DISCIPLESHIP
(LESSONS FOR CHRISTIAN GROWTH)
GUIDE FOR THE DISCIPLER
Congratulations
on accepting the privilege and challenge of discipling a new believer in Christ. This is exactly what God called us to
do as a church, to make disciples. This Discipleship
Manual will help a new follower of Christ in a crucial way, establishing
solid foundations at the start of his Christian walk and for his future
in God’s work.
Truly, the present and the future of the church depend on the
effectiveness of this task. Indeed, you or someone might be praying for a soul
to be saved. It is certain that the person you are about to disciple is the
answer to that prayer.
Therefore,
whatever investment you make in helping him/her to mature in Christ will be
rewarded. You will be investing in this
person’s life for a long time. Below are brief details to help you in your
work.
Discipleship is more than giving or finishing a
series of lessons; it is a lifelong process. In the process of discipling a new believer:
1.
You will share
your life, your experiences and your insight to guide him/her on the path that
you have already chosen.
2.
It is important
that you develop a relationship of love and trust with the person you are discipling.
3.
You must also be
willing to learn from him/her as well.
4.
You should be
aware that a personal relationship of unity and care establishes the basis for discipleship. It also provides your new brother or sister with a healthy model for his/her Christian life and for a future ministry as a mentor.
5.
You should be
aware of the fact that you will serve as a living example to this new convert,
which is crucial for his/her growth. Your ministry as a mentor will be to help
your new brother or sister to know and practice spiritual disciplines, together
and privately.
6.
Your experience,
in the participation of spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, fasting, reading
and meditating on Scripture, and community worship in the church, among others
should be a guide to you as a discipler.
7.
It will be
important that you help the new follower of Christ to establish the habit of
having a personal devotional time with Jesus and to be fed daily by Him.
8.
You will also
need to introduce the Bible as his/her guide to continuous spiritual
development.
9.
Show him/her how
to look for scriptural passages in the Bible.
The lessons at the core of your encounters are very important. The
first thing you need to do is to discover if the person made a conscious
decision to follow Jesus, and if he/she is sure that his/her sins had been
forgiven. This is the starting point for basic discipleship. If he/she is sure
of the decision to follow Jesus, then you can begin with the lessons; if not,
you should spend time with the person and lead him/her through accepting Christ
again before continuing with these lessons.
As you know,
there are many versions of the Bible that can and should be used to enrich this
study. However, during this study, we will use the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise stated.
GUIDELINES FOR DICIPLESHIP CLASS MEETING
As you begin this study, keep in mind that the topics
in the lessons should be adapted to the specific needs of the new believer.
Start where the believer is. To adequately guide the new believer, you should
discover his/her personal situation. How
was his/her life without Christ? How is the relationship with his/her spouse,
family and friends? What are his/her struggles? What needs do the person and
his/her family have that you and the church can respond to? When you begin
this journey of constant learning and growth with the new believer, you may
receive principles and guidance through the Holy Spirit to continually enjoy a
new and abundant life in Christ.
There are some
practical elements that you should consider as you lead the lessons in this
Bible study:
a.
Choose a day and
time in the week preferably Sunday morning (during Bible Study Classes time)
and a specific place preferably the chapel, where you will meet with the new
believers. It’s important that you meet the new converts in small groups of about
5. This is to enable them to learn together as they build fellowship with one
another and you. The converts who come later should be given to a new teacher
to handle so as to ensure continuity.
b.
Each session
should not be longer than 60 minutes; 45 minutes is ideal. If you don’t
complete a lesson, continue with it the next time.
c.
Pray consistently
for the lives of the new disciples and their families. Ask them for specific
prayer requests. Pray also for the time you will study the lessons together and
individually if need be. Pray that the Lord will enlighten your minds and help
you understand the truths presented in each lesson.
d.
Read and review the “Guide for the Disciple”
with them so they understand your relationship and how the lessons will guide them
for the Mentoring development.
e.
Encourage the new
disciples to study and complete the whole lesson before you meet. This will
help you take the most advantage of your valuable time together. Give them one
lesson at a time. There is no hurry; let them fully digest every lesson.
f.
Study the lessons
in advance, fill in the blank spaces and learn the content well before sharing
it. If the person has trouble reading or writing, find another way for them to
complete the lessons.
g.
If the new
disciples ever forget to complete a lesson, be patient, but motivate them to do
it next time. It is very important that the new believers learn to be
accountable to someone; in this case, it’s you. If, as you review the lesson,
you encounter mistakes, correct them kindly and listen to their point of view.
However, under no circumstances should they be allowed to continue in their
error.
h.
Make sure that
the person you are discipling has a Bible and, if necessary, spend one session
explaining to them what the Bible is and how to look for verses. Allow them to
share any concerns or questions about the Bible and clarify any
misunderstandings that the person might have about it.
i.
You will need to
teach the new disciples about prayer. It is always good to start and conclude
the lesson with prayer, allowing the new believers to practice prayer when you
are present. This way you will be able to encourage them to cultivate the life
of prayer and correct any shortcoming with love if need be. You will want them
to learn how to pray correctly and to make prayer a habit for their whole
Christian life.
j.
Make sure that
the new believers complete all the activities in each lesson; that they
memorize the verses when the lesson calls for it and that they understand and
are able to explain the verses in their own words. Ask them, maybe towards the
end of the lesson: How can you put into
practice what you learned?; Would you encounter any obstacles incorporating
these principles into your life? If yes, how could you overcome them with the
help of the Lord and your discipler?
k.
It is very
important that you are responsible and punctual with the people you are
discipling. Do everything you promise. Put yourself at the person’s disposal;
give them your telephone number and address, as well as those of the pastor and
the presiding elder of the church. Be mindful of the way you dress and your
personal appearance, as well as your speech and vocabulary.
l.
If you come
across a situation or question that you cannot deal with or if you are in
doubt, talk to your pastor or the assigned leader. It is important that you get
together periodically with your pastor or the leader in charge of the
discipleship program.
You are about to
begin a beautiful adventure of faith with your new brothers or sisters in
Christ. We encourage you to be consistent and allow God to use you powerfully.
Ask the Lord to give you grace and wisdom to influence the lives of your new
brothers and sisters, and for both of you to grow in experience, knowledge and
commitment to Christ and His church. Work towards the point where the person
you are discipling becomes mentors themselves. Be a faithful and committed disciple
of Christ! This is our lifelong task!
To learn about
Jesus you would need the help and guidance of another follower of Christ. This
person has been on the journey of learning from Him longer, and has done so
through a group of disciples called the church. This is why you have this
person to guide you. You should rejoice that when you give your life to Jesus,
you also become part of this family called the church (You will learn more about the church later).
You, as a
spiritual baby, together with your mentor, would pursue growth in an intimate
personal relationship with God and in the understanding of God’s will for your
life. God is the inexhaustible source for your constant growth and spiritual
development. This study uses two important tools: praying and reading the
Bible, thus the Word of God.
Kindly take note
of the following;
1.
This study has
been made as a basic tool to motivate you to learn about what Christ has done
for you and what He wants to do in you and through your life.
2.
You should commit
to completing all the lessons in order to learn as much as you can about Christ
and establish a solid foundation for everything that God has planned for you.
3.
The lessons are
based on different Bible passages that you need to read, then fill in the blank
spaces according to what you have learned from them.
4.
The main purpose
of learning this way is to become obedient and faithful to your Master, Jesus Christ,
and to become a servant to others, motivated by His love.
5.
You would need to
continue taking steps to get involved in the life of the church, and making
decisions to grow in commitment to Jesus.
6.
In this way, you
would allow God to continue changing you, and you would be able to develop
fully until you can guide others in their walk with Christ.
7.
Studying is a
powerful method to achieve permanent growth and maturity as a disciple of
Jesus.
8.
Enjoy the time
you dedicate to studying the Bible and start getting used to it.
9.
Your mentor would
walk alongside with you in this initial process. You could share your
questions, doubts and needs with him or her.
10. Having a Bible and learning to use it is very important for this
task.
11. You can use different versions of the Bible, but we will use the New International Version (NIV).
12. Your mentor will help you with this. Many of the lessons will have
verses to memorize and activities to do.
13. It is important that you do all of these exercises, because they
would enrich your practical learning.
14. For your continued growth in Christ, liaise with your mentor and
your group members to choose a convenient time within the week for meetings and
be dedicated to this important task.
15. Choose a place of meeting, preferably the chapel which should be
free of distractions where you will be comfortable to share with your mentor.
16. Let your family know so that you are not interrupted unless it’s
an emergency.
17. Your mentor can meet you individually if need be but the place
should preferably be the chapel.
18. You would need to study and complete the lesson before your next
meeting.
19. Write down your questions and doubts in a notebook.
20. Your mentor will go through the completed lesson with you.
21. Above all, this process should be centered on prayer.
22. Ask God to give you the wisdom you need to learn the spiritual
truths that are fundamental for your new life in Christ.
You are about to
begin a beautiful adventure of faith with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
We encourage you to be consistent. Allow God to continue to shape you. Share
what you learn with your family, friends and school or work acquaintances. This
way, you will influence others with the Word of God and your learning will
increase. Be a faithful and committed disciple of Christ! This is our lifelong
task!
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