Jesus demonstrated discipleship throughout the gospels by teaching and walking with his followers.

Also, after the resurrection, He gave this important command before He ascended into heaven:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

Jesus made sure we understood that discipleship is an essential part of our christian walk, both through His example, and giving us this clear instruction in the gospel of Matthew.

Hebrews 10:24-25 says “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

We were never called to do life alone. Even in the garden of Eden, God said that it wasn’t good for man to be alone. There’s no concept in the New Testament of an independent faith. Yes, you are saved by God’s grace through your own faith, not via another. But we are saved into a family.

We grow together as a body of believers, joined to each other and learning from one another in intentional community. One-to-one discipleship is a powerful way for this to happen.

Each pairing of disciple maker and disciple will be unique and shaped by the personality and lifestyle restraints of the individuals. Some may choose to meet in a coffee shop, others at home or in a church space. It may work best for two people with busy schedules to do a Zoom or Google Meet. You could plan fortnightly or weekly sessions depending on your mutual preference and availability.

Working through a resource such as the Purple Book or Growing In Christ Booklet provides a framework to bounce from. It is designed to lay out foundational truths for new disciples of Christ. Often, a disciple may continue to work through a session or two from the book on their own, and then reflect together on questions that arise when they next meet together. Each session will be led by the Holy Spirit, with the disciple maker asking lots of questions rather than doing all the talking. Even if you have been walking with God for 20 years, your job isn’t to share all your knowledge of the Bible. It’s primarily to encourage the disciple to learn how to hear God and read the Bible for themselves, while guiding and steering towards clarity and truth as required.

The exact timing on whether you are ready to disciple another person will come down to conversation and prayer with a church leader or pastor. One thing to be assured is you definitely don’t have to have everything figured out to disciple a new believer!

Generally speaking, a disciple maker should be able to check the following boxes:

• You have been walking with the Lord for more than a year
• You have a regular prayer and Bible reading time with God
• You are living in regular victory over sin
• You have the support of a leader through a Connect Group or similar ministry group within Dreambuilders Church

Don’t let any of these items disqualify you from the task. Speak to the Connections Team Leader or your Connect Group Leader about how you can get ready, even if you’re not quite there yet.

There is no shame in not having answers. Jesus’ own disciples were criticised as being “ignorant men.” Just answer honestly that you aren’t sure, and ask if you can get back to the person you are discipling with an answer once you have researched further or spoken with a trusted church leader.