What We do - Discipling

Coaching : Training : Discipling : Teaching : Building

Discipling through Discovery Bible Studies

"The greatest problem with world evangelisation is that Christians don’t like to hang out with non-Christians.”- Jim Yost (World Mandate conference September 2011)

• Read About the High School Girls Bible Study

What it Is

The Discovery Bible Studies (DBS) are different from most Bible studies in that a DBS introduces all the core values of church from the start.

Each DBS is very discussion-oriented (all members participate) and looks like this:

1. What good things have happened to you this week?
2. What difficulties have you experienced or needs do you have (yourself or the community)?
3. Is there a way that we as a group can help one another meet these needs?
4. With whom did you share what we studied last week?
5. How did you apply this week what we studied last week?
6. Let’s read several times / listen / write this week’s scripture passage.
7. How do we say this in our own words? Let’s summarize it as (individuals and as) a group.
8. If we misstated anything or included something from outside the text, let’s correct that together. We ask one another where that came from in this passage.
9. What do you learn in this passage about God? man? life?
10. How can you / will you apply this to your life?
11. With whom will you share what you’ve learned this week?
    

The core values of church (DNA) that are instilled in the group follow. The numbers correspond:

1. Thanksgiving and Praise
2. Intercessory Prayer
3. Ministry
4. Accountability in Evangelism
5. Accountability in Obedience
6. Bible Study — Scripture is Primary (not man or tradition)
7. Understanding of God’s Word (and preparing for Evangelism)
8. Self-correcting with God’s Word the Authority
9. Knowing God and his Desires
10. Obedience (and Accountability)
11. Evangelism (and Accountability)
    

You can see how, in time, the DBS becomes (with no teaching as to “how to do church”) a time for Christians to meet together in order to praise God, encourage one another, study God’s word, minister to one another and their community, prepare for evangelism, hold one another accountable, etc. — in essence they function as a church.

There are loads of intentional values built into this approach to gathering. Here are just a few:

• Anyone can lead.
• All people participate every time.
• The passage and group self corrects the conversation.
• Pre-Christians can do this.
• It includes worship to God and relationship with others.
• It creates a Bible-centered gathering.
• It shows people that they can study and learn the Bible themselves.
• It teaches people that they do not need a qualified Pastor or Teacher to learn the Bible.
• It allows space for Jesus and the Holy Spirit to lead a gathering

“If we make disciples we can plant a church, but if we just try to plant a church, the chance is great we won't make disciples.” – Floyd McClung (Director of All Nations)

See Why It's Different than other church Planting Methods