One of the biggest concerns of my ministry during the first couple of years was, "How does one find the proper balance between evangelism and discipline?"

Scores, and soon hundreds, of students were indicating decisions for Christ, and I didn't know what to do with all of them. Dawson Trotman, a warm personal friend and founder of The Navigators, graciously responded to my plea for help and took time from his own busy ministry to teach a class of new believers each Saturday morning. I did everything I knew to do, and just about everything anyone else suggested that I do, to help the scores of new Christians become established in their new-found faith.

Among other things, day after day I met from early in the morning until late in the evening in scheduled hour-long appointments with men who were beginning the great adventure with Christ.

It all began with such great excitement and promise. Where else could I possibly invest my life where the dividends were so great? Think of the privilege of meeting regularly with many of the leaders of the student union and social and athletic life of the college community to assist in their Christian growth.

Soon, however, some of these new converts failed to show up for appointments. Then rumors began to drift back to me that different students were engaged in questionable conduct that compromised their testimony for our Lord. My heart was broken. How could they - after what Christ had done for them and after all of my efforts to help them? I earnestly hoped and prayed that someone had made a mistake and the rumors were not true.

But, the rumors were true, and some of the most promising Christians, both men and women, began to miss appointments with both Vonette and me. Others missed scheduled group meetings and Bible study sessions. Finally they drifted away altogether, and some of them I have never seen again.

I went to my knees. "Oh, God, what is wrong with me? How have I failed these students? Surely, I have done something wrong. Help me to do a better job." I prayed for those young men and women who had become like my own flesh and blood. I loved them. I longed for them to become men and women of God. Now some had gone from us. It was in this period of spiritual anguish and heartbreak that God directed my reading one day to the Parable of the Sower. It reads as follows:

"A farmer was sowing grain in his fields. As he scattered the seed across the ground, some fell beside a path, and the birds came and ate it. And some fell on rocky soil where there was little depth of earth; the plants sprang up quickly enough in the shallow soil, but the hot sun soon scorched them and they withered and died, for they had so little root. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns choked out the tender blades. But some fell on good soil, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as he had planted....

"Now here is the explanation of the story I had told about the farmer planting grain: The hard path where some of the seeds fell represents the heart of a person who hears the good news about the Kingdom and doesn't understand it; then Satan comes and snatches away the seeds from his heart. The shallow, rocky soil represents the heart of a man who hears the message and receives it with real joy, but he doesn't have much depth in his life, and the seeds don't root very deeply, and after a while when trouble comes, or persecution begins because of his beliefs, his enthusiasm fades, and he drops out. The ground covered with thistles represents a man who hears the message, but the cares of this life and his longing for money choke out God's Word, and he does less and less for God. The good ground represents the heart of a man who listens to the message and understands it and goes out and brings thirty, sixty, or even a hundred others into the Kingdom" (Matthew 13:3-8, Living Bible).

This parable enabled me to better understand why some had turned away from following our Lord. Though some had gone from us, hundreds had remained and scores longed to be true disciples.

For example, in the first years, from one student club alone, 13 young men were called into Christian service full time. Scores of others dedicated themselves to serving Christ in the pulpit, on the mission field and in the business and professional world. By the third year of this ministry, nine of the eleven on the college's football team (number I in the nation), were active in Campus Crusade and representing Christ on the field.

My desire to build disciples and my concern for follow-up of new believers have increased through the years, until now I am absolutely convinced that the Great Commission can never be fulfilled apart from "spiritual multiplication" which is a result of the proper balance between evangelism and discipleship. The discovery of the Parable of the Sower led me to a more careful examination of the scriptures as I searched for a biblical basis for a balance between evangelism and follow-up.

Some of the scriptural truths which I have learned about evangelism and discipline through the years:

Though Jesus was a greater leader, teacher and example - the greatest of all the centuries - He came to this earth primarily to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).

The greatest thing that has ever happened to any Christian is knowing Christ; the greatest thing he can do for another person is to introduce him to Christ.

The one thing dearest to the heart of our Lord, assuming that we are living under the control of the Holy Spirit, is that we tell others about Him. Though not everyone has the gift of evangelism, every believer is chosen and appointed to go and bring forth fruit (John 15:16). In other words, every believer is to witness for Christ as a way of life.

There is no way one can become, and remain, a truly vital and vibrant Christian without sharing his faith continually as a way of life. Not to do so is to be disobedient, and disobedient Christians cannot experience a life of victory and power.

If you do share your faith regularly, as a way of life, in the power of the Holy Spirit, you will inevitably be a fruitful Christian. If you have difficulty leading students to Christ at your college, why not share Christ with people door to door or in other places such as a shopping center. Give copies of the "Dear Peter" letter to 10 people, ask them to read it and give you their response.

You can be an authority on the Word of God and still be spiritually impotent and defeated if you do not share your faith in Christ freely and faithfully.

Success in witnessing is sharing Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God. It is God who produces the fruit. He requires only that we be faithful in the sharing.

Jesus said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). It is our responsibility to follow Jesus; it is His responsibility to make us fishers of men.

According to John 15:8, we prove that we are following Jesus when we bear much fruit, when we are actively involved in introducing others to Him. Thus, according to Jesus, we do not prove that we are following Him just because we live good lives, read the Bible, pray, and are active in the church, though all of these are important.

Many people in every part of the world are ready to receive Christ. Don't think that God is depending on you to earn the friendship of others before you witness to them. For example, Colossians 1:6 and I Thessalonians 1:6 both indicate that the Colossians and the Thessalonians responded to the gospel as soon as they heard it. There are many - in fact, multitudes - around us whose hearts are seeking after God.

Love for God and for others should be our motivation both in evangelizing and discipline others. The apostle Paul said, "The love of Christ constrains me." In I John 3:18, John writes: "Little children, let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions" (Living Bible). How can we demonstrate that we love those whom we are seeking to introduce to Christ - those whom we are seeking to disciple? By taking a personal interest in them; by loving them by faith; by asking God to enable us to communicate a genuine compassion and concern; by spending special time with them, individually and in groups. You may want to invite them to your home for informal fellowship.

Sow abundantly and you will reap abundantly (2 Corinthians 9:6). The more people to whom you talk about Christ, the more there will be who accept Him.

The more people who accept Christ, the more there will be who will become disciples.

Jesus said, "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who send Me draws him" (John 6:44). Men are born into the kingdom of God through the work of the Holy Spirit, not as a result of gimmicks, arguments or high-pressure techniques. At the same time, experience has demonstrated that to be a truly fruitful Christian, you must first be sure you are filled with (controlled and empowered by) the Holy Spirit. Second, you must be trained to communicate the gospel simply and clearly. Keep the presentation of the gospel simple. "Knowing God Personally" was written for that purpose. In a spirit of love, with sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit, always seek to bring men to a personal commitment to Christ. Encourage them to pray with you whenever possible. If they are unwilling, encourage them to pray privately and to inform you of their decision. (Exercise care to avoid arguments or high pressure that might result in a premature decision.)

It is an insult to the Holy Spirit to say or believe that we should not talk about Christ to men whom we cannot follow up, lest, by hearing the gospel and responding and later falling away because of a lack of follow-up, they will build up a spiritual immunity to the gospel. Ask God for creativity in new ways to witness for Christ.

Essentially, our responsibility in follow-up is summarized in 2 Timothy 2:2-. "And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. " The question then is: How do you find those who are faithful among the many who indicate an initial response to the gospel?

It is important to ask all new converts to study the Parable of the Sower and tell you with which kind of soil they wish to identify.

Those who want to be true disciples and fruitful followers of Christ can be followed up through:

Bible studies

Prayer Discipleship Groups

Personal contacts Institute of Biblical Studies

Taking them witnessing with you Christian literature

Ministry of the local church tapes

There are two areas of follow-up - primary and secondary - which incorporate the above means and other methods. Primary follow-up involves building people in a person-to-person situation, or in small groups. Secondary follow-up employs other methods, including most of those listed in Point 18. The secondary method should be applied to everyone. The primary method would be applied to those who are eager to proceed and who respond to the secondary follow-up.

Among those you follow up the cream will rise to the top. Spend time with the ,'movers", as they are most likely to become disciples and spiritual multipliers.

We should not be satisfied with spiritual addition. Our ultimate objective should be spiritual multiplication. Ask yourself, "How many spiritual great grandchildren can I name?"

The key to building many disciples is a strong emphasis on evangelism.

We must keep on emphasizing the importance of the church in follow-up. For those who say the church has lost its relevancy and that real meaning and fellowship are experienced only in small group fellowships in the home, I would remind you that thousands of vital churches have Bible studies, discipleship groups, fellowships and similar meetings as they seek to minister to the spiritual needs of man.

In recent years I have personally worked with thousands of pastors and tens of thousands of laymen. The same enthusiasm we witness with students on high school and college campuses, we witness with pastors and laymen who are filled with the Holy Spirit and have learned to share their faith. The church represents the greatest source of manpower for fulfilling the Great Commission.

Prayer is one of the most important factors in successful evangelism and successful follow-up. The scripture gives our basis for prayer; "You do not have because you do not ask" (James 4:2). "The Lord ... is not willing that any should perish" (2 Peter 3:9, Living). God wants all of His children to be more and more like Christ in every way (Ephesians 5:1). According to I John 5:14,15, we know God will hear and answer if we pray for multitudes to trust Christ and for many disciples in all nations because we know that we pray according to God's will. Prayer played a major role in the lives of our Lord, Paul and other followers. Prayer must saturate every attitude and action. Encourage early morning daily prayer meetings for staff and students wherever possible 24-hour prayer chains should be organized. Ask godly older people to join with you in praying for evangelistic meetings and follow-up of new converts by name.

We should not fear repetition in follow-up. Most Christians' greatest need is to understand how they can experience an abundant life in the power of the Holy Spirit and share their faith effectively, repetition aids learning. The Holy Spirit keeps old truths fresh and meaningful through repetitions if our hearts are right with God.

We should not be deceived by critics who call our work "shallow and superficial; we need to spend more time in 'deep Bible truths."' First, we need to ask, "What are these so-called 'deep truths'?"' Second, are these "truths" producing holy, Spirit controlled Christians who have a vital, fruitful witness for Christ? Many years of good Bible and theological training in the best Bible schools and seminaries, do not ensure victorious and fruitful lives for Christ; whereas, understanding the truths of Romans 6-8 and Galatians 2:20, depending on the Holy Spirit and sharing one's faith as a way of life will ensure a victorious and fruitful life. What "deeper truth" is there, that is more important?

Most Christian leaders I know have not been followed up personally on a one-to one basis, though I think this is desirable wherever possible. Some years ago I was participating in a seminar devoted to "follow-up". Many Christian leaders were present. All of us were concerned with the need for better follow-up of new converts. Suddenly, it occurred to me to ask each of these leaders, "Who followed you up?" Not one of these men, including myself, had been followed up personally, most had been followed up in the fellowship of various church meetings, Bible studies, etc. Both group and personal follow-up are important, but a vital group can be much more effective in following up new converts.

Philippians 1:6 is a reminder that the Holy Spirit, who produces the new life in the believer, will continue to help the believer grow. But verse 6 follows and depends on verse 4, which states, "... always offering prayer ..." This emphasizes our responsibility to pray for those with whom we work.

Belief in the sovereignty and power of God is essential for discipline men. The heart of the matter is whether we can believe that the Holy Spirit is able to finish what He has begun according to Romans 8:28,29, which tells us: "And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into His plans. For from the very beginning God decided that those who came to Him - and all along He knew who would - should become like His Son, so that His Son would be the first, with many brothers" (Living).

Never forget the absolute necessity of the Holy Spirit's power. After years of being disciplined personally by Jesus, most of the disciples deserted Him at the cross and one betrayed Him. It was Pentecost that made the ultimate difference! Filled with the Holy Spirit, these disciples went out to change the world.

The Holy Spirit is the only one who can adequately follow up and help the new convert to grow and mature in his faith. Encourage the new convert to depend upon the Holy Spirit and not on your clever ideas or on excellent follow-up material alone.

Too much "man-centered" follow-up grieves the Holy Spirit. Too often we depend upon the Holy Spirit to produce the new birth and then we personally assume all responsibility for the follow-up.

While Jesus was evangelizing the multitudes, He was discipline His twelve. We, too, are commanded to evangelize the multitudes and make disciples in all nations. But don't be disappointed if every Christian with whom you work does not respond to the challenge to be a disciple.

Not everyone is ready or "ripe" to receive Christ at the same time; neither is everybody ready to grow spiritually at the same pace. We don't force fruit to ripen (pressurize people to accept Christ); neither should we try to force new Christians to grow. Encourage, but never pressurize. Allow the Holy Spirit to be as original with others as He has been, and is, with you. Again, praying for the new believers is the most important thing we can do for them.

Many new believers who have drifted away come back to Christ at a later time in life. Naturally, you will want to do what you can, but don't be discouraged when some of your newer or older Christian friends drift away. Many will come back to Christ months or years later.

"A follower is dependent upon man for growth; a disciple is dependent upon Christ for growth."

In summary, then, our basic philosophy regarding evangelizing and discipline should include the following principles:

Make individual and group prayer the basis for all evangelizing and discipline.

Sow abundantly-tell men about Christ whenever you get the chance, individually and in groups (see Romans 1:5; Colossians 1:28, Living).

Make spiritual growth opportunities available to all who respond to Christ.

Trust the Holy Spirit that disciples will emerge through the many growth opportunities afforded by your ministry (personal counseling and leadership, Bible studies, discipleship groups, tapes, activity and worship in local churches). Remember, the cream will rise to the top.

Move with the movers. Applying the 2 Timothy 2:2 methods, disciple those who are most responsive.

Emphasize spiritual multiplication rather than addition.

Don't get "hung up" and spend valuable time on people who are not ready to accept Christ, or with Christians who are slow to move. Pray for them to "ripen" and in the meantime keep evangelizing and following up those who are responsive.

Take new and older believers with you as you share your faith and get them involved in the cause of Christ in other ways.

I am confident that, as you apply these principles to your life, God will abundantly bless your ministry - and will continue to unite us as we seek to help fulfill the Great Commission.