Focus on DiscipleWay: April 2012

Monday, April 30, 2012

Making Disciple Makers

"The goal of DiscipleWay is to make disciples who go out and make disciples, who go out and make disciples." This point cannot be emphasized too much. Most discipleship programs, curriculum, etc. have the focus of making disciples. Granted, most then propose that the disciples should then make disciples themselves. It is assumed they will make disciples the way they were taught.

Instead of tacking the admonition to be a disciple-maker at the end, DiscipleWay has it at the beginning. "Beginning with the first disciple of Bible Study, disciples are required to teach elements of the discipline to someone else. Teaching inductive Bible study, praying with prayer partners, leading in family worship, and finding service projects are a few examples of imbedded teaching assignments throughout the DiscipleWay curriculum. The final discipline, Leadership, is all about guiding the disciple as he/she finds someone to lead through DiscipleWay and providing some supervision and support during the early stages."

Thursday, April 19, 2012

DiscipleWay Book launch at the BMAA in Jackson, MS.

DiscipleWay display at the BMA National Meeting.

This is the new DiscipleWay book that I edited and contributed several chapters.

Philip Attebery and Steve Crawley co-authored the book with me.

This book is so new that it is currently only available by contacting Disciple Guide Church Resources (www.discipleguide.com) and asking for it. It will soon be placed in their catalog and made more widely available. It is also scheduled to be converted into E-book format in the near future.

If you want a copy, it costs 9.95 (plus tax, shipping).

DiscipleWay top 10

In case someone reading this blog is unfamiliar with DiscipleWay, here is a "top 10" list I gave to a conference of Christian Education professors last October.

DiscipleWay Top 10

1. DiscipleWay is biblically based. It is initiated from the Great Commission.

2. The 7 Disciplines of DiscipleWay’s curriculum are based solely on biblical mandates of spiritual disciplines resulting in spiritual formation.

Bible Study (2 Tim. 2:15)

Prayer (1 Thess. 5:17)

Worship (Psalm 95:6-7)

Giving (Acts 20:35)

Witnessing (Matt. 28:19)

Serving (John 13)

Leading (Reproducing) (2 Tim. 2:2)

The first discipline is Bible study. Bible study is the key foundation for all spiritual growth. Therefore, inductive Bible study is part of every lesson of every discipline. Disciples are challenged with opportunities to teach what they have learned throughout the DiscipleWay curriculum. The final discipline, Leadership, is intended to guide the disciple in finding someone to disciple and providing support and supervision. The goal of DiscipleWay is to make disciples who go out and make disciples, who go out and make disciples.

3. DiscipleWay research conducted by a Rainer Research survey of 383 BMA churches

found that “the BMAA knows what discipleship is; they’re just not doing it.”

4. DiscipleWay is for faithful believers as illustrated in 2 Timothy 2:1-7.

5. DiscipleWay’s philosophy is that it is better to make a disciple maker than to

make a disciple.

6. DiscipleWay emphasizes experiential/active learning with each spiritual discipline.

7. DiscipleWay curriculum is a tool. Training is required before purchase to emphasize

the fact that tools do not make disciples, the Lord uses people to make disciples. The

tool gives structure and helps keep doctrine sound.

8. DiscipleWay is designed for one disciple maker with one to three disciples.

9. DiscipleWay seeks to train disciple makers who are able to teach others how to

perform key disciplines independent of a teacher and then teach someone else.

10. DiscipleWay has gotten positive feedback from pilot churches.

Monday, April 9, 2012