5 Characteristics of Servant-Leader Discipleship
Servant-Leader Discipleship is based on how Jesus formed his followers and consists of 5 fundamental characteristics.
Highly Relational: You have to invest a significant portion of time with people.
“Jesus invested a significant portion of time with those He was developing. His presence in their lives, listening, and interacting with them were vital to their growth as servant-leaders” (Vallejo, 2021, p. 126).
Theory and Praxis: Both teaching and experiential learning opportunities must be offered.
“Jesus taught His disciples by word and deed. He spoke into their lives and modeled the appropriate behavior” (Vallejo, 2021, p. 127).
Mentoring: Invest in the person by depositing information.
“Jesus developed His followers by serving as a mentor who poured His life into them. Mentors pour into others from their wealth of expertise, providing plenty of advice and instruction” (Vallejo, 2021, p. 129).
Coaching: Bring out the best in people by asking questions.
“Jesus developed His followers by serving as a coach who brought out the best in them. Coaches draw out from others by asking powerful questions to help them make their discoveries. In a coaching relationship, the person receiving coaching must engage in critical thinking guided by the coach’s questions with little if any advice” (Vallejo, 2021, p. 129).
Holistic Approach: “Servant-Leader Discipleship engages their beliefs, thoughts, feelings, motivations, comprehension, information, habits and actions to help their being and behaviors become more Christ-like” (Vallejo, 2021, p 133).
Heart = Character – “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23, NIV).
Head = Cognition – “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2, NIV).
Hands = Capabilities – “And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them” (Psalms 78:72, NIV).
Vallejo, Juan M. (2021). Servant-Leader Discipleship: Equipping people to grow in love for the work of service, Foursquare Missions Press.
