Our Approach to Making Disciples
Document Introduction
The apostles understood their entire calling through the lens of Jesus’s name. Paul wrote, “Through him we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles on behalf of his name” (Rom. 1:5). Mission, therefore, begins not with human need but with the worth of the risen Christ. The church proclaims the gospel and forms disciples because Jesus deserves to be trusted, loved, obeyed, and announced among all peoples. Everything we do flows from this conviction: the name of Jesus must be honored in every household, neighborhood, city, and nation.
Because Jesus deserves the obedience of faith from all peoples, he gives his church a clear mission: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19–20). The scope of this command can feel overwhelming, yet Scripture shows—and history confirms—that the earliest churches lived it out through a simple, relational, reproducible pattern. God places every believer within natural relational networks—friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors (FRAN’s)—and these become the first fields where the obedience of faith takes root. Disciple-making is the process of helping people trust Jesus (evangelism), obey Jesus (discipleship), and help others do the same (leadership development). This is the apostolic pattern we seek to recover—the way the obedience of faith spread from person to person and place to place for the sake of Jesus’s name.
To live this out today, we follow a simple and concrete approach that reflects the pattern Jesus gave his apostles. At the center is deep communion with God through the Word, prayer, and fasting—the practices that shape our desires, align us with God’s will, and give us strength and courage to honor Christ. From this center flow five interconnected movements—a clear and repeatable pathway for making disciples within our networks:
Serve to meet practical needs.
Seek to find receptive people.
Invite to discover the Christian message.
Gather to grow in biblical community.
Coach to develop new leaders.
These movements form one living system—each strengthening and depending on the others. If even one practice is neglected, the whole system slows down or stalls. But when all five are active and rooted in the Word, prayer, and fasting, ordinary believers experience the same dynamic the early church did: disciples are formed, leaders emerge, and the obedience of faith spreads across households, neighborhoods, and cities for the honor of Jesus’s name.
For Reflection and Discussion
Clarifying Our Motives: When you think about making disciples “for the sake of Jesus’s name” (Rom. 1:5), what most shapes your motives right now—love for Jesus, concern for people, fear of failure, pressure to perform, or something else? Where do you sense the Spirit inviting a shift?
Clarifying Our Calling: Which part of Jesus’s Great Commission feels most overwhelming to you right now—going, making, or teaching—and why?
The Center: The Word, Prayer, and Fasting
Every movement of disciple-making—serving, seeking, inviting, gathering, and coaching—flows from and returns to the Word, prayer, and fasting. These practices keep our hearts aligned to God and connect us to the God who strengthens, guides, and emboldens us to love the people in our networks. Here is how each of these practices strengthens and sustains the disciple-making rhythm.
The Word
God speaks to us through Scripture, revealing his character, his saving purposes, and his heart for the world. His Word defines his will and equips us for every good work he calls us to pursue in his mission (Ps. 119:105; 2 Tim. 3:16–17). Because of that, we come to the Bible daily—studying it carefully, meditating on it slowly, memorizing it intentionally, and obeying it wholeheartedly. Every stage of disciple-making rises or falls with Scripture, because God uses his Word to form our hearts, expose our sin, strengthen our faith, and give us the message we must proclaim. As we read, we keep asking, “What does this reveal about God? What sins must I turn from? What promises can I trust so I can join his mission?” The Word gives us the truth, courage, and clarity we need to engage others with the gospel.
Prayer (including ongoing repentance)
Prayer is how we align our hearts to God’s heart and our mission to his mission. In prayer we worship him, ask for his kingdom to advance, depend on him for daily needs, repent of where we have neglected his calling—including the practices of serving, seeking, inviting, gathering, and coaching—and seek protection from spiritual attack, all categories drawn from the Lord’s Prayer. We pray for ourselves, asking God to give us love, boldness, clarity, and compassion so we can represent him faithfully. We also intercede for others, asking God to open their hearts, grant repentance, give faith, and bring them from death to life. Prayer keeps us dependent on the Spirit, aligned with God’s purposes, and attentive to the people he has placed in our networks. Through prayer, we seek God’s power to do what we cannot do on our own and ask him to accomplish his saving work through us.
Fasting
Fasting expresses to God that we desire him and his mission more than our own comfort. By voluntarily setting aside food, we quiet our hearts, sharpen our prayers, and renew our dependence on the Spirit’s power. Even a simple fast—skipping a meal to pray for Jesus’s name to be exalted and the salvation of others—recenters us on what matters most. Fasting does not earn God’s favor; instead, it clears space for us to seek him, listen for his direction, and ask for his strength to reach the people he has placed in our lives. Through fasting, we offer ourselves to God again, asking him to shape our hearts and use us in his mission to bring others to Christ.
For Reflection and Discussion
Your Word-centered Habits : What regular habits do you currently have for reading, meditating on, or memorizing Scripture? What is one specific habit you want to add or strengthen in the next seven days?
Your Prayer and Fasting Rhythms: When and how do you usually pray each day—and what specific daily prayer rhythm would you like to put in place (time, setting, approach) to stay aligned with God’s mission? How might you be able to incorporate occasional fasting?
1. Serve to Meet Practical Needs
Our goal is to create natural, relational entry points for the gospel as we serve others in love. Jesus met physical and spiritual needs, revealing the Father’s compassion (Mark 10:45; Luke 19:10). Serving others is not a burden—it is a joy and one of the simplest ways to express Christlike love. And while we gladly care for fellow believers, this model especially helps us engage non-Christians, showing them God’s kindness and mercy in ordinary, tangible ways. We do not need special programs or projects; we simply begin with the everyday needs already present in our neighborhood, workplace, and extended family. As we serve, we stay attentive to the Spirit—ready to respond when he prompts us, just as the Spirit sent Philip to walk alongside the Ethiopian’s chariot (Acts 8:29).
The B.L.E.S.S. Rhythm
Begin with Prayer: Ask God whom to bless and pray specifically for their needs, openness, and good.
Listen: Listen carefully to understand their real struggles, hopes, and concerns.
Eat: Share a meal or coffee to build trust and genuine connection.
Serve: Meet practical needs that emerge as you listen and share life with them.
Story: Share your story—and, most importantly, God’s saving story—naturally when trust opens the door. (Bless, Ferguson & Ferguson)
Two Universal Entry-Point Questions
We often feel overwhelmed or unsure about how to approach people, especially when it comes to spiritual conversations. But most people welcome friendly interaction far more than we think, and simple conversations often open the door to meaningful connection.
“How can I help you with that?” This opens doors naturally. Help with yard work, rake leaves, shovel snow, carry groceries, give a ride, help with childcare, clean out a garage, move furniture, or run an errand.
“How can I pray for you?” A gentle way to discern spiritual openness. Pray on the spot or follow up later in the week.
Create Rhythms of Service and Hospitality
We will serve others more regularly when we make space for it. Families and individuals can set aside simple weekly rhythms that keep their hearts open, their schedules available, and their minds attentive to the Spirit’s leading. Ideas include:
Saturday Morning Neighbor Care — a weekly block of time to help neighbors with yard work, small repairs, errands, or simple needs.
Sunday Afternoon Encouragement — write encouraging texts, pray for people by name, and check on people facing a challenge.
Friday or Saturday Dinner With FRAN’S — share a meal with non-Christians, new acquaintances, or neighbors, creating relational bridges for the gospel.
Monthly Service Project — choose one need (a widow, a single parent, a struggling family) and serve together as a household or church.
These simple commitments keep us joyful, attentive, and ready for whatever doors God opens—and ready to step into them with the gospel.
For Reflection and Discussion
Attentive to the Spirit: Where do you sense obstacles—busyness, fear, distraction, or self-protection—keeping you from noticing the people God has placed right in front of you?
Love in Action: What is one simple way you could serve someone in your network this week—yard work, a meal, a ride, a listening ear, or a practical task?
2. Seek to Find Receptive People
Our goal is to find people receptive to God and his message that they can be saved through Jesus Christ. We seek because God works through relationships. Jesus told his disciples to look for “persons of peace”—people who welcome you, listen to your words, and show the kind of openness the New Testament describes as receiving the messenger and having a heart prepared by the Lord (Luke 10:5–6; Acts 16:14). As God opens hearts, these receptive individuals often become bridges through which the gospel flows into households, workplaces, and entire relational networks.
Biblical Examples of “Bridge People” to Networks of Others
The Samaritan woman shared her testimony, and many in her town believed (John 4:39–42).
Cornelius gathered his household and friends to hear the gospel (Acts 10:24–48).
Lydia believed, and her home became a gathering place for believers (Acts 16:14–15, 40).
In each case, God opened one person’s heart, and that person’s network became an entry point for the gospel.
How to Identify Receptive People
Pray daily for God to reveal open, relationally connected individuals.
Notice who is spiritually curious, hospitable, or influential.
Engage with sincerity—listening, serving, and praying for them.
Invite them to read Scripture or discuss faith.
Encourage them to involve others in their network.
How to Walk with Receptive People
Continue praying with and for them, asking the Spirit to guide your next steps.
Help them gather others to study The Path to God or other biblical resources.
Support them as they host or co-lead gatherings in their homes or relational spaces.
Coach them toward maturity and multiplication, helping them see themselves as missionaries in their own networks.
We seek receptive people with patience and hope, trusting that God is already at work long before we arrive and that he often uses simple relationships to open spiritual doors.
For Reflection and Discussion
Recognizing Receptivity: Who in your network seems most open to you personally right now? How might you gently test that openness through prayer or conversation?
Walking with Openness: What would it look like to help a receptive person share what they’re discovering with others?
3. Invite to Discover the Christian Message
Our goal is to help spiritually receptive people grasp the heart of the gospel clearly and simply. To do this, we use a simple tool called The Path to God, which mirrors the apostolic approach to evangelism. It helps non-Christians understand the core truths of the Christian message—who God is, what sin is, what Christ has done, and how to respond in repentance and faith. You do not need to have all the answers or deliver a polished presentation; you simply take turns reading the document together and let Scripture do its work.
Evangelistic Presentations
a. One-on-One Approach: Print The Path to God and ask: “Would you meet with me for about an hour to study the basic truths of the Christian faith?” You might meet in your home, at a coffee shop, or on a lunch break.
b. Small-Group Approach
Pray for guidance about whom to invite.
Invite family, friends, or neighbors to join you.
Set a regular time and place—often around a simple meal.
Read Scripture together and discuss what it reveals about God and humanity.
Continue afterward with The Discipleship Series to help new believers grow.
Evangelistic Invitations
We also invite unbelievers to our house churches, where they hear the gospel, see the bread and cup explained, and witness Christian community in action. Word, prayer, and fasting give us courage, wisdom, and perseverance when we feel afraid or inadequate.
For Reflection and Discussion
Taking Initiative: Who could you invite this month to read The Path to God with you, either one-on-one or in a small group?
Dependence in Witness: What fears hold you back—and how could prayer and fasting help you move forward?
4. Gather to Grow in Biblical Community
Our goal is to gather new believers into authentic Christian community, because church planting is simply the fruit of evangelism and discipleship. When people come to faith, they gather to grow together in obedience, fellowship, and worship (Acts 2:42–47). Each house church or small group functions as a spiritual family marked by grace, accountability, and mission. Most gatherings can be simple: share a meal, remember Jesus with the bread and cup, read and discuss Scripture, pray for one another, and plan how to love and reach others.
Our Gatherings Aim To:
Enjoy fellowship with God and one another through the Father, Son, and Spirit.
Take the Lord’s Supper in the context of a meal.
Explain and apply God’s Word using The Discipleship Series.
Pray for one another’s ministries, needs, and families.
Minister through the Word and spiritual gifts—encouraging, correcting, and comforting.
Share the gospel with unbelieving guests through word and practice.
Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs that exalt Christ and strengthen faith.
The atmosphere is simple and relational—not a performance, but a family gathered around Jesus.
For Reflection and Discussion
Community and Growth: How could your home or group become a place of deeper fellowship, prayer, and the Lord’s Supper?
Witness in Community: What simple steps could make your gatherings more welcoming to those who do not yet believe?
5. Coach to Develop New Leaders
Our goal is to raise up new disciple makers and church planters through intentional, ongoing coaching—because without it, the mission stops with us. If we do not actively coach others to make disciples—individually and collectively—the next generation of disciple makers and church planters will not emerge as it should. Multiplication does not happen by accident. It happens when mature believers intentionally walk with others, strengthening their faith, shaping their character, and preparing them to lead. Without this commitment, the mission stalls within a single generation.
As disciples mature, we help them reproduce what they have learned. Jesus trained his followers to do what he did (Luke 9:1–6; John 20:21), and Paul instructed Timothy to entrust the gospel “to faithful people who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim 2:2). Spiritual maturity naturally moves toward multiplication. By “coaching,” we mean regularly meeting with someone to help them follow Jesus—listening, asking questions, opening Scripture, and praying together about real life.
Coaching Strengthens Believers To:
Walk closely with God through Word, prayer, and fasting.
Evangelize clearly and compassionately.
Disciple others with Scripture and accountability.
Raise up new leaders from their networks.
Start or strengthen new churches over time.
Coaching Rhythms
Individual Coaching and Prayer: One-on-one conversations between men with men, and women with women, focusing on heart, habits, and mission.
Group Coaching and Prayer: Collaborative gatherings for training, encouragement, and prayer, where leaders share stories, challenges, and best practices.
In coaching, we keep calling one another back to repentance, faith, and obedience—trusting Christ to form his character in us.
For Reflection and Discussion
Reproducing Faithfully: Who has poured into your life, and how could you begin investing in someone else?
Multiplying Wisely: What simple rhythms (meeting, prayer, reading, follow-up) would help you coach others consistently?
Conclusion: A Call to Repentance and Faith
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. It is a simple, interrelated system: if any one part is neglected, the rhythm slows or stops. But when each movement is active, God brings surprising fruit.
The first step is not to “do more,” but to repent and reaffirm your trust in Jesus to guide you. We begin by admitting where we have fallen short—where we have ignored Jesus’s command, neglected the Word and prayer, avoided people, withheld service, or shrunk back in fear. We bring our excuses, fear, apathy, and self-reliance into the light and confess them to God. Then we turn from our sin and turn to God in faith—trusting that Christ’s death and resurrection are sufficient not only to forgive us but also to change us. We ask the Father to fill us with the Spirit, renew our love for Christ, and give us fresh courage to join his mission, starting with one person.
As we repent, believe, pray, serve, and share, disciples make disciples, churches plant churches, and the glory of Christ fills neighborhoods and nations.