Developing a Comprehensive Discipleship Curriculum Framework
Developing a Comprehensive Discipleship Curriculum Framework
The concept of discipleship is rooted in Jesus' command to "make disciples of all nations" and to "teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20) [1]. This Great Commission serves as the foundation for a comprehensive discipleship curriculum framework. The task involves instructing converts in the principles of the Christian faith, nurturing their spiritual growth, and equipping them for ministry.
The early Christian church established a system of catechesis, or instruction, for those seeking baptism [6]. This process involved a period of learning and formation, during which candidates were taught the fundamental doctrines of the faith. The early church fathers, such as Augustine, emphasized the importance of skillful teaching and the need for catechists to be adaptable in their approach [4].
A comprehensive discipleship curriculum framework should include several key elements. First, it must be grounded in Scripture, with a focus on the teachings of Jesus and the apostles [1, 3]. The curriculum should cover the essential doctrines of the faith, including the nature of God, the person and work of Christ, and the role of the Holy Spirit.
The early church's approach to catechesis provides a model for modern discipleship curriculum development. The church fathers recognized the importance of adapting instruction to the needs and circumstances of the learners [4, 7]. For example, Augustine noted that those with a liberal education required a different approach to catechesis than those without such a background [4].
The content of the curriculum should be comprehensive, covering not only doctrine but also the practical aspects of Christian living. This includes instruction on prayer, worship, and community life, as well as guidance on how to navigate the challenges of living as a disciple in a hostile or secular environment [2, 5].
The Methodist theologian Adam Clarke emphasized the importance of confirming the souls of disciples, suggesting that a comprehensive curriculum should include ongoing instruction and support to help believers grow in their faith [5]. Similarly, the Reformed tradition has emphasized the need for ongoing catechesis and discipleship, with a focus on the development of spiritual maturity and the equipping of believers for ministry [6, 8].
In developing a comprehensive discipleship curriculum framework, it is essential to consider the diverse needs and circumstances of learners. The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that catechetical instruction must be adapted to the cultural, social, and ecclesial context of the learners [7]. This principle is equally applicable to other Christian traditions.
The patristic writers, such as Clement and Ignatius, stressed the importance of establishing believers in the doctrines of the Lord and the apostles, and of fostering unity and cooperation within the community of faith [3]. A comprehensive discipleship curriculum framework should prioritize these goals, seeking to form believers who are grounded in Scripture, committed to the teachings of Christ, and equipped to live out their faith in a variety of contexts.
Sources
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 28:20: 28:20 Teach: The disciples’ curriculum is comprised of all the commands of Jesus (e.g., the Sermon on the Mount, chs 5–7). The church is to be marked by its obedience to Jesus’ commands (5:17-20; 7:13-27). Jesus’ authority and presence are the basis for the disciples’ mission (see also 1:23; 18:20).”
- Matthew (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Matthew 16:24: Christ, having shown his disciples that he must suffer, and that he was ready and willing to suffer, here shows them that they must suffer too, and must be ready and willing. It is a weighty discourse that we have in these verses. I. Here is the law of discipleship laid down, and the terms fixed, upon which we may have the honour and benefit of it, Mat 16:24. He said this to his disciples, not only that they might instruct others concerning it, but that by this rule they might examine their own security. Observe, 1. What it is to be a disciple of Christ; it is t”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 1: Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius, Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus — CHAP. XIII.--BE ESTABLISHED IN FAITH AND UNITY.: Study, therefore, to be established in the doctrines of the Lord and the apostles, that so all things, whatsoever ye do, may prosper both in the flesh and spirit; in faith and love; in the Son, and in the Father, and in the Spirit; in the beginning and in the end; with your most admirable bishop, and the well-compacted spiritual crown of your presbytery, and the deacons who are according to God. Be ye subject to the bishop, and to one another, as Jesus Christ to ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 3: Augustine — On the Holy Trinity — CHAP. 8.--OF THE METHOD TO BE PURSUED IN CATECHISING THOSE WHO HAVE HAD A LIBERAL EDUCATION. (part 2): and of skillfully applied diligence on the part of these expounders;(3) and, in the case of the canonical Scriptures, commending above all the most salutary modesty (of language) displayed alongside their wonderful loftiness (of subject); while, in those other productions you notice, in accordance with the 291 characteristic faculty of each several writer, a style of a more sonorous and, as it were more rounded eloquence adapted to minds that are”
- Acts (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Acts 14:22: Confirming the souls of the disciples - The word disciple signifies literally a scholar. The Church of Christ was a school, in which Christ himself was chief Master; and his apostles subordinate teachers. All the converts were disciples or scholars, who came to this school to be instructed in the knowledge of themselves and of their God: of their duty to Him, to the Church, to society, and to themselves. After having been initiated in the principles of the heavenly doctrine, they needed line upon line, and precept upon precept, in order that they might be confirmed a”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 62: a general agreement. Qualifications for Adult Baptism. 1. Faith supposes knowledge of at least the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel. Some may unduly enlarge, and some unduly restrict the number of such doctrines; but no Church advocates the baptism of the absolutely ignorant. If baptism involves a profession of faith, it must involve a profession of faith in certain doctrines; and those doctrines must be known, in order to be professed. In the early Church, therefore, there was a class of catechumens or candidates for baptism who were ”
- Catechism of the Catholic Church (Catholic) “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part Four: (part 2): in personal life, and its shining forth in personal conduct.17 24 By design, this Catechism does not set out to provide the adaptation of doctrinal presentations and catechetical methods required by the differences of culture, age, spiritual maturity, and social and ecclesial condition among all those to whom it is addressed. Such indispensable adaptations are the responsibility of particular catechisms and, even more, of those who instruct the faithful: Whoever teaches must become "all things to all men" ( I Cor 9:22), to win everyone to ”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 11: 22 SUBJECT OF THE PRESENT WORK. [prefixed to the french edition, published at geneva in 1545.] In order that my Readers may be the better able to profit by the present work, I am desirous briefly to point out the advantage which they may derive from it. For by so doing I will show them the end at which they ought to aim, and to which they ought to give their attention in reading it. Although the Holy Scriptures contain a perfect doctrine, to which nothing can be added—our Lord having been pleased therein to unfold the infinite trea”