Intentionally Making Disciples

Transcription

1 Intentionally Making Disciples Table of Contents Acknowledgements Section I (Introduction)... 2 Section II (The Concept).. 3 Section III (The Pathway) 7 Section IV (Pathway Thoughts)...11 Section V (Appendix) 15 Appendix A (Pathway Map)..16 Appendix B (Checklist for Pathway Guide).. 17 Pathway Guide Quarterly Report Form Appendix C (Small Group Leader s Manual) Encouraging Men to Pray Daily and Share Openly.. 26 A Small Group Leader s Covenant 27 Training Session for Small Group Leaders 28 A Participant s Covenant Suggested Resources about Small Groups Appendix D (Pathway Resource List) 32 Appendix E (Pathway Portfolio Form) Appendix F (Student Handouts) Session Session Session Appendix G (Breakout Questions) Session Session Session By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; So you will be My disciples (John 15:8). 1

2 Section I. Introduction Congratulations! You are now part of a movement of leaders who have committed to His commandment to make disciples. This begins with a process which should become a permanent part in your church s ministry to men. In view of the spiritual, moral and ethical decay of our society and its impact on men, marriages and families in our churches, its time to become more intentional! Although most men s ministry could continue as is, it s time to broaden the vision for men beyond pancake breakfasts, softball teams and church workdays or mission trips. We must intentionally integrate a strategic process to provide a Disciple-Making Ministry to Men (Matthew 28:19). This material provides a pathway for men to follow on their journey to becoming disciples and includes selection and training of Pathway Small Group Leaders and Pathway Guides to insure the intentional aspect of the program. If God s desire is that men provide the spiritual leadership for their family, it is the church s responsibility to train, equip and disciple their men for the sake of their families and for the future of the church. The average man and the average church do not have a process or pathway that intentionally guides men to become a fully devoted disciple of Christ. The question has been asked, How long would you have to live in a garage to become a car? Any logical thinker would answer, It could never happen. We know that cars are built through a process called an assembly line. Chrysler Corporation is not in the business of just building cars, they are in the business of providing transportation. Building cars is just a means to an end of providing transportation. The church must provide an assembly line or intentional pathway that disciples men who will and can Live and Lead God s Way in their families, church, workplace, community and world. Our definition of a disciple is: A person committed to loving, following, and serving Jesus Christ in every sphere of life. It is important to design this Intentional Discipleship Pathway as a comprehensive ministry to men that involves the entire church. The following are essential: 1. Must have the complete support of the Senior Pastor. 2. Must exclusively target men. 3. Must build a Men s Ministry Leadership Team with a core group of men. 4. Must communicate clear strategies and goals. 5. Must focus on relationships not programs. 6. Must provide flexibility and variety. 7. Must avoid implementing to much too soon. To start let s focus on the Leadership Team that will guide your ministry to men in Making Disciples...If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free (John 8:31-32 NKJV) 2

3 Section II. The Concept As you read these materials, you will note that there are two items covered under The Concept. First, if you are to be successful in Intentionally Making Disciples, there has to be an organized and effective ongoing ministry to men Men s Ministries. Because of this belief the initial materials covered in this section will focus on the Men s Leadership Team that will guide your ministry to men in making disciples. Second, there will be a review of the Making Disciples Overview, both by the denomination, using Making Disciples and then by Men s Ministries in Intentionally Making Disciples. A. The Men s Ministries Leadership Team How do you start? Adopt a Month Action Plan Months 1-4 Identify, train and equip a Men s Ministries Leadership Team (Chapter Presidents, Chapter Officers and Task Force Leaders) and schedule an all day planning retreat. At the all day planning retreat the Senior Pastor and Men s Ministries Leadership Team must begin the process of identifying a clear Vision for Men within the context of the overall church vision to intentionally disciple men for spiritual maturity. Some of the questions that need to be answered are? 1. What are the unique needs of the men in our church and community? 2. What does a successful ministry to men look like? 3. How would we define a disciple in our church? 4. How will we measure success? 5. What are some of the obstacles? 6. What kind of leadership do we need? 7. What are some of the challenges or weaknesses of our ability to reach and disciple men? 8. What resources do we have or need to get in order to reach and disciple men? 9. What kind of training does the leadership team need to have? 10. How can we implement systems that will disciple our men? The Pastor and the Men s Leadership Team also begin to design a Men s Ministries Master Plan to provide a Disciple-making Ministry to Men in the church. This Master Plan for Men should include: 1. A Statement of Vision for Men. Vision & Purpose drive ministry to men. (See the Men s Ministries Action Plan, Section VII of the Resource Information Manual.) 2. Definition of a Disciple (See Section I) 3. Establish clear strategies on how the church will build a ministry to men including objectives and measurable goals. (See the Men s Ministries Action Plan, Section V of the Resource Information Manual.) 4. A Men s Ministries Master Calendar. Needs variety with different entry points. 5. The Intentionally Making Disciples Pathway. (See Section III) 6. Small Group Plan. A commitment for every man to be in an accountable and growing relationship with other men in a small group. 7. A comprehensive Men s Ministries Budget. 3

4 Men s Ministries Kick-off Event. The content of the event would include the following: 1. Begin with worship, prayer and the building of relationships 2. The casting of the Vision for Men by the Senior Pastor and Men s Leadership Team. 3. The introduction of the Men s Leadership Team. 4. The presentation of the church s Men s Ministry Master Plan by the Men s Leadership Team. 5. The introduction of the Intentionally Making Disciples Pathway by the Senior Pastor. 6. Give the men opportunity to respond and sign up for their Intentionally Making Disciples Pathway Portfolio and a Small Group. 7. The casting of vision and responsibility for the men to be actively supporting the various ministries of the church by the Senior Pastor and the Men s Leadership Team. The Senior Pastor and Men s Leadership Team begin to meet regularly for prayer, assess the needs of the men in the church and for building personal relationships. They must become to each other what they want the men of the church to become to each other. Select team members to oversee selected strategies for evangelizing and discipling men. Some of these task forces may include small groups, evangelism, discipleship, prayer, fellowship, worship and special events. The more men involved the better. These Men s Ministries Task Forces will be responsible to the church Men s Leadership Team. Each member of the Men s Leadership Team will lead and serve on a Ministry Task Force. They then in turn build the leadership for their Ministry Task Force that will serve a specific area of emphasis within the over all Men s Ministries. Begin to recruit, train and resource Men s Small Group leaders. Begin to recruit, train and resource Pathway Guides, support staff and teachers for the Intentionally Making Disciples Pathway. Months 5-8 The Men s Leadership Team meets at least monthly to evaluate, assess progress and direction while building their own relationships with each other. Finalize the Intentionally Making Disciples Pathway curriculum and leadership Finalize Men s Small Group Leaders Teams with a Captain. Mobilize the men through the church-wide Men s Ministries Kick-off event. Advertise through every means possible throughout the church. It has to be a major emphasis of the entire church while being heavily promoted by the Senior Pastor. Months 9-18 The Men s Leadership Team will continue to meet at least monthly to evaluate, assess overall progress and direction while building their own relationships with each other. Begin the implementation of the Men s Ministries Calendar. Implement the Intentionally Making Disciples Pathway and Men s Small Groups. Continue to aggressively recruit, select, train and deploy new leadership throughout the church. 4

5 Leadership Structure Church Administrative Board Senior Pastor Men s Ministries Chapter President Men s Leadership Team Men s Task Forces Pathway Guides, Teachers and Support Staff Pathway Small Group Leaders The Men s Leadership Team is key to having an effective and intentional disciple making ministry in your church. Let s turn now and go into Making Disciples. B. Making Disciples Overview In early 2004, the Mission 21 Committee of the IPHC Resource Development Center distributed to each pastor a set of materials... Making Disciples The Making Disciples is strongly endorsed by Men s Ministries and provides in-depth resources to enhance the IMD. This packet presented a plan to disciple our members and included a number of items to be used in this process. Included were: (1) a prayer guide, (2) a series of sermons to be used during the period 2004 and 2005, (3) materials on small groups and a small group course titled Disciple 3 Study Guide, (4) an appendix on Discipleship Models. Bishop Leggett summed up the need in this statement, As a church, we are called by Christ to make disciples. It is the heart of our Lord s commission for His church. We can fulfill the Great Commission only as we develop men and women into followers of Jesus Christ. The main reason for this IMD ministry is to enable the local church to implement training that will intentionally lead their men along a pathway to becoming disciples. The bottom line of IMD is to provide the training necessary, the Pathway Small Group Leaders and Pathway Guides that will provide guidance and encouragement, as well as the constant motivation to lead our men through the discipling process. Men are goal oriented, process driven, and are likely to succeed when they are provided a pathway that guides them toward their goal especially when there are benchmarks along the pathway to mark success and offer encouragement to the next step. As you open the packet of materials for Intentionally Making Disciples, here is What you will find. There are two DVDs that cover three teaching sessions used to kick off the Intentionally Making Disciples ministry. After each session is shown, you will break up into small groups for thirty (30) minutes and discuss questions for that session. Once this is done, use the Administrative Guide (the enclosed CD), to explain the rest of the Intentionally Making Disciples ministry and how it will unfold e.g. The ball diamond overhead will be shown as well as the four steps on the Pathway to Making Disciples will be reviewed. 5

6 The Pathway Portfolio Form will be given to each man with a copy being kept for the Men s Leadership Team. Explain the concept of how each man and Pathway Guide are to proceed on the church s IMD Pathway. The Pathway Resources List is for use by the MLT and Pastor to (a) Select resources to fill the one elective course in each step. (b) Add resources to replace those listed, if it is felt there is a better resource to be used In Appendix B and C, you will find resource materials to train and employ both Pathway Guides and Pathway Small Group Leaders. The key is for the Men s Leadership Team to go through the entire set of resources and prepare to implement the ministry once they are prepared. So, that s the ministry as you look down on it now let s get on The Pathway to Intentionally Making Disciples. God blesses the people who patiently endure the testing. Afterward, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12NLT). 6

7 Section III. The Pathway A. The Materials For Intentionally Making Disciples 1. The DVD s in the packet you will find two DVD s that contain an introduction to IMD, and three lessons by Dr. Dan Erickson: (a) It All Starts With You Nothing really ever happens in our lives, our families, or our church, unless we get committed and engaged. In session one titled, It Starts with You! Dr. Erickson addresses principles and issues we must personally wrestle with, if we are going to be the disciples God wants us to be and to be effective in our ministry to men, in and outside our church. (b) Why Ministry to Men? Session two asks a critical question that every church must address, Why Ministry to Men? Dr. Erickson describes in detail the condition of men in America and the issues they are facing and needs the church must meet, if we are going to have an effective ministry to men in our culture. He addresses why men are not going to church, what the keys are to reaching and discipling them and when you do, how men benefit your church. (c) Intentional Discipleship Process. The average Christian man would say that they have never really ever been discipled. They may have spent years attending church, but have never been intentionally discipled. In session three, Dr. Erickson addresses the biblical view of intentional discipleship and the process it takes to develop a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ in the church. 2. The CD in the packet includes the rest of the materials to implement this ministry: (1) The handouts for the DVD sessions (2) The small group questions handouts that are used after sessions 1, 2, & 3. (3) The Pathway Portfolio Form that is developed by the local church and given to each man based on his individual step on the pathway (See Appendix A for the Pathway Map): (a) The Member Step: A member is one who has come into a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ; and is actively participating in and committed to a local church while earnestly pursuing a path to become a fully devoted follower/disciple of Jesus Christ. (b) The Maturity Step: The step in which a member of the Body of Christ becomes a fully devoted follower of Christ by growing in their understanding of and walk with Jesus Christ to the point where they are mature enough to disciple others. A mature disciple is seeking their God-given purpose and potential. (c) The Ministry Step: Ministry becomes the visible expression of a mature disciple who is committed and equipped to live out their God-given purpose and potential. Mature and equipped disciples are able to use their time, talents, resources and 7

8 spiritual gifts in order to serve, evangelize and disciple others has become proficient in the development of their spiritual gift and ministry calling. (d) The Mission Step: Mission provides opportunities for mature and equipped Disciples of Christ to do ministry. Mission always involves evangelizing the lost and discipling the converted with the goal of furthering the Kingdom of God. (4) The Pathway Guide used to train the Guides who will direct and encourage each man. (See Appendix B Pathway Guide s Checklist.) (5) The Pathway Small Group Leader s Manual (See Appendix C) that will be used to train the small group leaders that are used in each of the resources that require small group participation. (6) The Pathway Resources List (See Appendix D) that is provided to enable the Pastor and his Men s Leadership Team to develop which materials they want to used to tailor the pathway for their church. B. The Pathway Timeline 1. Before the opening presentation Secure the venue location, date, and time. Be sure that the location is available and adequate seating and walk-around space are available. The men will be in small discussion groups of 4 to 6 men after each of the three sessions, so insure you have arranged for space to accommodate each group. Remember, if it s a man thing, there s got to be food. Be sure the food and drinks can be consumed where you meet. Make it easy to attend Plan your registration procedure in advance. When men call into the church, insure that information on the event can be provided and registration accomplished. Remember, total strangers might show up. PTL. Have incentives appoint team captains, have some incentive for the captains that signed 5 10, etc. Promote Registration by developing a marketing plan that includes: - Advertising...using posters and brochures - Mail out personal invitation - Announce from the pulpit, in Sunday school, small group meetings, men s and women s meetings, and use the web (church websites, etc.). Develop a budget for the event to include attendee cost. Remove all barriers from your men attending? Coordinate with the Office of Men s Ministries ( ext: 3224) to go over any questions. 2. Six to Nine months in Advance Invite nearby churches Activate the pathway prayer team to meet on a weekly or bi-weekly basis leading up to the event Develop a marketing plan, as mentioned above to saturate the church Order any resources needed Finish the Pathway Portfolio Form (See Appendix E) for your church 8

9 Consider if the initial Pathway Resources to be used after the presentation might be the single event/resource that all men will go through, eg. Men s Fraternity The Quest for Authentic Manhood. 3. Two to Four months in Advance Confirm location, date, and time. Begin to campaign to register men through personal invitations, announcements, posters brochures and registration forms. Begin having the Men s Leadership Team walk through the (1) introduction to IMD, (2) the presentations, (3) small group break-outs and the explanation of their church s pathway and their participation. Insure all materials are ready Pathway Portfolio Form, Sessions 1, 2, and 3 handouts and small group discussion questions. Finalize the Pathway Resource Office - A man/team to keep track of the individual Pathway Portfolios, as well as other material used in IMD. 4. Four to Six weeks in Advance Confirm selection and training of the necessary number of Pathway Guides and Pathway Small Group Leaders. Finalize arrangement of room set-up, necessary equipment, and refreshments. Use of resource table in the church to promote the event. Determine what Pathway Step every man is on. 5. One to Two weeks in Advance One final blitz on invitations and registrations. Plan the food. Call each registered participant to confirm he will be attending and answer any questions. 6. Day of the Event Have fun and give God the glory! Attitude is everything! Double check the room. Have greeters at the outer doors of the facility, this removes a huge barrier for men. Have greeters at the registration table. Make registration swift and easy. Fill out name tags for the guys some guys can t write well. Have refreshments for men as they come in. Start and end on time. Have discussion times and break times for the men to get to know each other and apply the resources personally. 7. Following the Event Follow-up with men who attended presentation to gain information for an after action report. 9

10 Use this event to enlist and encourage men to be involved in the church men s ministries and/or small group ministry for men. Meet with the Men s Leadership Team to review the presentation and go over the next event(s). Assist the Pathway Guides in getting each man on their, Pathway and, submission of their quarterly report. Determine when Pathway resources or small groups. will be scheduled. Finalize the Pathway classes for the year. Plan on doing the presentation at least twice a year to bring additional men on the pathway. Notify the office of Men s Ministries (405) ext: 3224 you ve started. Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong (I Corinthians 16:13). 10

11 A. The Pathway revisited. IV. Pathway Thoughts With the Men s Leadership Team in place and the IMD materials on hand, there are three keys for starting and sustaining this ministry in your church. 1. The Men s Leadership Team has to commit to, and be familiar with the IMD materials and be constantly on guard to insure that the men are being recruited, oriented, and placed on their pathway. Then, by use of the Pathway Guides and Small Group Leaders, insure the men are being encouraged and challenged to continue on their path. The quarterly review of the Pathway Guide Reports by the Men s Leadership Team is a must. 2. There is a critical need to periodically (perhaps annually) evaluate the Men s Leadership Team s commitment and insure each team member is committed for the coming year. If vacancies occur they need to be filled. 3. The foundation of your Intentionally Making Disciples ministry is prayer. Prayer is the primary building block of your church s pathway. Prayer will be the key to gaining God s guidance and in gaining His blessing as you go about Intentionally Making Disciples. B. Options to consider in starting and sustaining the momentum of your Intentionally Making Disciples Ministry. 1. As you look at Step #1, you will see that there are three (3) types of resources you have to start your men on their path: a. Books b. Curriculum & Small Group Resources c. Conferences You might consider any of the three for the start, but the goal is to include each man on your church s pathway. Consider a. Selecting one of the books listed ( First Things First or The Man in the Mirror) and using it in the small groups you establish (see Appendix C, Small Group Leader Manual), or b. from the Curriculum & Small Group select The Quest for Authentic Manhood by Robert Lewis Men s Fraternity. You could start your entire group on this resource, and the materials will, step by step, lead you through the preparation, the course, and the fellowship, or c. use a Promise Keepers event to kick start your group. The lesson to be learned on the Promise Keeper event is to have plans ready to sustain the momentum after your men return from the PK event. 2. Sustaining the Momentum. Pat Morley of Man in the Mirror said it best.. Sustaining easily ranks as the #1 challenge to Men s Ministry. Likewise, it will be your #1 issue to continually focus on as you go about the goal to intentionally make disciples. Morley has used a number of ideas to help illustrate how to sustain momentum in ministry, and this section uses, with permission and some adjustment, seven items to assist you and your men s leadership team as you prepare to overcome this challenge. This is the time to rethink, relook and 11

12 remember what it is we are planning to begin and sustain... intentionally making disciples. 1 IDEA #1. Change Leadership s Perception About the Size of Your Men s Ministry, and specifically about who needs to be included in on the pathway to making disciples. What is the ministry in your church that gets the most resources? Probably the one that leadership perceives to make the greatest impact. What is the size of your ministry to make disciples? Count all the men in your church! That s the size of your ministry and that s the number of men that should be in the making disciples program! Think big!! Talk up the category of an all inclusive ministry to men and the making of disciples. Don t think of this ministry as a small group of your most committed men, but think of it as everything we do in church that affects men ushers, choir, Sunday School teachers, elders, deacons and..pew warmers. The more that leadership sees the importance of discipling every willing man in the church, the more support and, therefore, sustainability, your efforts will produce. Remember. the vision is to intentionally make disciples, the focus is on every man, and it takes a long time to make a disciple. IDEA #2. Challenge leadership to model what you re trying to create: Sustain momentum by helping your men s leadership team become to each other what you want your men to become. Tom Skinner said, We must become the live demonstration of the kingdom of Christ so that anytime someone wants to know what is going on in heaven, all they have to do is check on us. Don t just be a committee, but pray, study, fellowship, and care for each other. In other words, your men s leadership team needs to model what you want to build. If your men s leadership team models authentic relationships, in due time, men will see that and want to be part of it. Also it is doubtful if you can ever sustain momentum among men if the leaders can t sustain momentum among themselves. A good motto.. Let s become to each other what we are asking our men to become. IDEA #3. A System: Reach new men by repeating the cycle: Build a system in the making of a discipleship pathway that periodically starts over, to reach men who may not be ready now; especially if you plan to start everyone in Step 1 at the same time. In your church you might decide to use different options on the pathway with those that are truly mature to begin in Step 2. The key here is that once you start men on the pathway there are others that will come into your church, or who have missed the start of your first pathway training. Perhaps we can look at the pathway as one of continuing circular motion where men can enter periodically at step one, or even into steps 2-3 and 4 based on their maturity and the men s leadership team s plan. Men will obliviously drop out due to work, vacation or health problems. The pathway is dynamic and we need to recognize and plan for that. 1 The materials for Sustaining the Momentum are taken from the Man In The Mirror Weekly Briefing Vol 73-77, by Pat Morley. There are times when the materials have been added or shifted and/or eliminated in order to tailor this for use in the Intentionally Making Disciples. Materials from Man In The Mirror are used throughout the Intentionally Making Disciples and are used with permission of the author. The Man In The Mirror website is maninthemirror.org 12

13 IDEA #4. Service: Send your men who are ready to serve or you will lose them. Sustain what you have by sending your men out to serve in positions on the Men s Leadership Team (Pathway Small Group Leaders, Pathway Guides, etc). Once a man has grown to a point that he has a grateful heart, he will want to serve his Lord. He is not a disciple if he never wants to serve Christ. On the other hand, until a man has enough Jesus for himself, don t ask him to give away what he himself lacks. Challenge your disciples to reach out and encourage other men to begin their pathway to becoming a disciple. A disciple is called, equipped, and sent called to walk with Christ (evangelism), equipped to live like Christ (teaching), and sent to work for Christ (service). This is my Father s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:8) Unless we send them, we will stunt their growth, and they will become spiritual dwarfs. Besides, a men s ministry or a pathway to making disciples that doesn t send men, is a closed system that will fail. IDEA #5. Interdisciplinary: Foster interdisciplinary cooperation: Sustain your men s ministry and the Intentionally Making Disciples ministry by meeting periodically with all the other ministry programs and department heads--- Women s Ministry, Children s Ministry, Youth Ministry, Church Education, Seniors, Royal Rangers, Missionettes, and so on. Suggest an Interdisciplinary Discipleship Council an IDC that meets bimonthly or quarterly. The more you know about each other s plans the better the total church planning you can do together. Also the visibility will create respect for the need to disciple men and the impact discipled men can have on the rest of the ministry programs...and the church. IDEA #6. Expectation: Manage the expectations of the men s leadership team: Are you frustrated that you want men to succeed more than they do themselves? That s a formula for leadership dropout. Don t expect more than the Bible promises. Expect for some men to drop out. Expect some men to drop away every time you ask them for a deeper level of commitment or to advance to another step on the pathway. Why? In the parable of the sower...some seed is snatched away, some withers, and some gets choked by life s riches and worries. Part of sustaining momentum is not expecting too much. Neither should we expect a man to hear the 10 things every Godly man believes and then to completely get it. On the other hand...don t expect less than the Bible promises. John 3:16, 1 Timothy 1:15, Luke 19:10, Matthew 13:24, John 15:8, and John 14:12. The problem is not that our plans are too big, but too small. Raise expectations. Educate the Men s Leadership Team (and yourself) about what s really going on. At team meetings ask what s working, what s not, and if it s broken fix it. There is a spiritual battle raging for the souls of your men. The secular symptoms we see like neglect, divorce, financial entrapment, and working too much are spiritual causalities of war. God wants us to help change these trends and to build Christ s kingdom. It s a battle we can win...and it has to do with our getting our men on the pathway to becoming disciples. 13

14 IDEA #7. A Shepherd Model: Recruit shepherds rather than teachers to lead small groups and be Pathway Guides. Men respond to the gospel when they feel you really care about them personally. This means that the men don t need a teacher as much as they need a shepherd. At a church of 5,000 in California, the men s minister, Wes Brown, (yes, full time) experienced a quantum leap in ministry effectiveness when he changed his leadership model from teaching to shepherding. In the beginning he recruited teachers to lead his small groups. Success was modest. After 11 years he had 137 men in small groups. The he realized that what the men really needed was someone who cared about them personally. He changed to a shepherd model and exploded to 750 men in just 4 years- a 550% increase. Give that some thought as you consider and train Pathway Small Group Leaders and Pathway Guides. 3. Record Keeping Insure that the Secretary of the MLT maintains a Pathway Portfolio Form on each man in the church. Periodically check to see that each of the Pathway Guides is submitting their report on each of his men. Additionally, maintain the necessary records on Pathway Guides and Small Group Leaders, and periodically update the Pathway Forms. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing (John 15:5) 14

15 V. Appendix A. The Pathway Map B. The Pathway Guide s Checklist C. The Small Group Leader s Manual D. The Pathway Resource List E. The Pathway Portfolio Form F. The Student Handout for Sessions 1 3 G. The Small Group Questions Handout for Sessions 1 3 H. The two DVD disks for Sessions 1 3 And you will also bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning (John 15:27). 15

16 Appendix A Intentional Discipleship Map ID Map Your ID) Lives For Him Servant Jn 15:20 A Disciple is a person committed to loving, following, and serving Jesus Christ in every sphere of life. Mission Step Four Step Three Ministry Friend Jn 15:14-15 Magnify Glorifies God Jn 15:8 Jn 15:27 Witness Step Two Maturity Obeys Him Member Step One Jn 15:5 Speaks of Him Speaks for Him Branch Abides in Him (Adapted from material created by Lee s Summit Community Church, Lee s Summit, MO) Used by permission. 16

17 Appendix B Checklist for the Pathway Guide Pathway Guide Is a member of the Men s Leadership Team. His function is to help guide participants through the Intentional Making Disciples Pathway. Some general procedures are: 1. Each Pathway Guide will be assigned 5-10 participants. (Perhaps one small group.) 2. A Pathway Guide needs to attend training on how to guide a participant through the Intentional Discipleship Pathway. This training will be offered by the Men s Leadership Team. 3. Pathway Guides are there to be a means of assistance, support, encouragement, and prayer for participants and Small Group Leaders. 4. Each Pathway Guide needs to have an initial consultation with each participant to help them access their spiritual maturity and plug them into the discipleship pathway process. 5. Pathway Guides will be responsible to help their participants signup for the training they need to complete their Pathway in a timely manner. The Pathway Guide should be continually informed and up-to-date on what training is being offered throughout the year. 6. Pathway Guides should call, , or otherwise correspond with each participant on a regular basis, as well as seek to interact with them face to face quarterly. 7. Pathway Guides will turn in follow-up reports quarterly to the Men s Leadership Team on each of their participants. This form will report each participant s involvement and progress. 8. Pathway Guides will keep the Men s Leadership Team informed of any concerns or difficulties in regard to their participants. 9. When a participant has completed a step on their Pathway, the Pathway Guide will assist in the recognition of their participant s completion. 10. Each Pathway Guide should be himself, an active participant in their Pathway. They will be held accountable by the Men s Leadership Team. The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus Christ gave me (Acts 20:24). 17

18 Appendix B Pathway Guide Quarterly Report Date: Participant Update: Name: Address: Daytime Phone: Evening Phone: Indicate where they are on the Intentionally Making Disciples Path: First Base: Membership Second Base: Maturity Third Base: Ministry Home Base: Mission The benefits of the Intentionally Making Disciples Path expressed by the participant: 1. _ 2. _ 3. _ The challenges of the Intentionally Making Disciples Path expressed by the participant: 1. _ 2. _ 3. _ What are the immediate prayer needs expressed by the participant: 1. _ 2. _ 3. _ Recommendations and Comments: Pathway Guide: Name: Address: 18

19 Daytime Phone: Evening Phone: Appendix C A. General Intentionally Making Disciples Small Group Leader s Manual The purpose of the Small Group Leader s Manual is to share with the Small Group Leaders those tested and reliable steps on how to participate in this ministry as your church strives to intentionally make disciples Be encouraged that the ministry of leading a small group is not hard; whether during the three sessions of the Intentionally Making Disciples or later as your church implements various resources that use small groups to complete the materials. Small groups are a vital key in the development and implementation of your churches Pathway for Making Disciples. 2. Be encouraged that you and your Pathway Guide make it possible to fulfill the goals of discipleship for your small groups, to build one another up, to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to equip the body of Christ to be able to make a difference in our world for Jesus. 3. In short, the purpose of this Manual is to equip you and other small group leaders of your church to participate in forming, guiding and expanding this ministry, and to encourage you in believing that the small group experience is the optimal place for men to grow into biblical manhood. B. Determine your Pathway Strategy and Philosophy 1. General-In order to facilitate small groups, it is important that leaders understand the objective of the small group as it fits into the vision of the church. 2. Vision of Small Groups-When starting a small group for men in your church, it is important to communicate closely with your senior pastor and the others on the Pathway to fully understand how small groups will be part of the mission of the church in the discipling process. 3. Objectives of Small Groups-It is imperative that your leadership group establishes clear objectives for your small groups from the outset. Everything you do in the groups need to be determined by the objectives. In recruiting leaders and men to be in the groups, you will 2 The materials are a direct lift from the book How to Start Small Groups For Men, by Steve Sonderman of Top Gun Ministries. There are times when materials have been added, shifted, and eliminated in order to produce a guide for the small group leader that supports both Making Disciples , and Intentionally Making Disciples. The book How to Start Small Groups For Men, is an exceptional book and will be listed as recommended for all men to read during the Ministry Phase of the Pathway (Step 3). Materials are used with permission of the author. 19

20 want to make the following objectives clear: a. Introducing men to Jesus Christ. b. Helping men become more fully devoted followers of Jesus. c. Encouraging believers to develop a lifestyle that is consistent with knowing Jesus. d. Identifying and encouraging potential leaders for service in the church. e. Providing support for men who are struggling with an area of sin. f. Providing a place where men can be held accountable for their actions and attitudes g. Having men commit to the process of completing the Pathway that has been outlined for them as they intentionally become disciples. C. Why Small Groups? 1. Why? a. As you consider directing a small group, one of the following comments might come to mind. (1) I already have enough meetings, so why do I need another one? (2) What possible benefit does a small group provide me? (3) I really don t have anything to offer a group of men. b. These are thoughtful and honest concerns. Unless we see a real benefit to committing our time to something, we will not do it. 2. Five Reasons for You & Your Men to Be in a Small Group. a. Encouragement b. Accountability c. An opportunity to grow in Christ likeness d. An opportunity to function as a Body. e. An opportunity to continue the momentum from large events. D. Principles for Building Dynamic Men s Small Group 1. Find a Small Group Coordinator. a. The first step in beginning small groups for your church is to find a coordinator. In light of the reality that nothing gets done without a leader, we highly recommend that you do not start your small groups until you have this person in place. If you already have a leadership team of three to five men, one of these men should be asked to head up the small group area. b. Below is a sample job description for the coordinator of your small group ministry. (1) Recruit and train small group leaders. (2) Conduct in-service training sessions. (3) Assist small group leaders in group formation. (4) Promote small groups through all available means. 20

21 (5) Shepherd or establish a system of shepherding the small group leaders. (6) Help develop an overall plan and philosophy for small groups. (7) Commit to coordinating small groups for a period of one year. 2. Develop a Prayer Team-One of the most important aspects of putting together a small group ministry is prayer. Prayer will give you God s directions, bring the right people forward, and are the key ingredient in changing lives through small groups. Prayer gives us the privilege of calling out to God to hear His plan and purpose for our small groups. We encourage you to ask three to five men to form a prayer team. You will be asking them to commit to pray for the small groups ministry once a week. On a quarterly basis you can provide them with requests for the ministry and small group leaders. Be certain to inform them of the answers to their prayers. There is nothing more encouraging than to hear answers to your prayers. NOTE: (See Encourage Men to Pray Daily and Share Openly.) 3. Promoting Small Groups-Do whatever you can to ignite enthusiasm as you are initiating small group ministry. The men of your church need to know there is a new opportunity specifically for them, not only in Intentionally Making Disciples, but in other small group ministry opportunities that might be used in your church. The size of your small groups could range from four to eight men. Ideally, the smaller the group, four to six, the better. Use the following promotional opportunities and others you may develop. a. Pastor promotes from the pulpit. b. Kick-off event or special event that is geared specifically toward the men of the church is great. See the Resources Informational Manual for ideas in this area. c. Mailing to all men of the church, perhaps a letter from the pastor, not only announcing the small groups, but encouraging participation (consider ). Include a response card. Also, consider a recorded voice mail message. d. Bulletin Announcements- For several weeks before the small groups start, use bulletin announcements to encourage men to attend. e. Referrals-Each leader should be encouraged to ask someone to join him in the group. Personal invitation makes the most sense today. f. Informational Meetings-Perhaps between services or just after a service, ask men to meet for a few minutes to come and hear about the small groups. E. Recruiting and Training the Small Group Leader 1. Recruiting the Leaders-We suggest an interviewing process to help you in the recruiting phase of building your small group ministry. The 21

22 Coordinator of your Small Group Ministry should arrange to meet in person with each man who has volunteered or has been assigned as a potential leader. These men will want to understand what is expected of them, so you will want to have a formalized job description available. 2. Questions to Ask a Potential Small Group Leader. a. Describe your daily walk with Jesus Christ. b. What does your wife think about you leading a small group? c. Describe your beliefs on how a person receives eternal life. d. Give three adjectives that describe your personality. e. How and when did you become a Christian? f. Have you ever led a small group before? If yes, describe. g. Give two or three people as personal references that have seen you in leadership roles. h. What is your biggest concern about leading a small group? i. What are two or three areas in your life that you feel need improvement? What are you doing in those areas? j. When would you be able to begin leading a group? Think through any obligations that you have that would cause you to miss any small group meetings. k. Is there someone that you would like to co-facilitate a group? 3. Expectations of Potential Small Group Leaders. It is right and fair to discuss the expectations you have of your leaders during the interview with them. Below are five characteristics to look for in identifying men to lead your small groups: a. Models (I Timothy 4:12)-No, we are not looking for glamour models. What we are looking for are men who model in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and impurity that they are following Jesus Christ and want to become more like Him. b. Motivates (I Thess 5:11)-A good leader is someone who creates a winning environment. In your evaluation of small group leaders, you want to identify men who have a gift of motivating and a strong desire to help men become winners in life, at home, at work, and in their community. c. Multiples (II Tim 2:2)-An effective small group leader is someone who wants to advance the kingdom of God by building into the lives of men so that they will do the same with others. d. Mentors (I Thess 2:8-9)-A mentor believes in the principle that ministry occurs best through friendship. An effective small group leader has a strong desire to really get to know men, and enjoys spending time with them. He knows the value of maintaining friendships with the men in a group, and can communicate commitment to his friends. e. Ministers (I Peter 5:2-3)-Finally, seek a small group leader who has the heart of a shepherd. The compassion to accept men where they are and give care to them, just as Jesus would, is a characteristic to be sought. The previous section on the qualities of a leader can be consolidated to describe to him what kind of man you are seeking to fulfill this key 22

23 role in the making of disciples. Without expecting unrealistic perfection, you can be clear that leadership involves some maturity in the following areas: knowledge of the gospel authentic commitment to a growing relationship with Jesus Godly character that evidences itself in the man s lifestyle relationships and attitudes, competency in guiding group discussions the willing heart of a shepherd, and a schedule free enough that the demand of the group will not be felt as a burden. 4. Job Description/Expectations for Small Group Leaders a. Regular church attendance. We suggest that all leaders be church members. b. A leader should be making his personal devotion time a priority. To share with the group what God is teaching you in private is a precious gift to a small group. c. A leader will continue to seek to become ever more transformed into the likeness of Jesus. d. If you are going to have any training sessions, they must be willing to attend the meetings. e. Each small group leader must be willing to commit to the predetermined number of weeks for which the group will meet. f. Before each group session, the leader must be fully prepared for the lesson that will be discussed. g. The small group leader is expected to develop a prayer team of three or five people who will pray for him and the small group on a regular basis. NOTE: See the Small Group Leader s Covenant. 5. Training the Small Group Leader. Once you have established who your small group leaders are, it is time to have a training session. Never ask a man to do something unless you are willing to train him to do it and to continue with update training at least on an annual basis. Most of us in new positions have a fear of failure, but training sessions help overcome this fear. It is best to have a training session fairly close to when the small groups are going to begin, to help keep the information fresh in their minds. There are several ways to accomplish formal training. You can elect to cover all your topics in one morning or afternoon length meeting, or you may elect to break up the training over three consecutive Monday evenings. Keep in mind this principle about training: the best training for a small group leader is his own experience of a healthy small group, If you have never had a small group for your men before, you may want to lead a group of potential leaders first to give them a good experience and train them for leading a group afterwards. If you have existing groups, ask the leaders of those groups who they feel is ready to lead a group. In successful small groups, this cycle of leadership training is what you should expect. 23

24 As preparation for small group training, we suggest having your leaders read How to Start Small Groups for Men by Steve Sonderman and Brothers by Geoff Gorsuch. NOTE: See the Training Session for Small Group Leaders. F. How to Facilitate the Small Group Meeting. 1. Use Guiding Questions to Facilitate a Discussion. - A small group leader encourages discussion; he does not lecture. The goal is to develop an atmosphere of openness and freedom. Men are often willing to speak at length only about non-threatening topics, such as sport, their jobs, and the weather. However, when the discussion turns to more personal issues, men often have a tendency to say nothing or to be very guarded in their answers, so the leader needs to encourage creative questions to expand participation. 2. One of the key roles of the small group leader is to use leading questions to draw men out and encourage discussion. Here are five types of guiding questions and an example of each. a. Extending Questions- What can you add to this? Are there any other examples of this you can find in the lesson or in the Bible? b. Clarifying Questions- What do you mean by that? Can you explain that in a fuller way? c. Justifying Questions- Why did you say that? What is the thinking behind that statement? d. Redirecting Questions- Interesting point, Tom. John, how would you answer that? What do you think? e. Summary Questions- How would you summarize the last ten minutes of our discussion? What is the main principle that you will take away today? 3. Tips for a Good First Meeting and Suggested Time Breakdown... It is often the little things that set the tone of the meetings. Planning, being organized, and being prepared gives the group members a sense of confidence. Most of these items are for the first meeting, the others are for all meetings. a. Several Practical Tips Include: (1) Call everyone the day before the meeting to welcome and to remind them of the meeting (use ). (2) Pray for each man. (3) Have a comfortable physical setup. (4) Have nametags available-at least for the first several weeks. (5) Start and finish on time-very important. (6) Go over the covenant of confidentially. (See A Participant s Covenant) b. Explain the format of the group. (During the first session) (1) Number of weeks that the group will meet and length of time for each meeting? (2) Will the group accept new members after the first week or two? (3) What type of group is this? (Introductory, developing, equipping) 24

25 (4) Handling of prayer times, requests and answers. (5) Any other commitments of the group-homework, outings, what s expected? c. Ice Breaker Questions for the First Meeting. Ask each person to... (1) Give his name and where he lives. (2) Describe his family. (3) Give where he works and what he does. (4) Describe himself in three sentences or less. d. Develop an Information Sheet. It should contain personal facts, like phone numbers, addresses, and family facts, for each group member. It can be handed out to everyone. e. Suggested Time Breakdown of Small Groups-(If group is one and a half hours) (1) Fellowship and prayer-10 minutes. (2) Studying the lesson-45 minutes. (3) Personal sharing and prayer-35 minutes. G. Pathway Guides and Their Roles- with the Small Groups. Recall that every man who starts the Intentional Making Disciples Pathway will have a Pathway Guide. It is important that the Pathway Guides act as cheerleaders and provide assistance to small group leaders, and as prayer warriors of the small group leaders. Besides the important role that the Pathway Guide plays in the Intentionally Making of Disciples, there are several important roles in which he will provide ongoing support to each small group leader: 1. Praying for the small group leaders every week. 2. Periodically calling the small group leaders who have men in their group that he is the guide for and getting updates on their progress, as well as prayer requests. 3. Being available for any questions or problems that the small group leader might encounter. 4. Renewing the vision and passion of the ministry, that is to assist men on the pathway to intentionally becoming a disciple. 5. Paying periodic visits to groups that have any men that he is a Guide for---and reinforce the small group leaders in front of the group, and lend encouragement. 6. For more on Pathway Guides, see the Guidelines for Being a Pathway Guide. H. Summary: Our prayer is that you would allow God to lead you and your men in the exciting process of beginning small groups, in the context of the local church and the call of Intentionally Making Disciples. Encouraging Men to Pray Daily and Share Openly A Small Group Leader s Covenant Training Session for Small Group Leaders Role of a Participant s Covenant Suggested Resources About Small Groups 25