by Replicate: Imagine how different the story might have read had Jesus chosen to disciple twelve women instead of twelve men. I am certain there would have been more detailed questions and discussion!

By God’s design, women think differently, have different emotional needs, interact differently and process things differently than men. Because women can understand and naturally relate to one another, it’s easier for them to engage in a discipleship relationship with other women. The goal of discipleship is to produce fully devoted followers of Christ who will then go and make disciples. What do women’s discipleship groups look like?

This blog is from our partner Replicate. Sign up here to get updates sent to your inbox about ministries like theirs so you can grow as a disciple maker.

Jesus is our model and the Holy Spirit is our Helper in discipleship. Jesus poured into the lives of His disciples and taught them how to love, pray, trust, minister, and serve. These practices would be needed for the time when He would no longer be standing beside them. Jesus also sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within believers and to be our Helper as we follow Him (John 14:25-26; 16:13-14).
Accountability is essential. Effective discipleship takes place when a small group of 4-5 women gather for the purpose of helping one another “grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). To maintain the spiritual disciplines, we need other women encouraging us along the way. Discipline is a word we love to hate. Knowing we will have to quote the verses we have memorized and share what we had learned from God’s Word motivates us. In return, God blesses our obedience and reveals more of Himself to us (John 14:21; 15:4-8).
Teaching women God’s Word. Hebrews 4:12 says, “The Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. It has the power to divide between soul and spirit, joint and marrow, and to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Our pastor likes to say, “Get into the Word until the Word gets into you.” To become self-feeders, women must learn how to study and apply God’s Word for themselves.
Guiding women to develop spiritual disciplines, such as prayer and memorizing Scripture. Prayer and Scripture are the most powerful tools we have in our arsenal to fight against the enemy (Eph. 6:10-18). In a discipleship relationship, women learn to use these tools effectively.
Helping women discover and use their spiritual gifts. The Holy Spirit imparts spiritual gifts to believers for the building up of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:6-7). When women discover and begin using the gifts God has given them, they are more apt to engage in their churches and communities.
Launching women to serve locally and globally. Jesus said, “You are to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and to the uttermost parts of the world,“ (Acts 1:8). A witness is someone who tells what they know they to be true. As women study God’s word, they discover who God is and who they are in Christ. Prepared to share the Christ-life with others, the process begins all over again as we become disciples who make disciples (2 Timothy 2:2).

Originally posted on Replicate’s blog here. Used by permission.

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By Replicate: Even though Prayer is the seventh item on the Replicate list of nine essentials of a Discipleship Group, it could easily be first: prayer ought to permeate every part of the discipleship process. Think about it, before we even begin our discipleship group, we’re praying for God to show us those He desires us to invest in. Jesus models this for us in Luke 6, when He spends all night in prayer before picking 12 of the disciples to be apostles.

12 During those days he went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God. 13 When daylight came, he summoned his disciples, and he chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: (Luke 6:12-13, CSB)

We not only pray for those God would have us to invest in, we are also prayerful as we approach each person and invite them to be a part of the group. Once the group is formed, everything we do as a group ought to be bathed in prayer.

Why Pray?

A Discipleship group should pray for one another for a couple of reasons. First, when we pray, we are saying without saying a word that we are dependent upon God. Second, we demonstrate that we believe God to do what only He can do. We trust Him to not only open the eyes of our understanding, but to help us to lay hold of the truth in such a way that we apply it to our lives. In other words, we want God’s truth to move from our head to our hearts—then to our hands.

This blog is from our partner Replicate. Sign up here to get updates sent to your inbox about ministries like theirs so you can grow as a disciple maker.

Model The Role

A D-Group leader should be a role model for those in their groups. They should demonstrate what it looks like to be a man or woman of prayer. Since prayer is one of those disciplines that is caught as much as it is taught, setting an example for those you are discipling can have more of an impact than you may realize. In many ways, we learn to pray by praying. We should pray with others as well as spending time in prayer alone.

As a leader, you not only want to teach your members what gospel centered prayer looks like, you want to pray often with and for your group. We should lead our groups to see prayer as a never-ending conversation with God. As the Apostle Paul said to the believers in Thessalonica:

17 pray constantly, (1 Thessalonians 5:17, CSB)

In addition, teach your discipleship group to pray before reading or studying the Word of God. Pray as the psalmist did:

18 Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction. (Psalm 119:18, CSB)

Also, help them understand that it is absolutely necessary that they pray for one another throughout the week. I will include that in my covenant that I have them sign when they begin meeting together as a group. Your group should know that everyone in the group is praying for each other. So, when they promise to pray for one another and their families, I call their attention to 1 Samuel 12:23, which says:

23 As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. (1 Samuel 12:23a, CSB)

Never minimize the importance of prayer for your discipleship group and in your time together as a group. Remember the classic quote by E. M. Bounds, “You can’t rightly talk to men about God until you first talk to God about men.”

By Replicate

Originally posted on Replicate’s blog here. Used by permission.

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by Replicate:

The Post is Part of a 9 Essentials of a Discipleship Group Series

Perhaps no phrase rings truer when it comes to Discipleship Groups than this one: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” In order for people to grow towards Christlikeness together, there has to be a bond in the group. That bond breeds trust, encouragement, and accountability. When authentic friendships are lacking, group conversations (and therefore spiritual growth) stay shallow and stagnant. Simply put, Discipleship Groups do not survive without authentic relationships.

So, if relationships are the glue that holds our Discipleship Groups together, how do we develop and grow them with the people in our groups?

Choose your group members wisely

The easiest way to guarantee success in developing relationships with the people in your group is to pick people that you know have common interests or that are in a similar stage of life. The greatest fishing pond to pick people from is your Life Group. You can make it work with anybody if you put in the time and effort, but why not go with the people already in close proximity to you? (Until everyone in your Life Group is leading a group of their own of course.)

Share your testimony

This is the first step of vulnerability and trust in a Discipleship Group. Regardless of what walk of life each of you are in, you can all find common ground in your story of repenting of your sin and pledging your allegiance to Christ. Not only do you develop relationships with others by sharing your story, but you are bound to find similarities within your stories that build an instant connection. Have everyone in your group share their testimony in the first couple of weeks that you meet. And as a bonus, this is a great teaching exercise if members of your group have never developed their testimony!

This blog is from our partner Replicate. Sign up here to get updates sent to your inbox about ministries like theirs so you can grow as a disciple maker.

Spend group time simply catching up

It would be sad to get to the end of 12-18 months together and realize you studied Scripture but never took the time to get to know one another. Be willing to take a few minutes at the beginning of your group to hear about each other’s week. It can be something as simple as sharing a highlight and a lowlight. Even if it’s just 10 minutes this time ensures that your Discipleship Group does not feel overly formal or academic. It adds fun to the group and fun is obviously great for group morale and cohesiveness.

Spend time together outside of the group

“Dylan, are you telling me I need to add something else to my calendar?” Well, yes. When was the last time you built a close relationship without hanging out with them? Your Discipleship Group members do not have to be your best friends but hey, they just might become that if you give it a shot! If you are serious about growing the relationships in your group you have to make time to have fun together on occasion. Watch a game, catch a movie, go shopping, get creative! The closer you become outside the meeting time, the closer you will become in the meeting time.

Disciples grow when they are in an environment of trust. Trust happens as strong relationships are built over time. Discipleship Groups thrive when the relationships between group members become authentic and meaningful. You’ll be glad you put in the time and effort it takes to develop true friendships with the people you are discipling.

Originally posted on Replicate’s blog here. Used by permission.

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by Healthy Growing Churches: On July 11th, 2017 the Barna Group published an article on their website that began with this paragraph:

“It may come as no surprise that the influence of Christianity in the United States is waning. Rates of church attendance, religious affiliation, belief in God, prayer and Bible-reading have all been dropping for decades. By consequence, the role of religion in public life has been slowly diminishing, and the church no longer functions with the cultural authority it held in times past. These are unique days for the church in America as it learns what it means to flourish in a new “Post-Christian” era.”

Before I could read on, I was already processing an important question:

What does it look like going forward for the Church in America to flourish in a post-Christian era?

This question deserves more than just some mental attention, but it must become a significant matter of prayer for every follower of Jesus. Church leaders, it’s time to circle up and figure out how to advance the Gospel in the new American landscape.

We have to start thinking in terms of a paradigm shift for the Church. Some of our deeply held assumptions regarding Church need to be unlearned if we hope to reach the growing harvest in America. It will also likely require a new posture for those who desire Kingdom impact in both the current cultural reality and into the future.

Fresh Expressions

Currently, there are pioneers of the faith who are experimenting with what many are beginning to refer to as “fresh expressions of the church.” Freshexpressionus.org is one network working hard to empower, resource, and celebrate the growing number of fresh expressions of the church.

They define these fresh expressions of the Church this way:

“A Fresh Expression is a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of those who are not yet part of any church.”

They go on to add:

“Fresh Expressions is an international movement of missionary disciples cultivating new kinds of church alongside existing congregations to more effectively engage our growing post-Christian society.”

These expressions of church are taking many different forms. There are many creative variations of the Church emerging, and God is calling up creative and courageous people to generate new pathways for people to explore and discover all the fullness of Jesus. People searching for God have more accessible options to meet Jesus within contexts they understand rather than them trying to fit into a one-size-fits-all model. Gatherings take place in coffeehouses meant to be an epicenter for disciple-making. Group meetings may also include weekly dinners that foster an intentional spiritual conversation, where people can come and feel free to wrestle with some of the difficult truths of Scripture. Some churches are meeting in bars to attract those who may never feel comfortable stepping into a church building.

Micro-Churches or Missional Communities

Francis Chan’s book, Letters to the Church, (amongst others) has inspired pioneers of the faith to launch networks of what is commonly referred to as micro-churches or missional communities. These fresh expressions of church are the most basic expressions of the church that are seeking to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their neighborhoods and cities. These fresh expressions include individuals deeply passionate and committed to both meeting the needs of those in the margins and making disciples who make disciples.

The Tampa Underground Network

The Underground Network in Tampa, Florida has been a tremendous kingdom resource for those seeking to launch a network of micro-churches or missional communities. Brian Sanders, one of the founders of the movement, went back and took a deeper look at the way the early Church functioned and then designed ecclesiastical minimums accordingly. They say it this way:

“When believers work together in sincere worship and genuine community to accomplish part of the mission of God, they are the church.”

As you read that statement, I hope your mind races with the plethora of fresh expressions of church that could change the world for Jesus. What would happen if the Church empowered everyday missionaries to launch fresh expressions of the church in the places where they live, work, and play? Is there any doubt that even asking the question puts a huge smile on the face of our heavenly Father?

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by Bobby Harrington: We hope you’ve enjoyed meeting some of our disciple-making partners. We want to help you find the best disciple-making guides, and that’s why we’re continuing to introduce these partners to you.

Meet Dave Buehring, leader of Lionshare.

Here’s what Dave said about his ministry in our interview with him:

Tell us about the name of your ministry “Lionshare.”

Because our mission is aimed at discipling lives and leaders throughout society, we chose a name that relates to a broad audience and references Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

What is your unique disciple-making emphasis?

Lionshare’s focus revolves around what we refer to as our Disciple-Making Cornerstones:

Foundational Disciple Making – Grounding new followers of Jesus who are rooted in his character, ways and mission.
Formational Disciple Making – Growing disciples of Jesus who reproduce God’s character, ways, and mission in others.
Vocational Disciple Making – Developing disciples who reflect God’s character, ways, and mission in and through their vocation.
Leadership Disciple Making – Shaping leaders who reference God’s character, ways, and mission in their lives and leadership.

Our target is reproducing disciple makers:

Generationally – those under the age of 40, including next generation leaders
Vocationally – those serving within the Dozen Domains of society: Family, Church, Government/Law/Nation Security, Education, Media, Arts/Entertainment/Sports, Business, Science & Technology, Health/Medicine/Wholeness, Environment/Agriculture/Zoology, Nonprofit & Service Organizations, Peoples (people groups linked by language and culture)
Internationally – various people groups, local and global

We practically engage in disciple making through relationships, our resources, and hosting various kinds of convening events (retreats, intensives, conferences, etc.).

Pick up from email . . .

How do you help everyday disciples who aspire to be disciple makers?

For the last fifteen years, we have effectively used a one-year disciple-making resource around the globe called A Discipleship Journey (ADJ). It covers 12 key disciple-making staples – one month at a time – via weekly 12-15 minute videos accessed on one’s phone, tablet or computer; an accompanying manual that takes truths from the Scriptures deeper; and participation in a small group that focuses on real life application. We equip ADJ group leaders via videos on our website (Lionshare.org) and through personal coaching.

We facilitate two-day gatherings, called d4, in regions throughout the country to ignite and equip individuals, churches and societal leaders in disciple making.

We also host, January to June, each year A Leadership Journey (ALJ). This provides us with the opportunity to more personally disciple church and societal leaders in the ways of God related to their own spiritual health, relationships, leadership and callings.

We are currently developing two new tools. The first is a kid’s version of A Discipleship Journey (ADJ) for families and churches to effectively disciple 6-12-year olds. The second are resources that will allow disciples of Jesus to develop other disciples to advance God’s Kingdom and benefit and bless people through their vocations.

Who are the key leaders in your network?

We have men and women, aged in their 20’s-70’s, representing various nationalities and expressions of vocational experience within the Dozen Domains that make up our network.

They include people like Darren and Sonya Bearson, (formerly in government and media, now providing day-to-day leadership of Lionshare), Kent Chevalier, Sean Holland, Heather Zempel (pastors) and George Kehoe (business).

How can people connect with you?

The easiest way to connect to us is via our website at www.Lionshare.org.

For King Jesus,

Bobby Harrington, Point Leader, Discipleship.org

Join us at our National Disciple Making Forum!

November 7th- 8th in Nashville, TN

Sign up Today!

New Blogs

“Learning from Disciple Making Leaders: Renew Network”

by Bobby Harrington

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“Mentoring Emerging Leaders – Part 1”

by Replicate Ministries

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“Identity or Theology?”

by Radical Mentoring

READ THE BLOG

New Podcast Episodes

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S6 Episode 38: Leaders of a Disciple Making Church (Ken Adams, Glenn Underhill, and Mike Keaton)

S6 Episode 37: The Environment of a Disciple Making Church (Ken Adams and Mike Keaton)

S6 Episode 36: The Strategy of a Disciple Making Church (Ken Adams, Glenn Underhill, and Mike Keaton)

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by Bobby Harrington: This is the second part of a series on starting a discipleship group. To access previous blogs in this series, click here.

We sat down with preacher and author Josh Patrick and asked him some basic questions about how Jesus made disciples. Here’s what he told us.

So how do select people for a discipleship group?

Let me start by saying that what I am about to share came after several missteps and failures as a disciple maker. This strategy was grown in the soil of imperfection. But here’s the ideal way I’ve learned to select people for a discipleship group. This is what’s worked for me, so hopefully it will be helpful for you, too.

I begin with a specific and disciplined prayer. I say specific because the Lord Jesus encouraged us to ask, seek, and knock. I say, disciplined because I don’t want to rush the process. I am by nature an impulsive, ready-fire-aim personality, which doesn’t always bode well for a disciple maker.

Beginning with prayer helps me rely on God to do the heavy lifting in his own way and time. This is what I pray every day until I get a clear answer.

Next Steps

Jesus, reveal five to seven men to me. Men with honest, hungry hearts. Men who want to become like you – at home, work, and everywhere else. Show me some men who are eager to experience deep life transformation. When you make it clear who these men are, I commit to do everything I can to partner with you Spirit to create a culture of discipleship – where grace and truth flow freely and you are the centerpiece of everything we do together. Give me eyes to see, Lord! Amen.

When I’m starting a new group, I pray this prayer every day, and for whatever reason, usually around the 90-day mark, God makes it remarkably clear who these men are. I write their names down in a notebook and surrender the list to Jesus. One by one, each man in his own way lets me know—without my prompting—that he was searching for deep spiritual friendship.

Asking Hard Questions

I have a track record of overestimating good intentions and staying optimistic, even when things aren’t looking good. I’ve learned to listen to my wife and take some time to confirm that the names the Lord had given me were the people he wanted in the group. I take each man out for a meal or for coffee to seek the Lord’s will further. After small talk, I share a bit of my story with them and ask a few basic, heart-probing questions like these:

“What drives you as a man?”
“How do you define success in life?”
“What do you want people to say about you after you’re gone?”
“If you could push a button that would instantly remove one struggle or challenge in your life, what would it be?”

I may not know the men very well at this point, and I may be a little afraid to ask such intense questions, but it always pays off. Each man is genuinely encouraged that I cared enough to ask them questions like this and show concern for their lives.

AFTeR

As I move toward them and listen to them, I ask God to show me if they fit the AFTeR acronym that we use at Harpeth Christian Church http://www.harpethcc.com/, where I minister. This is really helpful to keep in mind as you think of who to invite in your group.

Available – Are they willing to make time for spiritual growth? Or are they distracted by other agendas?
Faithful – Do they have a track record of following through on commitments or do they flake out?
Teachable – Are they open to learning new things or are they closed-minded? Do they display a desire to grow in Christ or are they content to remain where they are?
Reliable – Do they show up when they say they will? Are they honest?

In my experience, people who don’t fit this description aren’t ready for authentic discipleship, so my advice is this – don’t waste your time (or theirs). I know that may sound harsh. But you can save yourself from dead, lifeless groups where you are pulling teeth to get people to participate if you seek out those who are spiritually hungry. Jesus himself targeted those who were open to God—“Let him who has ears to hear, listen!”

This is Part Two of Josh Patrick’s blog series for Discipleship.org, “How to Start a Discipleship Group”. Stay tuned for his next blog that will focus on how to select persons for a discipleship group.

This blog was written by Josh Patrick, who is the Teaching and Discipleship Minister at Harpeth Christian Church—“the best job in the world,” he says. Josh is driven by a desire to help people catch the vision that knowing Jesus is the greatest reality in the universe. He is the co-author of the newly released book, The Disciple Maker’s Handbook (Zondervan). The aim of this book is to equip everyday Christians to passionately participate in the greatest cause on earth—making disciples of Jesus! Josh and his wife, Joni, have three daughters—Lilly, Joy, and Sarah—and a rambunctious Boston Terrier named Bruno.

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Source: How to Choose Persons For a Discipleship Group

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by Bobby Harrington: Jesus not only called us to make disciples, but he also showed us how to do it. His strategy was simple. He formed an intentional community of men where he taught, encouraged, challenged, and equipped them in the ways of God. This method has proven to be effective in every culture and era in world history. And it still works today. But practically speaking, what does it look like?

We sat down with preacher and author, Josh Patrick, to ask him some basic questions about how to do what Jesus did… the way he did it.

This is the first part of a series on starting a discipleship group.

When did you know that you were ready to start a discipleship group?

I would look for two sure signs when gauging your readiness to start a group that aims to make disciples of Jesus. Let me share at least how I was confident in the Lord to start a discipleship group.

First, there was conviction.

This was what I noticed in myself at the beginning. I felt convicted that up to this point, my life in Christ was all about me – my growth, my joy, my trials, my finances, my family, etc. This realization took me by surprise. It was as if Jesus whispered in my ear, “It’s time to move on.” This wasn’t a condemning voice. It was a voice of intrigue and invitation. It led me to pray more earnestly and search the scriptures more intentionally—especially the four gospels—for answers.

Second, a decision.

Shortly after a conviction was a decision I made. I felt a burden to do what Jesus explicitly commanded his first followers to do. The Great Commission was no longer a general statement for me; it was a personal assignment given by Jesus himself directly to me.

Third, there was a revelation.

As Jesus guided me through the process of understanding my next step, I started to notice that an increasing number of people were approaching me for spiritual direction. Men I respected were coming to me asking hard questions about God, the Bible, their marriages, and their struggles. Each time this happened, I walked away thinking, Why in the world would he come to me for this? I was humbled and puzzled. When I sought advice from a wise man of God who had been walking closely with me for a few years, he said, “This is no mystery. Jesus is preparing you to become a maker of disciples.”

This is Part One of Josh Patrick’s blog series for Discipleship.org, “How to Start a Discipleship Group”. Stay tuned for his next blog that will focus on how to select persons for a discipleship group.

Josh Patrick is the Teaching and Discipleship Minister at Harpeth Christian Church—“the best job in the world,” he says. Josh is driven by a desire to help people catch the vision that knowing Jesus is the greatest reality in the universe. He is the co-author of the newly released book, The Disciple Maker’s Handbook (Zondervan). The aim of this book is to equip everyday Christians to passionately participate in the greatest cause on earth—making disciples of Jesus! Josh and his wife, Joni, have three daughters—Lilly, Joy, and Sarah—and a rambunctious Boston Terrier named Bruno.

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Source: How to Start a Discipleship Group

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