Disciplemaking Introvert Is Not an Oxymoron...

It's not uncommon for someone to walk up to me after one of our disciplemaking training experiences and say something like...

"The training was great, but I'm an introvert."

Think with me a bit here.

Can someone live as a disciplemaker and be an introvert? Does it have to be either/or?

Jesus had twelve disciples—very close disciplemaking friends—who actively made more disciples (see The New Testament). Do you think any of them may have been introverts? If I were a betting man, I’d take that bet. Who might you guess would be the introverts amongst Jesus’ disciples? Why? And perhaps more important, so what?

Perhaps the real question underneath the introvert question is...
Does your personality type take you off the hook for making disciples? 

I can't find anywhere in Scripture where Jesus says, “Go and make disciples—unless you’re an introvert. Then you folks make the coffee and stack chairs.” No, every follower of Jesus is on the hook for making disciples—regardless of his or her temperament. 

Here's the real kicker..
I think introverts are amazing and effective disciplemakers. 

Are you still with me? Anyone out there? Let me explain...

My wife is the epitome of what it means to be an introvert. Is she commanded by Jesus to make disciples? Yes. However, she and other introverts don’t make disciples by being up front in a crowd. They don’t tend to talk a lot about disciplemaking. They just live it quietly—and I contend—often more effectively—precisely because they lead with friendship. We affectionately call this "Down-Low Disciplemaking.

Make no mistake about it: There is no ideal temperament for a disciplemaker. We need all hands—and all personality types—on deck for Jesus' disciplemaking mission to be accomplished.

The Great Commission has no exception clause.

If that's true, what's your next step?
* Step 1 Start here.
* Step 2 Go here.

[This post comes directly from The Disciplemaking Genius of Jesus book (c) 2018 by Cadre Missionaries and is used by permission.]

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