Learn to make disciples who make disciples by studying how Jesus modeled it.

Contact: Janis Backing, 312-329-2108, janis.backing@moody.edu

CHICAGO, Aug. 13, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Dann Spader spent his childhood working on his family's farm in South Dakota … with 16 brothers and sisters. But these days, he's interested in a different kind of harvest.

A sought-after expert and consultant to churches and organizations worldwide, Spader has dedicated his life to Christian evangelism and disciple-making. More than 750,000 people in 80 countries have been trained to make disciples through organizations he has led. Now, in his latest book, 4 Chair Discipling: Growing a Movement of Disciple-Makers (Moody Publishers), Spader reveals a model that outlines simply how to make disciples, who eventually go on to make other disciples.

Not surprisingly, the model comes from the Master Himself.

"Jesus' mission was not to reach the world but to make disciples who were capable of reaching the world," Spader explains. "Over the years I've discovered that Jesus modeled a very simple pattern for disciple making, a pattern every Christian can easily imitate."

Spader deftly blends storytelling and biblical scholarship. He illustrates disciple-making as a process of moving people through four chairs, from someone seeking to know more about Christ to someone who makes disciples themselves. The strategy follows four challenges Christ put to His followers:

Chair 1: Come and See (John 1:39)
Chair 2: Follow Me (John 1:43)
Chair 3: Become a Fisher of Men (Matthew 4:19)
Chair 4: Go and Bear Fruit (John 15:16)

Our command is not discipleship but disciple-making, the author contends: "The term 'discipleship' makes most people think of deeper Bible studies or weightier content for Christians. This is important, but it isn't our mandate."

He concludes, "Disciple-making is a lifelong journey of becoming like Christ and helping others to do the same. It is the greatest of all journeys and the highest of all callings."