Re-thinking Disciple Making

I'm currently reading David Platt's book "Radical: taking back your faith from the American Dream". In addition to being convicted, challenged and chastised, I've been forced to re-think the process of disciple-making. The truth of the matter is that most of our current disciple making "programs" are extra-biblical at best. There is no place in the Bible that even hints that disciple making involves taking a course, or completing a curriculum. When I look at the example of Jesus, I see Him spending 24/7 with 12 men for 3+years. He taught by word, deed and assignment. The closest I've seen any contemporary plan to that is the pattern that Reach-out Ministries (in the old days) had. That pattern was "I do it; I do it and they are with me; they do it and I'm in the background; they do it and I've moved on."
I used to have a sticky note on the dash of my car which read D.D.A.A. It stood for "Don't Do Anything Alone". It was a reminder for me to take a student or an intern with me as I went about ministry. It was the best tool I had for passing along the process of "doing" ministry, and it is the closest I could come to doing it Jesus' way. The truth is, I can only take someone as far as I have gone. Anything else is hypothesis at best. So, when I have progressed one step in following Jesus, I can reach back and help someone behind me to take that step. Then as I take another step, the process is repeated.
This is a process that can be replicated by every member of every church in the world. It is the process commanded in the Great Commission. My paraphrase is; "As you are going about your daily traffic pattern of life, take someone with you and show them how you've learned to DO the commands of Jesus. As you do this over and over, the Holy Spirit is with you, empowering you to effectively transmit the practical "living out" of the gospel."

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