Want to learn something quickly and well? Master the fundamentals. Whether it’s English where the top 100 words make up half of all written words, basketball (dribble, pass, shoot), or baseball (throw, catch, hit) mastering the fundamentals is a sure path to mastery. Fundamentals are the core that everything’s built around and upon.

Given their importance, why is it that disciple making fundamentals are so hard to discern? Part of the problem is the lack of clarity that exists about discipleship and disciple making. In this post, I’ll explain the fundamentals of disciple making, not discipleship. In other words, the focus is how to make a disciple, not how to be one personally. It’s a given that before we cannot reproduce what we aren’t.

Many would-be disciple makers are dazed and confused after reading books, attending seminars, and completing discipleship/disciple making curriculum. Despite time and effort they still can’t identify the fundamentals of disciple making.

Far too many are overcome by that frustration and conclude disciple making is simply too complicated and difficult. Others decide that they are the problem. Years ago I was one of those “others” when I believed I was too introverted, too socially awkward, and too carnal to make disciples. By God’s grace my hunger to multiply my life was stronger than my desire to give up. I really believed that since Jesus was able to turn eleven rag-tag uneducated, ordinary men into a world-changing disciple making force that He could use me to impact at least a couple. And you know what? I was right, about Him.

In two decades of making disciples, I’ve discovered there are at least three disciple making fundamentals. Like dribbling, passing, and shooting in basketball, these fundamentals can be learned quickly, but mastery takes a lifetime.

So without further ado, here are three fundamentals of disciple making…

1. Building a Healthy Relationship