Date of Award

3-2015

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Department

Seminary

First Advisor

Phil Newell

Second Advisor

Byoungchul Joseph Jun

Abstract

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He charged His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Bill Hull comments that in a fast-food, instant-access generation, true discipleship is often substituted by a superficial community experience and a program-driven approach to faith which requires less work and a much lower level of commitment. Church may thus grow numerically, but may be wide without depth.1 Dallas Willard makes a very significant observation:

How many people are radically and permanently repelled from The Way by Christians who are unfeeling, stiff, unapproachable, boringly lifeless, obsessive, and dissatisfied? Yet such Christians are everywhere, and what they are missing is the wholesome liveliness springing from a balanced vitality with the freedom of God’s loving rule.

Canadian Chinese Churches in Toronto (CCCT), being immigrant churches, are of no exception to the above descriptions. With its uniqueness, there are additional cultural dimensions leading to great challenges in disciple-making. This dissertation attempts to explore paradigm shifts of discipleship for CCCT (Cantonese congregations) to bring about real life transformation. Firstly, I will address the paradigm shifts of discipleship, namely the foundation and the focus of discipleship. Secondly, three pathways of transformational discipleship: transformational journey, transformational relationships, and finally transformational living, will be discussed.

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