Helping Disciples become Disciple Makers

Personal Time with the Father:

Jesus took time regularly to be alone with his Father. We must do the same; communing daily with him, reflecting on Scripture, listening to the Holy Spirit, being refilled and refreshed.

Read a book on spiritual disciplines (like John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way, or Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, listen to Henri Nouwen), develop a "rule of life" and walk in the Way.

Using Discovery Bible Study in personal devotions is an ideal application for personal fellowship with the Lord. Try the Waha app: https://waha.app/eng (Waha in Arabic means "oasis")

Think about Multiple Spiritual Generations. View all ministry through the lens of 2 Tim 2:2:

Jesus made disciples and Paul encouraged Timothy to make disciples. This is the consistent theme of the NT. Paul encouraged Timothy to be part of four generations of disciples and the process can go further.

Some call this process "duckling discipleship" which is to say, each of us need not be far ahead of another to show the way as Jesus shows us the way.

Here is a sheet which can help disciples begin to think about multiple spiritual generations (download in Word)

Use the Seven Question Process to form community and grow as disciple-makers:

Review the purpose of each of the seven questions in PPT or PDF. It is easy to memorize the questions so they flow naturally in your group.

Use them in your own quiet time in the scriptures. Begin a first group. Model the seven question process a couple times, then invite each member of the group to facilitate and coach them to grow comfortable and effective as small group facilitator.

Other guidelines to help facilitate Discovery groups are here. (Scroll down to: "Suggestions for Small Group Facilitators")

An excellent resource is the Waha app: https://waha.app/eng, both for group facilitation and training: https://waha.app/eng/dm-course 

Praying for friends and others...

This simple tool, printed and placed in your Bible will strengthen your prayer life and love for those who are not yet followers of Jesus:

Please download as image or PDF. Other support for your prayer for those you care about are here.

As you pray, follow-up is important. Spend time with individuals and social circles who respond or you are praying for. Here is a way you can track visits and how the Lord is working (download)

Go:

Prayer-walk the same area regularly (your block or apartment, park or shopping mall). Greet those you meet. Seek to engage in conversation. Serve and pray for those who respond.

You can do so alone or with a friend.

You may also want to prayer walk new locations, looking for smiles, people in distress and others to which the Holy Spirit seems to be drawing you.

Deepening Conversations:

Ask the Lord to help deepen interaction from casual to personal to spiritual to discovery conversations. Here is a tool to help.

As people respond, ask if they have friends interested in the same need or topic. Invite them to gather their family or friends to see with you how the Bible addresses that need.

Depending on the need or topic of interest, consider which of these scripture sets may be most helpful to start. The Waha app also offers helpful passage sets: https://web.waha.app/eng 

Caring for Groups:

As the group is formed and you have trained members of the group to take turns facilitating, step back as leader and allow the group to continue on its own. Visit the group from time to time but primarily serve as coach and encourager.

Visit the group in a couple weeks if it runs into difficulty or in a couple months to encourage it to begin a new group.

Care for your first and second group as a pastor and coach but allow each group to be led by members of the group or the person the group chooses.

Caring for Leaders you have trained:

This tool may help you track your coaching relationships (download)