The Gentle Art of Discipling Women: Nurturing Authentic Faith in Ourselves and Others

I was intrigued with this book for many reasons:

1 Ever since my experience with Salt Company and Cornerstone Church

in Ames, discipling has been an emphasis of a Christian walk that

Christ calls us to.

2 Scripture is clear in Titus that women are to take on the role of

discipling. Its not a question or an option.

3 The title uses the description gentle art. There are several

places throughout Scripture where God calls us as believers to be

gentle. And the word art suggests more of a natural approach

rather than a step-by-step formula.

I truly believe every woman, lady, girl (despite their age) has a

longing for an intimate mentor relationship.

Dana Yeakley divides the book into two sections. The first section

focuses on the disciplers need for an intimate relationship with

Christ centered around His Word. Obviously one cannot be an effective

discipler without first being a disciple of Christ Himself. Very basic

principles of being a disciple are covered by reviewing various

scriptures. This leads into a deeper look at four foundational

realities: We Are Forgiven; We Are Safe; We Have Access; We Are

Becoming.

The second section dives into Yeakleys philosophy on the why and how

of discipling. She provides very practical tips for discovering your

particular niche in discipleship. She places emphasis on the value of

individuals as well as an effective composition for communicating

Biblical truths.

The book has a leaders guide that allows for it to be used as a small

group study. Each chapter concludes with study questions that intend

for the reader to apply personally the truths discussed.

I like that the book has the following publishers description: The

Gentle Art of Discipling Women will help each woman discover her

unique gifting in discipleship through her relationship with God, her

personality, and her story. This indicates that discleship is not a

1-2-3 process. God has created each of us uniquely, thus discipleship

will be uniquely accomplished as well.

This one took me awhile to read and even now at the end, I'm not sure fully of my rating. There were things I really liked about this book and there were things I would want to improve.

Dana Yeakley wrote this book to encourage us as women to not stop at simply being a disciple of Jesus Christ but to also disciple others to come to follow Him as well. My husband and I are both very interested in the concept of discipling/mentoring and feel that it's so important in our culture, especially with young adults.

Here's where I struggle the most: am I competent and grounded enough in my own faith to disciple others? There's a part of me that feels the older I get, the less I know. As a teen, I was pretty confident (cocky?) in my faith and probably would have been more fearless about the idea of discipling someone newer in their faith. And while I still know the beliefs of my Faith and have a relationship with the Lord, I no longer feel like I 'know it all' and there's a part of me that wants a mentor myself rather than being one to a younger woman!! ;)

However, the author assures us that we can both disciple others and be discipled ourselves through many seasons of life. While I may need discipled by an older woman, there are also things I can share with a younger woman or a woman newer in her faith.

I like the way this book was written and organized. The author has a beautiful heart for the Lord and seems very authentic and encouraging. Despite my own wavering fears at the idea of discipling, Mrs. Yeakley gives practical and thoughtful ideas and topics on how to begin. I definitely would love this book even more if she were Catholic and could incorporate Catholic living into her mentoring plan for women.

So there you have it. A beautiful woman with a beautiful mission wrote this book and definitely stirred my own heart on this issue, but I can't say I'm ready and raring to begin...perhaps not necessarily the fault of the book but rather something I need to take to prayer! If anything, this book challenged me to go ever deeper with our Lord so that I will be prepared should He bring an opportunity for discipleship into my life.

Dana Yeakley has written a conversational, yet organized, book which leads us from considering whether we have grasped key truths about what it means to be a disciple to guided steps for organizing time and content of meetings discipling another woman. Just as the title implies, the author has a gentle, nurturing approach that encourages not only reflection on our own strengths and weaknesses, but also faithful obedience and action in taking the appropriate steps to fulfill the Lord's calling in our lives as women who serve Him.

There is a balance and professionalism to the content in this book that I greatly appreciate. Sometimes I find "How To" books lean too heavily toward personal anecdotes or too strongly toward meticulous step-by-step procedures, making them appealing to narrower audiences. Dana, however, seems to have spoken to enough women to have rounded out her approach, creating an excellent resource that is as beneficial to someone curious about being discipled as it is to a woman seeking to begin, or gain greater insight and wisdom into, discipling.

This book does focus on one-on-one discipleship, although it is suggested that if a small group will be involved (such as in studying this book together), that a group of about 8 women provides for variety of viewpoints while keeping a group quaint enough to allow meaningful connection and confidential sharing. There are just a few pages in the back which give helpful tips and information if you intend to lead others through this book as a study.

The first section of this book focuses on 4 key foundational Scriptural realities that need to be in place prior to more in-depth study or beginning discipleship of another woman. If you find these overwhelming and think there is no point in reading the second half, I would encourage you to keep on, as the wisdom and encouragement in the following chapters is gentle, yet firm. If you find the first portion of the book to be a mere review of knowledge you've become long acquainted with over the years, carry on, as the latter portion of the book may challenge you to step out and grow, and much of her advice regarding relationships with women we may disciple would be excellent to apply in other relationship settings as well. Throughout the book are varying prompts to read specific passages of Scripture in your favorite translation and answer questions that follow to engage the reader in discovering a personal application. It's actually quite cleverly demonstrating for you how to discuss Scripture with another person, which she covers in greater detail in the latter portion of the book.

I appreciate the author's willingness to share things she's learned through error, specifically citing what she did, learned, and chose to do differently thereafter. Since I can be weary of books which attempt to give structure to something which also is abstract, such as the concept of discipleship (it will look very different with different pairs of individuals, no doubt, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to guarantee success), I was pleased to read the comment she had regarding what to do if a meeting does get rather off-topic due to an unplanned interruption, need, or change in circumstance. In her case, the woman was distressed over a matter, which they discussed at length and considered Biblically and with prayer. The discipler simply wrote "next time" on her notes for what Scripture she'd planned to discuss that day. "If you face something like this in a discipling meeting, I encourage you to see the situation not as 'off topic,' but as 'real life' discipleship that trumps your plan."

I would recommend this book to any woman interested in what discipleship could look like. I honestly think a great deal of women who are in leadership roles of the church could benefit from the grace and tact with which the author suggests viewing and addressing individuals when situations do not go as expected with those you are working with or overseeing. There is, indeed, a place for discipline within the church, but to remain true to the Bible's teaching, reprimands should be clearly called for, and administered with truth, love, and humility.

***In the interest of full disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers for the purpose of reviewing. I was not required to give a positive review; my opinions are my own.

The author does a nice job of helping her readers understand the need for personal development as well as the need for then reaching out toward others and helping them grow. I believe the layout of the book is quite nice as there is a portion to dig into the Scripture, then practical application/challenge sections to apply the principles of the chapter.

The flow of the book is nice because it works in a building fashion, first building the reader, who is hopefully wanting to learn how to become a disciple maker, up in their personal faith. As the reader gains insight and support in their personal walk, they are gently guided into a process of replicating their learning with another.

As a male, I probably would not use this book in practicality because I choose not to be placed in a position to disciple women one-on-one. However, I would recommend this book to the women I know who are willing to become disciple makers. A worthy read and great practical advice.

Getting older seems to level the relational playing field at least thats what Im finding.

The past ten years have been enriched by relationships with women of all ages who have come to my Sunday school class or have attended our womens group. Im always surprised to find common ground with younger women with whom, if it had been possible for us to have met when I was their peer, both of us in our mid-twenties, I would have been too intimidated to speak to them beautiful, confident, married when I was blah, awkward, and single. The silence would have been deafening, but now, in my fifties, Im finding that there is plenty to talk about with women of all ages especially if were actively nurturing an authentic faith.

In The Gentle Art of Discipling Women, Dana Yeakley draws upon her years of missionary and leadership experience with the Navigators to lend structure and focus to womens innate tendency to form meaningful relationships. Her focus is two-fold:

Part One lays a foundation of being. Only one who authentically follows Jesus Christ herself can lead others into a closer following. Dana lays this groundwork upon four realities of the Christian life:

We are forgiven and we are spiritually destitute apart from God.

We are safe God is trustworthy.

We have access Cultivating intimacy with Christ is imperative.

We are becoming God has begun a work which He intends to complete.

Readers are invited to Go Deeper by wrestling with these concepts as they occur in Scripture through a series of well-framed and insightful study questions.

Part Two addresses the why and the how of making disciples for Jesus Christ, and Dana assumes nothing. With helpful detail, she examines the process of curating a life-giving atmosphere that includes the security of confidentiality, that fosters relationship, that affirms the value of individuals, and that provides structure for communicating Biblical truth with intentionality.

A discipling relationship will include the tough love of exhortation combined with unconditional acceptance; therefore, it is imperative that care be given to the question of whom to disciple. Compatibility as well as eligibility are both concerns not everyone is at a place in life where she is ready for a one-on-one discipling relationship. Look for a heart for God, faithfulness, and teachability.

The focus of the process is growth through deep interaction around the Word of God. The first four chapters of Danas book are a great option for foundational content and could be covered in four to eight weeks. Other alternatives are the Gospel of John or Pauls epistles to the Philippians or Colossians.

The work that Dana describes is deeply spiritual, and her standards are high. Even so, she communicates realism, urging simplicity and reminding her readers that there are practical details that will facilitate a smooth beginning. For instance, expectations on both sides should be voiced and scheduling details ironed out; however, even after laying this foundation, there still may be discipling relationships that simply will not work out.

Having read the book and received its encouragement, my response is: I can do this! Danas gentle teaching at the outset, alongside her wisdom-and-experience-based guidelines make The Gentle Art of Discipling Women a valuable primer for the woman who is ready to take the challenge and trust for grace to enter into joyful obedience to Christs command: Go and make disciples!



This book was provided by NavPress, published in alliance with Tyndale House Publishing, in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 : Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.