Robert E. Coleman. The Master Plan of Evangelism. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1963-2010. 160 pp. $5.39.
For as far back as I can remember as a Christian, Robert Coleman’s The Master Plan of Evangelism has been considered a classic on disciple-making. Over years of teaching and ministry, Dr. Coleman has continually sounded the same call for believers to devote themselves, not to the masses, but to making a few disciples who will in turn make disciples.
This book has multiple strengths. One strength, strangely enough, is its reputation. Christians who understand that this book has been well-received for over fifty years will be more willing to read it and hear from it. This is a strength that we ought not write off too quickly.
Coleman also does a fine job of showing his readers time and time again that Jesus made his ministry primarily about investing in his twelve disciples even as he ministered to the people at large. Coleman shows us how Jesus made his ministry about this small group of followers, how he allowed them to observe his life, how he trained them and sent them out, how he evaluated their ministry, and how he commissioned them to make other disciples like themselves. If we see Jesus do these things, we should do likewise.
Coleman’s understanding of the impact of disciple-making disciples is of great worth to the modern church. Coleman argues that a person who works on making only 1 disciple like himself will have doubled his kingdom impact. Assuming that the original Christian and the disciple then both make one disciple each, the impact is now four-fold. If this pattern is continued, Jesus’ goal of making disciples from all nations is in reach far quicker than we might imagine. This is exponential growth that looks realistic, is not gimmick-driven, and that resembles Jesus’ pattern.
If the book has a weakness, it is in the lack of description of discipleship content. Yes, Coleman shows that Jesus demonstrated his prayer life, his devotion to Scripture, his obedience to God’s commands, and his evangelism to the disciples, teaching them these things along the way. However, it is also true that some who read this work will still find themselves wanting a more clearly-defined and followable strategy for step-by-step discipleship growth. Coleman assumes a maturity on the part of his readers which may not be present in the lives of some modern believers who pick up his book.
I would heartily recommend The Master Plan of Evangelism to any believer. This book would be an especially positive read for small group leaders, pastors, and church planters. Truly, any mature believer will be strengthened by being challenged to take even one younger believer under his or her wing, train them up, and send them out to become disciple-making disciples.
Pastor Travis Peterson 