By Eric Geiger | Author & Senior Pastor, Mariners Church
Over a decade ago, I wrote a book about discipleship alongside two friends and colleagues.
Transformational Discipleship with Michael Kelley and Philip Nation came from a massive study on how people grow. As part of this research into an effective discipleship model, we discovered that people grow best when they receive the truth of God’s Word, through a godly leader, while they are in a vulnerable or teachable posture—that spiritual growth is most likely to occur with the synergy of truth, leaders, and posture.
Now as a pastor, I live with the burden of leading a church with the mission of making disciples—the mission for all of our churches. Most agree that I carry a holy responsibility for delivering the truth (teaching the gospel, reminding people of their new identity, and challenging them to walk in holiness) and being a credible leader. Some have hinted that posture is “between each person and God,” that us church leaders aren’t responsible for the posture. While surely some of the posture is on each individual, I am convinced our churches can help foster a posture where people receive God’s grace and truth.
Based on the research we articulated three components of a teachable or vulnerable posture: interdependence, outward focus, and suffering.Here are three actions church leaders can take to help shepherd people to and in a vulnerable posture:
1. Prioritize Groups: The Foundation of a Healthy Discipleship Pathway
Many have pointed out that we can’t obey the “one-anothers” of the Bible unless we are with one another, and that God has designed Christian growth to occur within Christian community. While I love the weekend services and work very hard on each week’s sermon, in a group context someone is able to ask questions, share a burden, and have another person encourage him or her personally. As a pastor, I must care deeply about nudging people from a large gathering to smaller groups.
2. Mobilize for Mission: Help People Engage Those Hurting and Far from God
When we serve the vulnerable, seek the good of our cities, and join God in His mission to see people reconciled to Himself from every tribe, tongue, and nation, our eyes are lifted from ourselves to Him and others. We are reminded of our rescue and are placed in overwhelming moments where we must depend on Him. As a pastor, I must challenge people to take risks, join our outreach ministries, and sign up for opportunities to serve in our cities. Not only do our cities benefit, but the people I shepherd are placed in a posture ripe for transformation.
3. Shepherd Through Suffering: Shepherd People in Pain
Unlike the two aforementioned where we start groups and new outreach initiatives to engage our people in community and mission, we don’t have a ministry to bring pain into someone’s life. My heart breaks when the people I pastor are in pain, but trials and trouble will come and God will use the trials to bring people closer to Himself. We don’t send the trials, but we must be prepared to care for people in the midst of them—through prayer teams, groups designed for them, and pastoral presence in their lives.
God is the One who ultimately grows us, but He tends to grow us when we are in a teachable posture. As church leaders, we can help foster that posture among the people we serve, creating an environment ripe for true spiritual growth.
Eric Geiger originally wrote and published the above post in the May/June 2025 issue of Outreach Magazine with the title 'Fostering a Teachable Posture in Our People.'
