Our goal is to help you to be a disciple (a follower) of Jesus Christ who makes disciples of Jesus Christ, all in the context of Christian community. Jesus’s mission for the church is to make disciples (followers of Jesus) of all nations: “19 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, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20). That is the mission for the church—for all Christians—and he is calling each of us to actively participate.

From a different perspective, as God transforms your life through Jesus Christ, he wants to use you to walk others through that same process—from one generation of disciples to the next. The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, his disciple: “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2). Here we see four generations of disciples—from Paul to Timothy to faithful men to others. That process has continued for 2,000 years, from one faithful disciple to the next, and now it is our turn to pass on the faith.

We have a simple, seven-step process to help you come to know God through Jesus and to learn to obey Jesus in every area of your life. As you go through the process, you will learn how to lead others through the same process for the rest of your life. For each of the sections below, we frame the step (a) from the perspective of experiencing the process for the first time (e.g., Get Connected in Christian Community) AND (b) from the perspective of coaching someone else through the process (e.g., Coach Others to Get Connected in Christian Community).

1. Community

(a) Get Connected in Christian Community AND (b) Coach Others to Get Connected in Christian Community

We want every person to experience Christian community with people of different ages and at different stages of life. The early Christians gathered in small communities to experience community and grow together across multiple generations—older men and women, with younger men and women, with adolescents, with little children—all growing together. While it is appropriate to gather men with men and women with women (one on one or in groups), we should not emphasize affinity groups (such as youth ministry) at the expense of holistic, intergenerational ministry (Titus 2). Like the early Christians, we gather in homes to celebrate the Lord’s Supper in the context of meals, study and discuss God’s Word, pray together, minister to one another, and sing to God. All of this is grounded in our fellowship (personal relationship) with God through Jesus Christ—which enables us to be in fellowship with one another. Together, we study and discuss The Discipleship Series, which, in time, you can teach others to help them follow Jesus.

For Discussion:

• What obstacles stand in the way of you immersing yourself in a Christian community (to share meals, to study and discuss the Word, etc.)?

• How can you overcome those obstacles?

2. Salvation

(a) Study The Path to God AND (b) Coach Others through The Path to God

We want to make sure that you know whether you are in a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We use a document called The Path to God to summarize the core truths of the Christian faith—so that you can know if you have eternal life with God and, if you haven’t done so already, testify to your faith through baptism. Please read that document, paragraph by paragraph, with others.

For Discussion:

• If God were to ask you, “Why should I allow you to spend eternity with me?” what would you say?

• How do you enter a personal relationship with God? Or, put differently, how does someone become a Christian?

3. Private Spiritual Disciplines

(a) Establish Private Spiritual Disciplines AND (b) Coach Others to Establish Private Spiritual Disciplines

Spiritual disciplines are habits that God uses to help us know him and follow him. These include gathering regularly with other Christians (see #1 above), but it also includes private habits of Christian growth.

For Discussion:

• What are you habits for private Bible reading? At very least, make it your goal to read one chapter of the Old Testament and one chapter of the New Testament every day.

• What are your habits for private prayer?

• What time of the day will you block off for 30 to 60 minutes for Bible reading and prayer (e.g., every morning from 6-6:45am)? Schedule that appointment with God on your calendar and do your best to keep it.

4. Christian Character and Actions

(a) Grow in Christian Character and Behaviors AND (b) Coach Others to Grow in Christian Character and Behaviors

For all who are Christians, God has started a work in us to transform us into the likeness of Jesus. This includes both growing in godly character and godly behaviors. An important resource in this area is Applying the Word and Praying Together. These questions are useful for self-reflection and private prayer, and for discussion and prayer with others. Being honest and open with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ is one of the keys to growing in our faith—with a focus on confessing our sins and sharing our trials.

For Discussion:

• What is your understanding and practice of confessing your sins to God?

• If you are married, how would you evaluate your marriage from a biblical perspective?

• If you have children, how would you evaluate your parenting from a biblical perspective?

5. Evangelism

(a) Lead People through The Path to God AND (b) Coach Others to Lead People through The Path to God

One of the most important steps in our own discipleship process is learning to share our faith with others so they can know God through Jesus Christ. Just as we desire that The Path to God will help you understand the state of your relationship with God (#2 above), so we encourage you to read aloud The Path to God with others for their benefit. As you share it with those in your networks, you will realize that they either lack assurance of salvation OR they have assurance of salvation. If they lack assurance that they are in a right relationship with God and will live with him forever, that document will clarify how they can begin a relationship with him. If they have assurance of their salvation, that document will clarify the proper reasons for assurance of salvation and how they can share those truths with others. Either way, the outcomes will be beneficial.

For Discussion:

• See here for how to use The Path to God with others—spread over two meetings. What questions do you have, if any, about those web pages?

• With those web pages in mind, identify at least five people with whom you could study that document.

• When do you plan to gather one or more non-Christians together to share The Path to God?

6. Discipleship

(a) Lead Christians through The Discipleship Series AND (b) Coach Others to Lead Christians through The Discipleship Series

As you learn to follow Jesus, he will use you to help others to follow him. We use the phrase “Each One Teach One” to summarize our desire for you to proactively teach others what you have learned in The Discipleship Series. As you study lessons in that series, make it your goal to share those lessons with at least one other person.

For Discussion:

• What are the qualities of an effective disciple maker of other Christians?

• Name five to seven Christians you could pursue to help them follow Jesus, particularly those who are not connected in Christian community. What is your specific plan for reaching out to each of them?

• What is your plan for helping them grow (see #1-7 on this page)? “I will encourage them to…”

7. Leadership Development

(a) Participate in The Leadership Training Program AND (b) Coach Others into and through The Leadership Training Program

For men, we have developed The Leadership Training Program so they can learn to evangelize, disciple, and lead groups of others for the rest of their lives. This program is an incubator for men to learn how to lead their wives, their children, and others in their neighborhoods.

For Discussion:

• The apostle Paul taught: “This saying is trustworthy: “If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work”” (1 Tim. 3:1). To what extent do you desire to be a shepherd/elder/overseer (which is one office in the New Testament)? Explain.

• What obstacles stand in the way of you growing as a leader of men and women?

While we do not believe that growing as a follower of Jesus can be reduced to a formula, we are convinced that our approach will encourage you to consider and discuss categories that are highly important for your relationship with God. We look forward to serving you as you learn to follow Jesus—for the good of others and the glory of God.