20 Ways to Start Making Disciples

Challenge
Prayerfully select one of these ideas to begin immediately. If you accept this challenge, please leave a comment letting me know what you’re going to do so I can be praying for you and help you in any way I can.

1. Prayer: List out those you’re around most often or are most concerned about and start praying for their salvation and sanctification.
2. Partner: If you have a friend who wants to get started making disciples, talk to them about partnering with you. Meet regularly to discuss how your efforts are going.
3. Family:
   1. Pray and discuss what you’re learning in the Word with your spouse and kids. Meals and bedtime rituals are great for this.
   2. Get a good children’s Bible and read it to your kids most nights before bed.
4. Early breakfasts (before work) and lunches:
   1. Share a meal with a fellow Christian once a week.
   2. Read a book together to stimulate discussion.
   3. Share a meal with a non-Christians friend once a week, looking for opportunities to get to know and serve them better
5. Errands and chores: Bring friends along with you when possible for the purpose of asking deliberate questions about their life and nudging them toward Christ.
6. Dinners: Invite individuals/couples to get to know each other and become a resource for them.
7. Evenings: After dinner, invite some Christian friends over for desert or to play games for the purpose of fellowship and mutual encouragement in the faith.
8. Bible Studies and Book Groups:
   1. Gather a group of maturing Christians or interested non-Christians together for a weekly or monthly Bible study, working through a specific book of the Bible.
   2. Read a good Christian book together and discuss.
   3. Start or join an H2H group for the purpose of being disciple and making disciples.
9. Service: Gather a group of maturing Christians or interested non-Christians to perform some sort of service, such as volunteering at Crisis Assistance Ministry.
10. Park visits: If you’re taking your kids to the park, call your neighbor of friend and invite them to join you in hope of getting to know them better and having fruitful conversation.
11. Sermon discussions:
    1. Discuss the Sunday sermon over lunch with your family or folks from church.
    2. Start a House to House group in your home for this purpose (it can be permanent or just for a specific month or six weeks, etc.).
12. Conferences/seminars: Research a conference or seminar that might be helpful and gather a group to go.
13. Weekends: If you’re doing something fun, invite a non-Christian friend or growing believer.
14. Work and School:
    1. Make the effort to talk to those around you, getting to know them, looking for ways to serve them with the gospel.
    2. Invite colleagues/classmates to a simple Bible study before work or class. (I Am Second is a book and website that offers a simple Bible study method that might be helpful.)
15. Church: Use the church structure to your advantage:
    1. Become a more engaged learner and participant in Sunday school or H2H.
    2. Teach a Sunday school class or host a H2H group.
    3. Invite people to things they might be interested in. (Men’s breakfast, Young-at-Heart, youth group, House to House, weekly services, Big Gatherings, special events, etc.)
16. Parties: Invite people over, establishing relationships that might lead to discipleship.
17. Kids: Spend time with your children’s friends’ families. (Play dates, etc.)
18. Hobbies: Use shared hobbies as an opportunity to spend time with people you hope to disciple (hunting, racing, jetpack flying, etc.).
19. Read:To learn more about being and making disciples.
20. Give Books: Good books that will nudge people toward Christ. (Contact Pastor Matt for recommendations)

Note:

– This list assumes that you are a disciple. Only those who are actively following Jesus can bring others along with them. So, if you’re note growing in your relationship with Christ, start there.

– If you are a growing Christian, but feel ill-equipped to do any of this, contact Pastor Matt. This is what he lives for!

–  Don’t think you have to “have it all together” to get started making disciples. You’ll grow exponentially in the process of helping others grow.