but it demands we reject the passive, duty-
bound culture of the ODM. It calls for every heart at Cragmor Church to seize their role
in God’s mission. This transformation won’t happen overnight, but it begins with a single
step: your step. Imagine a church where every worshipper becomes a disciple-maker,
where lives are transformed, and teams, small groups are set ablaze with God’s love.
This is the vision God has placed before us.
Cragmor Church, the time is now. Let’s cast aside the old map and embrace the NDM
with unwavering passion. Let’s be disciples who make disciples, sparking a movement
that changes lives for eternity. Will you answer the call? Will you be the spark that lights
the fire of revival? Join us, and together, let’s make history for God’s glory!
- Pastor Daniel Bud