Making Disciples Within Our Networks
Introduction
We live at the center of a web of relationships—friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors (FRANs)—the people God has already placed in our lives. This is where disciple-making begins. To make disciples means helping others come to faith in Jesus (evangelism), grow in obedience to him (discipleship), and learn to help others do the same (leadership development).
We begin not with a program but with a heart—our motives clarified by the gospel. We love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19); the love of Christ compels us to persuade others and serve for their eternal good (2 Cor 5:14–15). Our aim is not to perform religious duties or build institutions but to join God’s mission—loving people in both word and deed so they might be reconciled to him (Matt 22:37–40; 2 Cor 5:20).
Disciple-making starts small—with one person. We ask God to show us whom to serve, pray for, and walk beside. Through that relationship, we live out a simple, Spirit-led rhythm of five connected movements—Serve, Seek, Invite, Gather, and Coach—all flowing from a life centered on Word, Prayer, and Fasting. These practices are how we listen to God, cry out to him for boldness, wisdom, and clarity, and align our hearts with his purposes. They saturate everything we do and sustain every stage of the disciple-making cycle.
Word, Prayer, & Fasting
Through God’s Word, we hear his voice and align our steps with his truth (Ps 119:105; 2 Tim 3:16–17). Through prayer, we call on the Lord for what he already desires to do—saving others, strengthening believers, and advancing his kingdomRom. 9-10, Eph. 6, Col. 4 and P…. Through fasting, we set aside distractions to seek his wisdom and depend on his power (Isa 58:6–11; Acts 13:2–3).
Word, Prayer, and Fasting are not one circle at the center but the heartbeat that flows through the whole system. We pray before serving, as we seek bridge people, as we share Scripture, as we gather new believers, and as we coach emerging leaders. They keep us Spirit-dependent and remind us that only God can open hearts and multiply disciples.
1. Serve to Meet Practical Needs
Jesus met both spiritual and physical needs, revealing the Father’s compassion in action (Mark 10:45; Luke 19:10). Following his example, we serve one person or one family at a time, guided by prayer and Scripture.
Our framework for service follows B.L.E.S.S.—five simple ways to love others well:
Begin with Prayer: Ask God to show you whom to bless and how.
Listen: Hear people’s stories, hopes, and needs without rushing to speak.
Eat: Share meals that build friendship and trust.
Serve: Meet practical needs you discover along the way.
Story: Share your story and God’s story when the time is rightLuke 14.1–24 and Caring for Oth….
Serving others with this posture opens hearts and builds trust. It demonstrates that our faith is not theoretical but embodied love (Matt 5:14–16; Gal 6:9–10). Through Word, Prayer, and Fasting, we discern needs God wants us to meet and stay humble in our service.
2. Seek to Find Bridge People
When Jesus sent out his disciples, he told them to look for “persons of peace” (Luke 10:5–6)—people open to the gospel who can influence others. Your Identifying Our Networks study calls these individuals bridge people—those in our FRAN list through whom God may reach manyLuke 10.25-37 and Identifying O….
We seek these people through prayer, relational attentiveness, and genuine friendship. Like Lydia or the Samaritan woman (Acts 16:14–15; John 4:39–42), they may open their homes or networks for others to hear the message. Word, Prayer, and Fasting guide us to recognize these divine appointments and join God where he is already at work.
3. Invite to Discover the Christian Message
As God opens doors, we invite people to explore Scripture and discover the gospel for themselves. In Acts 3–4, Peter combined compassion and proclamation—healing a man and then explaining that Jesus died and rose again for the forgiveness of sinsActs 3.1-4.4 and Sharing Our Fa….
We use The Path to God as our main tool for this process. It helps people engage Scripture directly and understand who God is, what sin is, what Jesus has done, and how to respond in repentance and faith. These discovery conversations are relational and Spirit-led, built on questions like:
What does this passage teach us about God?
What does it reveal about people?
What is God asking us to do?
As faith grows, we continue praying for clarity, boldness, and open hearts (Eph 6:18–20; Col 4:2–6). Word, Prayer, and Fasting empower every invitation and every gospel conversation.
4. Gather to Grow in Biblical Community
When people come to faith, they gather to grow together in obedience and love. The early church met in homes, devoting themselves to teaching, fellowship, prayer, and breaking bread (Acts 2:42–47). We model the same pattern today—small gatherings where disciples share life, Scripture, and mission.
Each gathering functions as a spiritual family, shaped by grace and accountability. Participants learn to practice forgiveness, generosity, and hospitality. Our communities worship, pray, and study God’s Word together, becoming centers of renewal in their neighborhoods (Col 3:12–17; Heb 10:24–25; 1 Pet 2:9–10).
For a fuller vision of this rhythm, see The Gathering—where we explore how house churches grow through shared meals, prayer, and obedience to Scripture.
5. Coach to Develop New Leaders
As disciples mature, we coach them to multiply what they’ve learned. Jesus trained his followers to do what he did (Luke 9:1–6; John 20:21), and Paul told Timothy to entrust the message to faithful people who would teach others also (2 Tim 2:2).
Coaching in our movement happens in two complementary forms:
Individual Coaching and Prayer: Structured one-on-one relationships that provide accountability and encouragement for applying the 5-5-5 framework—whether between husbands and wives, mentors and disciples, or ministry partners.
Group Coaching and Prayer: Gatherings for men and women to celebrate God’s work, receive training, and seek his perspective together as they multiply disciples and churches.
These coaching environments keep leaders rooted in Word, Prayer, and Fasting, ensuring that growth remains relational, reproducible, and Spirit-led.
Conclusion
This is our approach to making disciples within our networks—a Spirit-led rhythm of serving, seeking, inviting, gathering, and coaching, all sustained by Word, Prayer, and Fasting. We start with one person and trust God for multiplication. The Father sends, the Son saves, and the Spirit empowers. As we pray, serve, and share, disciples make disciples, churches plant churches, and the glory of Christ fills neighborhoods and nations (Hab 2:14; Acts 19:8–10; Rev 7:9–10).