Creating Disciples

Creating A Discipleship Approach To Outreach

To do outreach without having an effective discipleship process in place is not biblical or spiritually kind!

We seek to train people in a simple discipleship method in small groups that asks four questions of the text. It is so effective that non-believers can feel as comfortable as long-time believers. It has proved particularly effective in the past with non-Christians in the far north of New Zealand, who are largely Maori in introducing their whanau to Christ.  

The uniqueness of this method is that it expects accountability as to how each member will apply the message of the text in our daily lives. If for example, the text is about being generous, then who is God telling us to be generous to and how will we be generous? It also asks each week the question, “ who we have shared our faith or prayed” with as well as who God might be asking me to reach out in the coming week.

It shares the responsibility of each study (there are three parts to each bible study)  amongst everyone – giving everyone leadership experience and aims to divide the group as soon as the room that folk are meeting in is too small.

“We had around 12 people , mainly folk in their 30’s who used to meet as our discipleship group. There were two agnostics and one Buddhist amongst the twelve. These three each contribute with interesting insights as we ask the same four questions of the text each week. The questions create a safe place to observe and sense what the writer hoped we would see as he faithfully recorded what Jesus had said and done. I need to say I am enjoying our group as much as everyone, we normally start with a lovely meal which relaxes folk, as we catch up about what’s been happening in our lives. There is a lot of laughter and tears sometimes. We are all trying each week to be faithful in reaching out. There is one young Maori lady who is new believer who works Sundays, so had never been to a church. She is always talking to people about her new faith, it’s all so new, that when we talked about fasting in Mark 2, she then decided to make fasting a part of her life. Somehow hanging out with these people from all kinds of backgrounds stimulates my faith. I used to be quite cynical about the worth of house groups because apart from pastoral care, the teaching was often information without application. Now I am a new convert and wished I had known what I have discovered recently when I first was ordained, because now I have come realise that Discipleship groups done well; that train up leaders and multiply are the hope of the church.”

– Gradon

Next Step…

The Church Mobilisation Journey