Date
5-20-2026
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Chair
Andrea Burson
Keywords
Disciple, disciple-maker, discipleship, Shema, spiritual growth, spiritual practices, transformation, worship.
Disciplines
Religion
Recommended Citation
Golding, Janet, "Discipleship: Parents Becoming the Primary Disciple-Maker for their Children." (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8361.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8361
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to implement a practical discipleship curriculum to equip parents to serve as the primary disciple-makers for their children. The driving force behind this project was the researcher's strong desire to train parents in discipling their children. The researcher noticed that some children might not be discipled at home. Motivated by this, the researcher developed an eight-week discipleship curriculum filled with Bible-based lessons emphasizing spiritual formation and discipleship for parents. The project was an interactive, theology-grounded resource manual to equip, empower, and encourage parents as disciple-makers for their children. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires. Twelve parents participated. There were eighteen questions, one of which was a key question guiding the study. Parents were asked to describe their experiences of being discipled as children and how that affected their spiritual growth. Ultimately, the study revealed that discipleship must be taught through the Word of God, not on emotions, so that Christian families can be effective disciple-makers grounded in the Word. Based on Jesus' command to make disciples in Matthew 28:19-20, parents were encouraged to develop spiritual practices such as praying, reading the Bible, and memorizing Scripture to keep them and their children focused on making disciples. Further, the researcher desired that the Faith Center develop discipleship training to equip parents to disciple their children. This would not only highlight the oversight but also provide a model for the church family and other local churches facing similar issues.
