And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all…
In the hallway at church on Sunday, Timothy approaches you and expresses an interest in being discipled. You have not previously gotten to know Timothy. He says, “I need your help.” You agree on a time and place for a meeting. What would you include/cover in your meeting? Consider the…
In my doctoral research, I discovered that dropouts tend to have two or fewer “friends they can call on in time of need” in their Sunday School class. Those who had six or more friends tended to be the most frequent attenders. Relationships (plural) matter! In your disciple-making strategy, don’t…
In a recent webinar, Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, defined “discipleship” by saying: My simple definition of discipleship is when a follower of Christ becomes more like Christ. I want to encourage you to watch the entire webinar which features Thom Rainer, Jim Sheppard, and Larry Osbourne. Definitions…
I believe in Sunday School classes and small groups. They can be great tools for assisting the church in discipling and shepherding the sheep God has entrusted to us. Sometimes, however, our methods for reaching, caring, and discipling are poor. Teachers and group leaders can be lazy, apathetic, or untrained.…
I hear testimonies about individual and church disciple-making regularly. Some are stories of what was learned from failed attempts. Sometimes disciples move. Sometimes resources used were ineffective. Sometimes plans were too cumbersome. But in all cases, learning about disciple-making was strengthened. The biggest failure is not trying. In addition to…
In Greeters Help Make Positive First Impressions, I said: If we make negative first impressions (individually or as a church), we may not get a second chance. It is also difficult to disciple people who don’t return or who drop out. This post is about what we can do to…
First impressions and care matter in making disciples. If we make negative first impressions (individually or as a church), we may not get a second chance. It is also difficult to disciple people who don’t return or who drop out. What can we do to ensure more positive first impressions?…
Fresh, Practical Training I pray that you have seen lives changed, leaders developed, new people reached, unsaved introduced to Jesus, and new discipling relationships begun through your church this year. As you plan for the start of another year of discipleship, I am sure you recognize the value of training…
Disciples come in all shapes and sizes. Some disciples are brand new Christians. Others have been walking with Jesus for years. Some have grown spiritually very little. Others desire to grow more in a specific area, such as prayer or scripture memorization. Some have had encouragers and disciplers while others…
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.