Disciple-Making

What is Disciple-Making?

Disciple-making: entering into intentional relationships to help people live and love like Jesus. The result is disciples who help others do the same.
Disciple: a follower of Jesus, who lives and loves like Him, and helps others to the same.
Discipleship: the process of learning how to live and love like Jesus.
Disciple-Making: helping other people also learn to live and love like Jesus, by entering into intentional relationships with them.
While there is no one-size-fits-all program to making disciples, there are some key components that true disciple-making should include: relationships, rhythms, and replication.

relationships

DO THE DISCIPLES I AM MAKING KNOW THAT I LOVE THEM?

Discipleship begins with being intentional with relationships. Helping others follow Christ will mean sacrificially investing in and and loving people.

Here are some ways to develop meaningful, loving relationships:
Foster Attachment
Building connections through shared experiences and meaningful conversations.

  • Identify each other’s favorite things. Consider having everyone fill out a “favorite things” list, and then take action to incorporate this as opportunities arise.
  • Consider a time boundary from the start (for example, 6 weeks) where people can get to know one another without curricula or an agenda. At the end of 6 weeks, people can opt out if they don’t sense it will be a good fit.
  • Each meeting, take down prayer requests and send them out to all group members. Pray for one another, and follow-up.
  • Send each other texts/memes/socials that would be meaningful to each other.
  • Follow-up about things shared in the group. Did
    someone have a big test they were studying for? Check-in on how it went. Or maybe someone just had a baby; check on how they’re doing and offer specific ways to serve them (ie going to the grocery store, ordering food delivery, or picking up a prescription.)
  • Intentionally spend time together outside of discipleship meetings. It doesn’t have to involve money or activities all the time. It can be as simple as hanging out at someone’s home and spending quality time together or going to a park and throwing a frisbee around.
Cultivate Joy
Experience joy and laughter through fun activities and shared celebrations.

Practice Gratitude
  • Begin each meeting by everyone sharing a personal high from the week. During prayer times, be sure to set aside specific time to acknowledge things you praise God for.
  • During one of your group meetings, begin by asking each person to select and answer a different question from the “Gratitude Questions” handout.
  • Challenge your group members to participate in the “30 Prayers of Praise to God” for a month as a group together.
Prioritize Fun
  • Organize a fun outing, like a trivia night, escape room, or outdoor picnic.
  • Play a game together. Some may prefer board games, while others will enjoy something more active like a recreational sport.
  • Incorporate light-hearted games or icebreakers during group meetings, such as sharing funny stories or playing a quick team-building game.
Honor Group Hobbies & Interests
  • When your group starts, have everyone fill the “Getting to Know You” handout and share with one another.
  • Think about the hobbies in the group- is someone a big reader? Head to the bookstore together. Does someone love to fish? Plan a visit to a local lake.
  • Sports fans in your group? Consider watching a game together at someone’s home or even going in person together.
Celebrate
  • For birthdays, ask intentional questions like “what’s your favorite memory from the year? What do you look forward to in the coming year?”
  • If someone has been working on a goal, like reading Scripture more frequently, give words of affirmation through a group text when they accomplish the goal.
  • When someone experiences a win, congratulate them by texting, interacting on social media, or making a point to talk about it as a group.
Nuture Group Identity
Establish common values, goals, traditions, and consider serving together
  • When you begin meeting, ask everyone to think about 3 things they want the group to value. Then compare notes and document all the values you identified as a group. Occasionally refer back to these to consider if you’re achieving your goals. Example values might include: authenticity, accountability, or being team-oriented.
  • Have each group member share about areas of service you are passionate about. Then serve together based on group interests. For example, if someone really loves serving at a local food pantry, the group might commit to help at Thanksgiving or another time that the pantry has spots open to help.
  • Did you read something in the Word or in a book on Christian living that genuinely encouraged you? Text it to your group members to share and reinforce your identity in Christ.
Promote a Spirit of Candor
Encourage authentic communication where members simultaneously care deeply and challenge each other directly

rhythms

DO THE DISCIPLES I AM MAKING LIVE AND LOVE LIKE JESUS?

Following Jesus involves practicing everyday rhythms of faith including meeting together as group to grow.
Develop Regular Meeting Habits
Determine Time/Place/Frequency/Duration
  • Collaboratively decide on the most convenient time, location, and frequency for group meetings that accommodate the schedules and preferences of all members.
  • Establish a standard meeting duration that allows for meaningful discussions, prayer, and fellowship without being overly taxing on members' time.
Guide Disciple to Abide with God by Reading and Responding to God’s Word
  • Implement a structured Bible study or reading plan that guides members through Scripture together during group meetings, encouraging discussion and reflection on its application to their lives.
  • Encourage members to engage with God's Word personally throughout the week and share insights or questions with the group during meetings.
Establish Spiritual Competencies
We seek for the rhythms of our lives to reflect the pattern of Jesus' life. The Discipleship Pathway establishes broad categories of spiritual competencies to help us achieve a Christ exalting life.

Spiritual Competencies (Discipleship Pathway):

Salvation
  • Help disciples understand and share their salvation story.
    •   As part of one of your initial sessions, ask people to write and share their testimony.  You might consider allowing 1 group member at a time to do this per session. Consider the prompts of how to prepare your testimony with the template from East/West Ministries.   
  • Be able to define and articulate an understanding of the gospel. Review common gospel verses (ie 1 Cor 15) together as a group and discuss.
  • Confidently enter into spiritual conversations to point others to become part of God’s Kingdom. Practice this together while out on a group excursion could be one way to do this (ie challenge “let’s talk with at least 1 person and engage in a spiritual conversation").

Worshiping God
  • Engaging in corporate worship
  • Reading and reflecting on Scripture in personal devotional time. Help them abide in God by reading and responding to God’s Word.

Living in Community with other believers
  • Incorporate a group outing outside of regular meeting times to do something fun

Serving Others and the local church by giving of time, talent, and treasure
  • Have each group member think of and plan a serve date for the group.  The group can decide on the frequency (i.e. 1x/quarter). 
  • Consider participating in church service opportunities together.  For example, maybe the group sponsors a child from the Angel tree at Christmas time.  Or the group fills a box for Operation Christmas Child as a team.


replication

DO THE DISCIPLES I AM MAKING HELP OTHERS DO THE SAME?

Discipleship doesn't end with the final chapter of a good group Bible study. Disciple-making creates a ripple effect of exponential proportions that continues on generation after generation. The group must multiply.
Enable Disciples to Invest in Others
Identify potential new disciples
  • Start off by sharing about how this group should multiply and from the get-go, and to keep eyes open for new members along the way that you might invite when it’s time to multiply
  • Set a multiplication deadline (do your people know when this ends; if it's 18 months, communicate that from the beginning)
  • Encourage group members to consider the places they go on a regular basis (this could be the gym for example).  Consider how this can be a natural place to meet people and begin working towards spiritual conversations that may eventually turn into disciple-making relationships.
  • Watch 3 circles video.  Then practice with each other for a session.  Or if someone has a different preferred way to share gospel, ask them to share with whole group and practice that method with one another.
  • Have a baton-passing ceremony at the final group meeting where you reflect on your group, and also talk about the next groups starting.

Begin to establish new disciple-making relationships.
  • Invite others to do things to get to know one another

Teach spiritual rhythms
  • Model what a typical quiet time is like for each other.  For example, a previous mentor invited us over to her house, and from start to finish she showed us what a quiet time was like.  All the way from making her coffee, to sitting in a specific chair, to how she approached the reading of the Word.

When disciple-making expands to four generations, it is considered a movement.

The D-Group Model

  • A small group (approximately 2-5 people)
  • Meets 2x-4x a month for approximately 6-18 months
  • Uses the church Bible reading plan and SOS method of Bible Study
  • Incorporates Three Thirds Method for meeting plans
  • Teaches and utilizes Three Circles plan of salvation
  • Partners with ongoing First McKinney ministries or mission activities to provide disciples
Hear Pastor’s Sam heart for discipleship.
At First McKinney we practice disciple-making through D-Groups. These are small groups of people walking in community together while we center our lives on Jesus and let His Word transform us.
Download d-group basics

Resources

More Resources