By Josh Patrick:

This is the third 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.

How do you begin your first meeting with new people?

This is how I begin. I invite the men to meet me at a quiet, distraction-free place where we could talk. As soon as everyone arrives, I give a short talk about our need for relationships that are close, life-giving, and distinctively Christ-centered. I admit that even though I’m a pastor, I really need these relationships and I tell them that I prayed and felt led to pledge myself to each of them as a friend and as a brother in the Lord. Then I opened the floor and asked if they had anything to share.

What I hear after that usually confirms that the Spirit had indeed engineered these connections and has called us to walk together. All of the men express similar desires and heart wounds as I have.

My First Group

My first group was a motley crew: a pastor, an accountant, a corporate chef, a videographer, a web security expert, a financial planner, and a music professor. But we were all united by a common desire: to pursue Jesus together.

After everyone shared, I presented a group covenant that outlined some goals and guardrails for our group. This felt risky because it was more formal, and it may feel awkward for you, as well. But relationships can feel awkward at times. Over the years, I’ve learned to err on the side of intentionality and work through those awkward moments.

Remember, the great commission was catalyzed by the most brilliant man who ever lived. He had a plan. He worked the plan. He commanded his disciples to continue with the plan. And the plan worked! People don’t float into spiritual maturity. Your group won’t become close after one or two meetings. Spiritual growth and relational development is a journey and you arrive at your destination if you are intentional and have a purpose. While God can work spontaneously and unexpectedly, the fruits of the Spirit emerge slowly over time as we show up and do our part every day.

Providing A Way Out

Toward the end of our first meeting, I give anyone who didn’t feel comfortable or couldn’t commit an out. I tell the men in several ways that it was totally fine if they didn’t want to join a group like this. I encourage them to pray about their commitment and share our conversation with their wife—if they were married—and ask them to look over the group covenant.

At our second meeting, we officially launch the group.

To solidify the group commitment, I require the men and their wives to sign the group covenant.

In the next part of this blog series, Josh will share his blueprint for how group meetings go after the launch meeting. He will also talk about how his group interacts apart from regularly scheduled meetings.

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.

Image credit: Unsplash

Source: How to Begin with a New Discipleship Group

The post How to Begin with a New Discipleship Group appeared first on Passion for Planting.

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.

Image credit: Unsplash

Source: How to Choose Persons For a Discipleship Group

The post How to Choose Persons For a Discipleship Group appeared first on Passion for Planting.

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.

Image credit: Unsplash

Source: How to Start a Discipleship Group

The post How to Start a Discipleship Group appeared first on Passion for Planting.