Becoming a disciple maker
Life Groups serve as powerful environments for fostering spiritual growth and guiding people in their next steps of faith. They create spaces where individuals can deepen their biblical understanding, strengthen their prayer lives, and cultivate personal devotion. However, the ultimate goal of Life Groups extends beyond community—it’s about discipleship. Our mission is to help people become more like Jesus, which leads to lasting transformation and multiplication in the Kingdom of God.
Discipleship: More Than CELEBRATED Relationships
A friend of mine, who travels the country teaching churches about discipleship and next-generation ministry, shared a convicting insight: much of what churches call discipleship is often just celebrated relationship. While relationships are vital, discipleship is about more than gathering together. It’s about growth, obedience, and multiplication.
Discipleship is not a one-time event or a box to check; it’s a process—a journey that extends across generations. The goal is to make disciples who make disciples. This generational impact is the heartbeat of biblical discipleship. As 2 Timothy 2:1-2 reminds us, Paul’s instructions to Timothy were to teach others who would, in turn, teach even more people. This ripple effect is the fruit of intentional discipleship.
The Big Question: What Fruit Is being Produced?
Leaders, take a moment to reflect: What fruit is being produced in your group? Are your members becoming more like Jesus? Are they bearing fruit, sharing their faith, and stepping into their God-given purpose?
How to Foster Discipleship in Your Group
To cultivate a culture of discipleship in your Life Group, intentionality is key. Here are some practical steps:
Understand Your Group’s Individual Needs: Take the time to get to know each member’s unique challenges, strengths, and spiritual journey.
Identify Where They Are Spiritually: Discern whether they are new believers, growing disciples, or seasoned followers of Jesus.
Help Them See Where God Is Leading Them: Encourage them to prayerfully seek God’s direction for their lives.
Guide Them to Take Simple Next Steps: These could include reading the Bible regularly, confessing sin, seeking counseling, giving at church, or stepping into leadership roles.
To assist with this, we’ve developed a Discipleship Checklist that provides practical tools for helping group members identify and take these steps. Use it as a guide to foster meaningful growth in your group.
The Cost and Commitment of Being a Disciple Maker
Becoming a disciple maker requires:
Taking the Long Approach: Discipleship is not instant. It’s a lifelong commitment to walking alongside others.
Stepping Into the Mess: People are messy, and discipleship often involves navigating the challenges and complexities of life.
Intentionality: Discipleship doesn’t happen by accident. It requires deliberate effort and purpose.
Obedience to Jesus’ Command: Making disciples is not optional. It’s a command for all followers of Christ (Matthew 28:19-20).
A Vision for Generational Impact
Becoming a disciple maker may seem overwhelming or daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. First of all, we are only inviting people into a journey in which people come alongside us in a life of following Jesus together. We can’t change people - only Jesus can do that. Committing yourself to becoming a disciple maker can make a bigger impact than you think. If you invest in two people every year, training them to do the same, you could see over two million disciple makers. That’s why making disciples who make disciples is so important. This generational impact underscores the power of discipleship.
Who Are You Actively Discipling?
As a leader, this is the question that defines your ministry. Discipleship is about investing deeply in a few people, helping them grow, and equipping them to do the same for others. By prioritizing discipleship, you’re not just building a group—you’re building the Kingdom of God.
Let’s commit to the call of making disciples who make disciples. Together, we can see lives transformed, communities impacted, and the Gospel multiplied for generations to come.