Jim Putman is pastor of Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho. His books, Church is a Team Sport and Real-Life Discipleship are excellent resources for those who lead discipleship in their churches. His church is serious about making disciples who make disciples who make disciples. It is in their…
Roland Allen tells about a veteran missionary who came up to him one day after he had delivered his sermon. The missionary introduced himself & said, “I was a medical missionary for many years in India. I served in a region where there was progressive blindness. People were born with…
Growing up I loved to shoot bow and arrows. I would draw a target on a hay bale or a card board box and do my best to hit the bull’s eye I had drawn. To shoot without having a target was not much fun. The flip side of that…
Step 1. Refine Your Vision/Dream/Goal Every church needs a clear vision for disciple-making. Your vision needs to be articulated and shared. What’s your vision/dream/goal for making disciples in your church? God gives us His vision as we spend time with Him and His Word. Wise leaders plan times to be…
You may have read this study by Barna, but I think it is worth examining again as we try to reverse the tide of the declining effectiveness of our churches on the culture. We’ve looked at four now the fifth one. 5. The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over…
You may have read this study by Barna, but I think it is worth examining again as we try to reverse the tide of the declining effectiveness of our churches on the culture. Here’s the mega shift Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles and more desirous…
We’ve all heard the quote, “Everything rises or falls on leadership.” We know that it is the Spirit of the Lord in us that provides the energy and guidance to lead, but the fact is… God is still using people to accomplish His purposes. He uses godly leaders. Churches that…
In a previous blog, I listed 10 so let’s continue to examine two more with number three and four. 3. Healthy Churches have an effective assimilation process. They not only reach people but they move people to places of service. They do this very quickly and intentionally. It is expected…
In a new survey by George Barna, he suggests that a vast majority of believers experience little transformation in their lives and what changes they make tend to be based on generic influences rather any deeper intellectual or spiritual struggle. Despite technological advances that have increased communication, Barna suggests Christian…
One of the most effective, powerful, and efficient ways to make disciples is “one on one.” This method of discipleship is also called Mentoring, Life Coaching, or Spiritual Coaching. There is awesome power in “one on one” discipleship relationships because they transform lives. My own life has been impacted by…
Two encounters are critical. First, the leader encounters God in His Word and is changed. Second, the leader guides the group to have a life-changing encounter.
In John 13:34-35, three times Jesus said, “Love one another.” Your group is the ideal place to practice and launch the kind of love for one another that shows the world that we are His disciples.