The answer is really both with some nuance.
So many churches think they are making disciples because they meet on Sunday. As if attending means maturing. But it doesn’t. Going to hear a sermon (on its own) won’t make or grow disciples.
When everyone is doing it, no one is doing it. If you think the gathering will do it, it isn’t happening well.
Someone needs to take the relational lead in being intentional in helping someone grow as a follower of Jesus. This is like a point person in someone’s life. The point person can help keep them on track, make sure they are learning some specific things all disciples should know and learning specific practices all disciples should be doing (teach them to pray, read scripture, live the scriptures, etc).
In addition to the work of the individual is the need for this person being discipled to be part of a larger church body and rub shoulders with others who have a diversity of gifts.
This is where the whole church helps make disciples…that the shepherds shepherd them. That the teachers teach them. That the evangelists take them out on mission.
The church is needed for holistic discipleship but just believing plopping someone into a Sunday gathering is not the same thing as what I am describing.
So we need both and if no one is specifically paying attention as a point person, things will not tend to happen intentionally.
I will have a followup post in a moment on why a discipleship process matters.
