MODULE 0: Discipleship — Meeting 4

Discipleship : Meeting 4

DISCUSS the 10 Tips to Discipling and Being Discipled documents you each read last week. What excites you? What surprised you? What questions do you still have?

At some point during your meeting, cover your goals’ for your discipleship if you haven’t already. Use the questions below as a guide:

Discussion

Questions

DISCIPLE: Why do you want to be discipled?
DISCIPLER: Why do you want to disciple?
What are you hoping to learn?
How would you like to grow?
What are your goals for your discipleship meetings?
When do you anticipate being ready to disciple someone else?

Congratulations! You’re officially ready to start the Discipleship Pathway! Spend the remainder of your time looking through the Discipleship Pathway and familiarizing yourself with how it works and the contents of the modules. Look through the “How It Works” section of the Pathway Home page and the All Modules page as a reference for further guidance.

How to Set Healthy Discipleship Goals

Goals give your discipleship relationship direction. Without them, meetings can drift into pleasant conversations that never lead to real change. With clear goals, both the disciple and the discipler can look back after a few months and see how God has been at work. Good discipleship goals share a few qualities:

They are personal. They reflect the disciple’s real life, questions and hopes, not a generic checklist.
They are specific. "Grow closer to God" is a wonderful desire; "pray for ten minutes every morning" is a goal you can practise.
They are realistic. Choose one or two goals for this season rather than ten.
They are shared. The discipler should know the goals, pray about them and ask about them regularly.
They are held with open hands. God may lead you somewhere unexpected. Be willing to adjust.

Example Goals From Real Discipleship Relationships

If you are not sure where to begin, here are some examples that disciples often choose:

Build a daily habit of prayer and Bible reading.
Understand the big story of the Bible and be able to explain the gospel in my own words.
Learn to be honest about my struggles instead of hiding them.
Grow in generosity with my money and time.
Find a serving role in my church.
Be ready to disciple someone else within the next year.

Write your goals in your journal and date them. You will revisit them in Module 10, when you look back over the whole Pathway.

Discussing the 10 Tips

As you talk through the 10 Tips to Discipling and Being Discipled, notice which tips felt encouraging and which felt challenging. Disciplers might ask, "Which of these tips will be hardest for me to live out?" Disciples might ask, "What do I need from my discipler to make this relationship work?" Honest answers now will prevent frustration later.

How the Rest of the Pathway Works

From here, each module follows the same rhythm: four meetings, each with a discussion and an assignment. Most meetings begin by debriefing the previous assignment, move into guided questions and end with prayer and a new assignment. Meet weekly or bi-weekly, keep your journal close and do not worry if you occasionally need an extra meeting to finish a conversation. The discipler has freedom to adapt assignments to help the disciple reach each module’s outcome.

A Word of Encouragement

Completing Module 0 is a real milestone. You have built the foundation of friendship, trust and shared purpose that everything else rests on. Take a moment to thank God for each other and for what he will do in the months ahead. Then turn to Module 1: Prayer, where the journey with God begins in earnest.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Discipleship Relationship

What if we miss a meeting?

Life happens. Reschedule as soon as possible rather than waiting for the next regular slot, and if a busy season is coming, agree in advance on a plan such as a shorter phone call or a video meeting.

What if the relationship feels awkward?

Most new discipleship relationships feel a little awkward at first. Friendship takes time. Keep showing up, keep asking good questions and share a meal together outside your normal meeting now and then.

Can we change the goals later?

Yes. Revisit your goals at the end of each module. Some will be met, some will change and new ones will appear as God works in the disciple’s life.

What if the disciple wants to go deeper into a topic?

Every module ends with recommended books and resources for further study. The discipler can also suggest an extra meeting or a short reading plan on that topic.

ASSIGNMENT: Watch the video, Voice by Pastor Phil Wiseman, Lead Pastor of Table Church to begin Module 1: Prayer. Write down a few thoughts to share at the next meeting.

Continue the Pathway — You are in Module 0: Discipleship, Meeting 4 of 4. Previous: Meeting 3 — Fears & Excuses. Next: Module 1: Prayer. Every essay, worksheet and video for this module is collected on the Module 0 resources page.

Voice video, written by Megan Koch, videography by Jay Wilde