There a several stones that are mentioned regarding the Discipler’s Model.
The Left Foundation (The Bible): Yount explains that this stone reflects how the bible has unconditional authority in Christian education therefore Christian education must be based on the bible which is God’s word.
The Right Foundation (The Need of People): Yount explains that this stone reflects how those who learn have different needs therefore teachers must take this into consideration when working with their students. Yount also explains how often it can be the students’ demographics or background that depicts exactly what the student needs.
The Left Pillar (Helping People Think): Yount explains that this stone is reflective of students learning to a point in which they can understand clearly and correctly. Yount also mentions there are three stages of thinking which are knowledge, understanding, and spiritual wisdom. I personally feel that the book of Proverbs directly connects to knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. There is also the intertwining of secular education and biblical. As mentioned in Powlison (2001), “Th bible never fears secular education. Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians (Acts 7:22); God gave Daniel and his friends knowledge and intelligence in every branch of Chaldean literature and wisdom (Daniel 1:17), and even Paul was a man of great learning. However, Moses, Daniel, and Paul interpreted life through God’s word, not man” (p.15).
The Right Pillar (Helping People Value): Yount explains that this stone is reflective of valuing the learner. Teachers can do this by helping students balance their emotions. Yount suggests emotional freedom, removal of emotional barriers, and emotional growth.
The Center Pillar (Helping People Relate): Yount explains that this stone is reflective of relationships and how important they are. This is reflected in regular education and Christian education.
The Capstone (Helping People Grow: Yount explains that this stone is reflective of growth and its purpose in Christian Education. Teachers must help their learners to grow their relationship with the Lord.
The Circle (Holy Spirit as Discipler’s): Yount explains that this stone is reflective of integration with secular education however Yount states that the Holy Spirit is the most important stone when it comes to education. Therefore, Christian educators must pray, give priority to the Lord and the Holy Spirit, while continuing to seek and serve God.
While studying this model I decided to see if I could apply it outside of the field of education. One day while I watched a movie on sports agents and the process of drafting an NFL player, I recognized that much of the Discipler's Model was applicable to the NFL drafting process. When a player is being considered the team agent requests their tapes to look at if they are a balanced player and what their stats are, in other words, what foundation this player is coming from. Secondly (need of people) they look at where the player comes from and evaluate his family and his demographic (this is mostly for marketing reasons). Third, they look at the player's knowledge and understanding of not just the game but the business of football. In other words, if we give this player a contract does he know how to represent and conduct himself as a member of the team and not just an individual? Fourth (helping people values) the agent looks at and often asks the coaches if they believe they can support this prospective player with all the issues he may have. Fifth (helping people relate) Often in these meetings before the call is made the entire staff is in a room evaluating if we add this player and how he not just performs but what would his relationship with the team itself be. Has he done well with other team members and coaches? Lastly the Holy Spirit now at first, I was going to say this in the one area that is not present however I thought again about the scene in the movie of the drafting day. This agent waited and went against who everyone else wanted to draft and instead went with his gut. This could translate over to being prompted by the Holy Spirit instead of a gut feeling but that could be left for further interpretation.
The concept of balance is essential to going through the different stages of the Discipler model. According to Yount (2009)., “Teachers do well to intentionally build on both foundation stones to create an environment in which truth speaks to contemporary need over time.” (p.11). There is always a need for stability in anything that is built, and this is typically overlooked. Much of this balance applies in life when looking at this element. A balanced foundation is required for building a home, and many professional occupations demand a stable foundation and balance in education. In conclusion, the Discipler’s model can be adapted to many diverse fields such as education, sports, and entrepreneurship while also being used to lead others while seeking to honor and Glorify God.
Powlison, D. (2007). Cure of souls (and the modern psychotherapies): pary1: counseling revolution. Journal of Biblical Counseling, 25,5-12.
Yount, W. (2010). Created to Learn: A Christian Teacher's Introduction to Educational Psychology (2nd ed.). Nashville, TN” B&H Publishing Group.
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