A Disciple Making Strategy Using the One Year Bible

This is a description of the disciple making strategy I've been developing. It is meant to be very simple and based on reading the ESV One Year Bible. 

The leader (disciple-maker) plus 3 or 4 others meet once a week for an hour.  They are all reading through an ESV One Year Bible and discussing the reading for the day before, or for that day.  They pray and they're done.

The leader doesn’t need to be a teacher but does commit to trying to be an example in...

· Reading the Word everyday

· Reaching out to his neighbors

· Sharing what he has found or what the Lord has shown him.

· Encouraging the other cell members to follow the Lord in the harvest.

In addition, the leader will commit to reading the reading notes every day.  This will be the only “unnatural” part of this strategy.

The reading notes are like a commentary for disciples. They are written for the group leaders to increase their understanding of the Bible and to encourage their growth as they follow Christ. As the leaders grow and get excited about understanding the Word, they can encourage and motivate those they are meeting with.

The members commit to reading their Bibles daily and reaching out to their neighbors.  In addition, they understand that they will be leading a group like this in a year.  The group members will be encouraged, but not required, to also read the reading notes when they have time.

Here are some reasons for this strategy:

The Bible becomes the discipleship manual.  People learn to read through the Bible every year and the group gives them accountability.  The discussion gives insight.  The Spirit becomes active through the Word to mature them in Christ.

The focus of the group is growth in Christ, following Him as disciples in the harvest, so there is both maturity and mission.  The group allows for strengthening and encouragement, but it is on mission.

Each person is being led to lead another group.  This leads to disciples making disciples who make disciples.  Leading a group does not require special training, just reading, sharing and encouraging.  Group leadership is modeled and kept very simple. Those being discipled read and learn and share, with the knowledge that they will be leading a group at the end of a year, adding another dimension to their participation and interest.

This simple discipleship process provides training that is adaptable to any church or situation.  It also provides for disciple-making and leadership development that will grow slowly and exponentially.  It is multiplication.  It develops a network that is easily led by lay persons.

Best of all, people are reading the Word every day, and they are reading the Bible in a year, every year.

Since the Word is the only discipleship material, those being led to become disciple-makers can learn to lead as they are learning and deepening their relationship with Christ.  They will lead others in what they have learned from the past year and what they are learning as they read the Bible that year.

Since it is the Spirit that is teaching each of us each year through the Word, as our lives change, we are always learning or seeing something new in the Scriptures.  Even if we have led groups for 10 years, what we bring each year will have newness to us as the Spirit is teaching us.