The three action steps for local disciple making are Tell, Teach and Train. Tell people the gospel, teach people the Bible, and Train those who are ready, to Tell and Teach others.
The three steps of Teach are: Establish, Mature, and Challenge.
1. Establish.
Establish immediately. Ask for an additional few minutes and hold a mini-meeting right on the spot. Don't wait to set up another meeting. The longer the time between the first encounter and the next meeting, the more likely the person may cancel or bow out.
Establish by showing people how to do a One Thing Study. The One Thing Study is a simple and effective devotional tool that anyone can learn in just minutes. Remember the saying, "If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for life." Teaching someone how to read the Bible devotionally is feeding them for the rest of their life.
Establish by having the Scriptures available. If you don't have an easy-to-read New Testament available, you can access it online on your device at sites like Biblegateway.com, and Bible Hub.
Establish by showing people how to do a One Thing Study. The One Thing Study is a simple and effective devotional tool that anyone can learn in just minutes. Remember the saying, "If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for life." Teaching someone how to read the Bible devotionally is feeding them for the rest of their life.
Establish by having the Scriptures available. If you don't have an easy-to-read New Testament available, you can access it online on your device at sites like Biblegateway.com, and Bible Hub.
2. Mature.
Mature by meeting weekly. Weekly meetings are in rhythm with people’s schedules. Meeting less often weakens momentum. That said, as relationships grow and love deepens, it is common to get together more than every seven days. The extra get-togethers are where disciple-making broadens beyond the once-a-week Bible study and becomes life on life. These fellowship gatherings are wonderful times of experiencing God's love.
Mature by using a format that works best. Weekly meetings vary in format. Some will be the same gender, some coed. Some can have a hard start and finish times or a casual come-and-go style. They can occur on campus, in a home, at work, or an eatery. Groups may have to decide several things about their meetings: day, time, length, duration, location, food, childcare, worship, and prayer options.
Mature by using a format that works best. Weekly meetings vary in format. Some will be the same gender, some coed. Some can have a hard start and finish times or a casual come-and-go style. They can occur on campus, in a home, at work, or an eatery. Groups may have to decide several things about their meetings: day, time, length, duration, location, food, childcare, worship, and prayer options.
|
Mature by focusing on love and truth. That is because love and truth are the two components of a transforming relationship. The goal of weekly meetings should be to demonstrate love and discuss truth. People process truth to the extent they experience love.
Grant Howard's definition of love (see quote) serves as an excellent way to measure if the group is demonstrating love. The reason this definition is so helpful is that it's lifted from John 3:16 NIV. Love takes the initiative (God so loved the world), acts sacrificially (that He gave His Only Son), to meet needs (that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life). |
Love takes the initiative, acts sacrificially, to meet needs. — Grant Howard |
|
Truth is the Bible. John 17:17 says, "Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth." The tools for this part of the meeting are listed below.
|
The irresistible love of the gospel followed by the irrefutable truth of the gospel, leads to an irreversible decision for the gospel, and an incomparable mission for the gospel. |
3. Challenge.
Challenge by looking for those who demonstrate the desire and readiness to multiply. Be aware of those who show the potential to tell, teach, and train others. Someone who's about to "pop." Apprenticeships and internships are a great way to evaluate whether a person is ready to be challenged to be trained to reach others.
Challenge by prayerfully seeking God about whom to train. "Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and He prayed to God all night. At daybreak, he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles." (Luke 6:12–13)
Challenge by privately inviting the mature to be trained to reach others. This step is essential to the growth of the movement. Expansion occurs by challenging the faithful to multiply. Ministries stagnate if they don't provide training opportunities for those ready to lead. Potential leaders wander off and give guidance elsewhere if not challenged by their own leaders. Inform prospective multipliers of the added commitment of training. Usually, this includes a time to explain a tool, and debrief after its use.
Challenge by prayerfully seeking God about whom to train. "Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and He prayed to God all night. At daybreak, he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles." (Luke 6:12–13)
Challenge by privately inviting the mature to be trained to reach others. This step is essential to the growth of the movement. Expansion occurs by challenging the faithful to multiply. Ministries stagnate if they don't provide training opportunities for those ready to lead. Potential leaders wander off and give guidance elsewhere if not challenged by their own leaders. Inform prospective multipliers of the added commitment of training. Usually, this includes a time to explain a tool, and debrief after its use.