Discipleship Meetings

A Guide to Holding Routine Discipleship Meetings

Before you begin meeting to disciple someone formally:

• Pray for them and yourself.

• Study the topics How to Disciple Someone and A Strategy for Making Disciples.

• Consider how often you will meet and how much homework you will assign. For example, you could meet biweekly but schedule weekly homework.

• Realize that it is possible to meet with several people at a time. The more people, however, the less transparent the disciples will likely be. Never meet alone with someone of the opposite sex.

• You could meet at church, a public place, or a home. If necessary, you could even meet online.

• All of this can be adapted to fit your context.

• Remember that there will be life circumstances that can hinder your ability to meet. There can also be unforeseen interruptions that keep them from finishing the homework on time. It is better that it takes them longer to finish the homework, than not to do it at all.

• The list of Topics and Truths are ordered in such a way as to build on one another, but you can adjust according to the needs of the person you are discipling.

Concerning the homework

• Remember that you can change the order of the topics based upon the needs and understanding of the person whom you are discipling.

• Each person is different. Some can handle more or less. It should take at least six months to cover all of the topics. It is not a race. Make it fit for them in their way.

• Here is a suggested homework schedule.

A General Plan

• During the first meeting:

  • Share your testimony.

  • Ask about their testimony.

  • Depending on the clarity of their testimony, briefly repeat the Gospel.

  • Ask in which areas of life they think they need growth. Then plan to teach them about those things in your future meetings.

  • Talk about what to expect each time that you meet; i.e., scheduling, etc.

  • Teach the topic called “Integrity”.

• Regarding the subsequent meetings:

  • Ask about their week.

  • Inquire about their homework. What did they observe and what impacted them most about each assignment? Inquire about each assignment individually.

  • Ask if they have any questions about what they read, and then take the time to answer their questions.

  • The majority of the time should be spent listening to their reflections on what they studied and the people in their lives.

  • Each time, encourage them to learn more from their pastors and elders.

• Each time you meet, you might consider teaching a topic. Below is a suggested order for someone who has been through the official Word of Life Evangelism Ministries training material. It assumes that you will assign the suggested weekly homework and meet bi-weekly. It also assumes that you have access to the official Word of Life Evangelism Ministries training material. The homework schedule begins after the first meeting.

  • Meeting 1: Integrity

  • Meeting 2: How to Communicate Effectively

  • Meeting 3: How to Represent Christ as a Father and Evangelism Training: Introduction

  • Meeting 4: Evangelism Training: What Is It?

  • Meeting 5: How to Encourage and Evangelism Training: What Do We Tell?

  • Meeting 6: Self-Control (the first part) and Evangelism Training: What Do We Share Next?

  • Meeting 7: Spiritual Gifts and Evangelism Training: How Do We Tell It?

  • Meeting 8: Spiritual Gifts continued.

  • Meeting 9: Evangelism Training: Rope Illusion

  • Meeting 10: Evangelism Training: Protocol, Pamphlets, and Riddles

  • Meeting 11: Evangelism Training: Sketch Messages, Closing the Meeting, Navigating the City, and Leading Teams

  • Meeting 12: Advice

  • Meeting 13: Brainstorm whom they can disciple.

  • Meeting 14: Discuss how they will begin discipling someone else.

  • Meeting 15: Discuss how God has changed them.

    • What previous perspectives and feelings changed during your time together (about God, the church, the lost, themselves, and the Gospel)?

    • What new perspectives and feelings about God, the church, the lost, themselves, and the Gospel do they have now?

    • What previous habit or lifestyle did they have before you started meeting with them that they don’t have now?

    • What new habit or lifestyle do they have now?

    • What are some lingering areas of still-needed growth or possible lifelong weakness?

  • Meeting 16: Discuss how they believe they are gifted and wired for ministry. Brainstorm with them about what God wants them to do for Him.

    • What do they believe is their calling and gifting?

    • How does this relate to their family, church, neighbors, and people in other countries?

  • Meeting 17: Brainstorm how the disciple can duplicate what God has done in their hearts and lives in their local church.

  • Meeting 18: Brainstorm how they can help their church to reach the lost in their community.

  • Meeting 19: Brainstorm how they can play a part in making disciples across the globe.

  • Meeting 20 and following: Answer questions they have encountered while evangelizing and discipling others.