Several years ago Hollywood produced a comedy called “Failure to Launch”. It was a movie about a grown man that would not leave home. It’s was actually a very funny movie.
The failure to launch syndrome is actually a very real issue when it comes to disciple making. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve seen the process of disciple making get hijacked by someone not wanting to go out on their own and begin the process of making more disciples.
There are several reasons behind the failure to launch syndrome but if I had to sum it up I think it would simply be the wrong “agenda”. When we begin the disciple making process, we know that the goal is to eventually send out those we have trained but somewhere in the process the agenda changes.
As we begin to draw closer to those we are discipling, the more our comfort zones, our personal desires, and our wants begin to over shadow God’s disciple making agenda. The challenge between deep community and relationships over reaching out and investing in new people is very real. It is very important to keep the right agenda in front of those you are discipling at all times.
One of the best ways to keep the multiplying agenda strong is to continually cast vision of why launching is so important. We must always remind those we are investing in that disciple making is God’s agenda to reach the nations. Launching is a matter of obedience! Not launching is telling the rest of the world “we don’t care about you”.
Imagine how things would be different if Jesus had failed to launch his disciples? If Jesus had failed to launch his disciples, I would not be writing this article and you would not be reading it. The whole Christian movement as we know it would not even exist today. This is exactly why failing to launch is so critical to the mission of Christ. If we care about the next generation of lost people we must make disciples that are willing to make more disciples. We must launch disciples!
