Fellowship to Followship
June 17, 2026
Fellowship leads to discipleship which leads to followship.
Fellowship.
The air was cool and clear. Sunset with all its bright fading colors was fading over the mountain and with the rippling sound of the Bull River streaming by, the men were deep in discussion. Men’s camp was in full swing and the 25 or so members of the Church of God were around the warmth of the campfire. Venus and Jupiter appeared in the western sky, then one star, two, three and more as the love of the family of God was in motion. Small group discussions. Good natured ribbing. The warming of hands over the fire pit as the Montana night brought cold air causing the group to tighten around the fire. Fellowship is wonderful.
The fellowship of believers is a wonderful gift from God. We are the Church, the koinonia (Greek), the family of God. “The basic meaning of the Greek koinonia, translates as ‘fellowship’ or ‘communion’, [which] is participation.”[1] McRay goes on to emphasize the fellowship of the church (Spirit filled individuals) and the concepts of being friends and companions. McRay says, “friendship is a supreme expression of fellowship.”[2] Fellowship takes effort. Fellowship can take us out of our comfort zone as we serve others. Jesus, when He was tired still went out and preached the gospel of the kingdom. We must put forth the effort to be with the brethren.
Standing around the campfire in fellowship that night we felt the echoes of Paul, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free- and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” (I Cor. 12:12-13 [NKJV]).
Together we are the fellowship of believers.
Discipleship.
Sometime in our life we will meet an individual who deeply affects our life. For me it was my high school history teacher. Through his teaching and mentoring I developed a profound love of history. I became his disciple in the discipline of history. “A disciple, mathetes, (Greek) is a learner or follower—usually someone committed to a significant master.”[3] I became committed to the study of history. Are we committed to the study of Jesus and His way of life? Has Jesus so profoundly touched us that we make God first in our life?
The concept of being a disciple of Jesus leads us to discipleship. When we have fellowship with Jesus and become His disciple, we begin to live a life that emulates Him. Discipleship is simply “the widely accepted term that describes the ongoing life of the disciple.”[4] Discipleship is us living a life of transformation into the beautiful image of Jesus. It is our process of sanctification as Paul says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rom. 12:2). We are to transform ourselves into acting and being like Jesus.
Together we are the disciples of believers.
Followship.
When I was a senior in high school, my father died. Who did I turn to in my time of grief but my high school history teacher. I had become a disciple of history through him but even more so, I had fellowship with him. Our ultimate leader and who we should emulate is Jesus. How willing are we to emulate and follow Jesus? Peter, Andrew, James and John were working their fishing nets when Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matt. 4:19). The gospel account makes it look easy to drop our career, leave our friends and family and then to follow Jesus. Communing in fellowship with Jesus as His disciple is followhip.
Standing around the fire with the men of Men’s camp was wonderful fellowship. We were and are disciples of Jesus as we follow Him. In Acts three and four when Peter and John spoke in Jerusalem, they gave us the deepest and most meaningful understanding. We can only be saved through Jesus. He is the chief cornerstone, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). Follow Him.
Fellowship of believers, worshiping and being together is only the beginning. Fellowship leads to discipleship which leads to followship. On His last night of physical life Jesus spoke of fellowship. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35).
Fellowship to discipleship to followhip.
When we fellowship together as His disciples, we are the followship of Jesus.
Mike Wallace
[1] J.R. McRay, “Fellowship”, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 3rd. ed. Daniel J. Treier and Walter A. Elwell, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2017). 312.
[2] McRay, 312.
[3] Bill Hull, The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ, (Colorado Springs: Tyndale NavPress, 2006), 32.
[4] Hull, 35.
