DBS Facilitator Notes contain helpful guidelines for facilitating a DBS. These principles may seem counterintuitive, but are crucial for multiplication.
Value Groups: Gatherings of two or more students create a unique dynamic not found in one-on-one meetings. They foster deeper engagement, enrich learning through shared insights, help prevent errors, strengthen accountability, and provide mutual encouragement.
Ask All the DBS Questions: It’s crucial to cover all the questions during discussions to foster community, spark personal discovery, and promote group multiplication. If your group becomes weary of the "What can I do?" question, it may be a sign that it's time to go through Launch together. Likewise, if the group tires of the "Who can I tell?" question, it might be time to incorporate Prayer Walks as part of your group’s activities.
Don’t Teach: This is critical. Rather than lecture, guide discussions (facilitate) by asking questions so participants discover truths for themselves. Note Jesus' teaching by means of questions in passages like Luke 10:25-37. People learn far more through self-discovery than they do by direct teaching from others. This approach accelerates learning, creates dependence on the Holy Spirit, and instills confidence in participants to facilitate their own groups. Facilitate in a way that inspires others to say, "I can do this." Be ready to reinforce the "no teaching" principle when necessary, especially with believers who have previous small group experience.
Encourage Discussion: Promote active discussion, especially in groups that may be hesitant to speak or those with a foundational understanding of the content. For quieter groups, ask direct questions like, “What does verse three say about God?” For groups more familiar with studying God’s word, prompt deeper reflection with questions like, “Why is this so?” or “How does this apply to your life?” Using personal application questions enriches the conversation. Refer to DBS Follow-Up Questions for more ideas.
Share the Facilitator Role: Involve others, regardless of status. This shows that anyone can guide the group, building confidence and promoting multiplication. Use your device to stay on track. Start meetings with DBS question #1, not prayer requests, to maintain focus.
Stay Small to Grow Big: Keep groups intentionally small (3-8 people) to maintain focus and foster growth. Resist the natural tendency to expand an existing group; instead, use outside interest to form new groups. Designate a current member to facilitate each new group, effectively transitioning the original group from a training setting to a coaching meeting—a positive shift. Start and end meetings on time, and encourage relationship-building by allowing time for mingling with refreshments after the formal close.
Keep things simple: Make it easy enough that existing groups can quickly start new groups, which in turn start even more groups. The goal is the spontaneous and continued formation of new Discovery Groups.
If you are training a potential facilitator, start as an outsider, one-on-one, separate from the group. Typically, after three sessions, they are prepared to start their own group. From the second session onward, encourage the facilitator to lead the DBS between the two of you, debriefing afterwards. If circumstances allow, in addition to DBS, cover DBS Story Sets in the first session, DBS Facilitator Notes on the second, and DBS Follow Up Questions in the third. If this seems too much for your setting, address these topics during coaching instead. After initial training, shift to a coaching role. For more on coaching, see Coach
If inside-the-group training is unavoidable, limit it to no more than three sessions. This is critical. Your continued presence beyond three sessions signals that a high level of Bible knowledge or leadership skills is required, which will hinder multiplication. People will feel intimidated to begin their own groups.
Ask All the DBS Questions: It’s crucial to cover all the questions during discussions to foster community, spark personal discovery, and promote group multiplication. If your group becomes weary of the "What can I do?" question, it may be a sign that it's time to go through Launch together. Likewise, if the group tires of the "Who can I tell?" question, it might be time to incorporate Prayer Walks as part of your group’s activities.
Don’t Teach: This is critical. Rather than lecture, guide discussions (facilitate) by asking questions so participants discover truths for themselves. Note Jesus' teaching by means of questions in passages like Luke 10:25-37. People learn far more through self-discovery than they do by direct teaching from others. This approach accelerates learning, creates dependence on the Holy Spirit, and instills confidence in participants to facilitate their own groups. Facilitate in a way that inspires others to say, "I can do this." Be ready to reinforce the "no teaching" principle when necessary, especially with believers who have previous small group experience.
Encourage Discussion: Promote active discussion, especially in groups that may be hesitant to speak or those with a foundational understanding of the content. For quieter groups, ask direct questions like, “What does verse three say about God?” For groups more familiar with studying God’s word, prompt deeper reflection with questions like, “Why is this so?” or “How does this apply to your life?” Using personal application questions enriches the conversation. Refer to DBS Follow-Up Questions for more ideas.
Share the Facilitator Role: Involve others, regardless of status. This shows that anyone can guide the group, building confidence and promoting multiplication. Use your device to stay on track. Start meetings with DBS question #1, not prayer requests, to maintain focus.
Stay Small to Grow Big: Keep groups intentionally small (3-8 people) to maintain focus and foster growth. Resist the natural tendency to expand an existing group; instead, use outside interest to form new groups. Designate a current member to facilitate each new group, effectively transitioning the original group from a training setting to a coaching meeting—a positive shift. Start and end meetings on time, and encourage relationship-building by allowing time for mingling with refreshments after the formal close.
Keep things simple: Make it easy enough that existing groups can quickly start new groups, which in turn start even more groups. The goal is the spontaneous and continued formation of new Discovery Groups.
If you are training a potential facilitator, start as an outsider, one-on-one, separate from the group. Typically, after three sessions, they are prepared to start their own group. From the second session onward, encourage the facilitator to lead the DBS between the two of you, debriefing afterwards. If circumstances allow, in addition to DBS, cover DBS Story Sets in the first session, DBS Facilitator Notes on the second, and DBS Follow Up Questions in the third. If this seems too much for your setting, address these topics during coaching instead. After initial training, shift to a coaching role. For more on coaching, see Coach
If inside-the-group training is unavoidable, limit it to no more than three sessions. This is critical. Your continued presence beyond three sessions signals that a high level of Bible knowledge or leadership skills is required, which will hinder multiplication. People will feel intimidated to begin their own groups.
Resources
- See DMM Resources
1. Paul Watson: "Small Groups that have the DNA of a Disciple Making Movement."
2. David Watson, "What About Teaching in Disciple Making Movements?"
3. The "no teaching" principle specifically targets DBS in Discovery Groups. This approach triggers multiplication and encourages self-discovery, fostering deeper personal engagement with Scripture and reliance on the Holy Spirit. However, there is ample room for teaching and other forms of instruction in other settings, such as coaching sessions, large group gatherings, and more. The "no teaching" concept does not apply to DMM as a whole. The Book of Acts provides plenty of evidence of teaching, preaching, proclamation, and even public debate (Acts 2:40, 4:2, 18:28, 28:31).
4 Derek Seipp, Poised for Growth: First Century Methods Fueled Early Church Movement.
2. David Watson, "What About Teaching in Disciple Making Movements?"
3. The "no teaching" principle specifically targets DBS in Discovery Groups. This approach triggers multiplication and encourages self-discovery, fostering deeper personal engagement with Scripture and reliance on the Holy Spirit. However, there is ample room for teaching and other forms of instruction in other settings, such as coaching sessions, large group gatherings, and more. The "no teaching" concept does not apply to DMM as a whole. The Book of Acts provides plenty of evidence of teaching, preaching, proclamation, and even public debate (Acts 2:40, 4:2, 18:28, 28:31).
4 Derek Seipp, Poised for Growth: First Century Methods Fueled Early Church Movement.