Releasing Disciples Too Early?

We try to imitate the way we see Jesus making disciples in Scripture. For most of us our worship services are geared to model how Jesus taught to the larger crowds. This is a good thing. But clearly Jesus also spent time with much smaller crowds as well.  Jesus discipled the 12 (Mark 3:13-18) and an even smaller group known as the inner circle (Matthew 17:1, Mark 9:23).  As a church we call our inner circle “Life on Life.”

When we begin a Life on Life Group (2-4 people) we explain the expectations up front. One of the primary goals is that at the end of the discipling relationship each person would go on to begin discipling someone that God has strategically placed in their life. One of the things I am learning is that there is a real risk of releasing people too early to go make other disciples. What we are doing to keep the momentum going is to refuse to release the person we are discipling until they have prayerfully identified who they will disciple next. If this does not happen then the busyness of life will creep in and the movement will stall.

Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences when it comes to making disciples who make disciples.