Emotionally Healthy Discipleship

Book excerpt: The global church is facing a discipleship crisis. Here's how we move forward into transformative discipleship... Pastors and church leaders want to see lives changed by the gospel. They work tirelessly to care for people, initiate new ministries, preach creatively, and keep up with trends. Sadly, much of this effort does not result in deeply changed disciples. Traditional discipleship strategies fail because they only address surface issues and do not go deep enough into the emotional health of individuals. But transformative, emotionally healthy discipleship is a methods-based biblical theology that, when fully implemented, informs every area of a church, ministry, or organization. It is a discipleship structure built from the center that: Slows down our lives so we can cultivate a deep, personal relationship with Jesus. Challenges the values of Western culture that have compromised the radical call to follow the crucified Jesus. Integrates sadness, loss, and vulnerability, that, when left out, leave people defensive and easily triggered. Acknowledges God's gift of limits in our lives. Connects how our family and personal history influence our discipleship in the present. Measures our spiritual maturity by how we are growing in our ability to love others. In Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, bestselling author Pete Scazzero takes leaders step-by-step through how to create an emotionally healthy culture and multiply deeply-changed people in every aspect of church life, including: Leadership and team development Marriage and single ministry Small groups and youth and children's ministry Preaching, worship, and administration Outreach Complete with assessments and practical strategies, Emotionally Healthy Discipleship will help you move people to the beneath-the-surface discipleship that actually has the power to change the world. **Winner of the 2022 ECPA Christian Book Award for Ministry Resources**