Several years ago, a gathering of Navigator leaders prayed and sought God in developing a short list of top priority skills or behaviors to build into the lives of people we call disciplemakers. More than 300 Navigators across the United States gave what we believe was Spirit-led input, resulting in this list:

• Grow in relationship with God
• Know and live from the Scriptures
• Live among those who don’t know Christ
• Engage in community with other Christ-followers
• Show Christ-followers how to help others follow Christ

These are the key characteristics or skills that I seek to nurture as a disciplemaking coach.

However, before we dive in too deep, Jesus would want us to remember this: The character of a disciplemaker is more fundamental than the skills he or she possesses. We can have all the skill in the world, but if the character we are hoping to see reproduced in others lacks love, joy, peace, and all the rest of the fruit of the Spirit, our generations of disciples will not reflect Jesus, which is the point!

In the Introduction to the booklet Five, which further defines these characteristics, I wrote,

Before we do anything, our life in Christ is grounded in who we are and who we are becoming in Christ Jesus. The true test of life in Christ is our character: the extent to which we are a reflection of the Spirit of [Jesus] to a watching world.

As we build these five skills into our lives and the lives of people we are investing in, let’s do so on the foundational character of Christ. A watching world will be drawn to who we are, and to what we say.

Please join me for the next few weeks as we visit each of these five skillsets in depth.

Where is the Holy Spirit prompting you to confess or seek help from Him in relation to your character?