Community Organising and Discipleship

When we think of discipleship, images of Bible studies or Sunday services often come to mind. But what if Jesus’ example of discipleship was less about what we do, and more about a way of being? Jesus demonstrated a discipleship that was intentional, slow, patient, focused on others and their calling.

A disciple, by definition, is someone who believes in the ideas and principles of another and tries to live accordingly. What ideas and principles did Jesus uphold? Examining his ministry reveals a deep, holistic view of discipleship rooted in relationships.

Intentional relationships were at the heart of Jesus' discipleship and ministry

After leaving the wilderness, one of Jesus' first acts was choosing his twelve disciples (Matthew 4). This was not a relationship where he spoke to them for a couple of hours each week. It was living alongside, eating together, reflecting on his parables together, and challenging them to understand the Kingdom through word and deed. In Matthew 14:13-21, Jesus challenges his disciples to find food for those who came to listen to him, resulting in over 5000 people being fed from five loaves and two fish. We see that it is through intentional relationships that Jesus created opportunities for others to take responsibility instead of doing it himself, and it was through this kind of discipleship that actual change took place.

Jesus' discipleship was slow and patient

In choosing to establish his ministry through relationships, Jesus purposely walked with his disciples through frustrations and their lack of understanding. But he also shared in their epiphanies and growth as the leaders who would share and continue his work after he was gone. In Matthew 16, Jesus asks questions that get beneath the surface to help the disciples discern their calling and vocation. Jesus asks the question - “Who do you say that I am?” - and Peter's revelation enables Jesus to impart to him a deepening understanding of the calling on his life. Yet, moments later, when Peter rebuked Jesus about his impending death, Jesus responded sharply. This illustrates the often mundane, messy, and frustrating nature of discipling as Jesus did. He spent three years with them, and they still didn't grasp fundamental truths. But it was this deep, patient investment that enabled them to make waves in the world after his death and resurrection.

Jesus’ discipleship builds intentional relationships across differences

Jesus' intentionality wasn't limited to the twelve. He engaged in deep relational work with diverse groups, building friendship, trust, and revealing God on earth. He was known for eating with tax collectors, speaking to lepers, the blind, and those considered unworthy. Consider John 4, where he spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well. His curiosity unearthed her life history without condemnation and her understanding of the Messiah, leading to her powerful testimony – "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?" – which drew many others to him.

Each encounter demonstrated Jesus' intentionality in relationships, his curious questions that unearthed deeper motivations and vocations, and his slow, patient approach, all of which resulted in a growing movement of disciples.

How does Community Organising help us live like disciples of Jesus?

Community organising is a methodology that starts with listening and brings people together across differences to act for change. At the Centre for Theology and Community, we believe that faith-filled community organising enables us to live in Jesus' discipleship. This is shaped around three focus areas: prayer, patience, and people development.

As we build relationships, listen to stories, and become curious about others, we ask, "Where might the Spirit be moving and speaking?" Through the conscious and slow building of these relationships, we see people develop into the callings and vocations God has placed on their lives, empowering them to act for change in their churches or wider communities.

What organising shares with Jesus’ discipleship is a willingness to start with people's lived experiences—not only their spiritual lives but also their physical and emotional lives. Approaching discipleship in this manner enables us to be intentional about relationships, slow and patient in our efforts, ultimately deepening faith, fostering growth, and building the church's impact in the community.

As one leader shared: The slow and patient work of faith-filled organising created space for me to open up about story and lived experience. The experience of being a sister, best friend and later a mother who experienced life with childhood and adult immigration, tragedy, and deep grief. Through this journey, I understood Jesus accepted me as I am, along with my fears and questions about God. Engaging in faith-filled organising has increased my desire to live life with more intention and empathy and lean into my faith, deepening my belief that God has always been with me.

Another leader shared how their confidence has developed, and the church's impact on the community has grown. He said: Community organising taught me to listen deeply and act boldly, mirroring Christ's ministry. By championing my neighbours, I found my voice and purpose, transforming my faith from a personal conviction into a public commitment to justice. This work has become the foundation of my discipleship and helped me become more socially confident, which I previously struggled with. Through this listening, I learned that people wanted more community events, so we organised a Pancake Party, which was a great success. This work built my confidence as a leader, deepened my discipleship, and helped my church become a trusted pillar in my diverse community.

And another leader shared that, through this form of discipleship, the church provided a space for the healing of emotional and spiritual wounds, where she experienced the grace of God, the restoration of relationships, and the materialization of help to those in need: In my experience as a migrant and asylum seeker. Throughout the uncertainty and isolation I experienced when I reached a country where I had nothing of my own or anyone to talk to, the church became a space of hope and reception. Thanks to the link with community organising, I recovered my dreams and I focused on them as a tangible aim. Moreover, I'd learned to use my voice to create space for myself amongst my faith community and for all those with a similar story to mine. From my experience, the discipleship of Jesus should bring the hope of salvation through love and compassion for all those in need by taking action for justice that transcends physical, cultural and linguistic barriers that once pulled us apart.