As you begin the noble process of doing what Christ called us to do and make disciples, I want to encourage you to not enter into this relationship lightly. The disciple you accept must be "FIT" for discipleship. This means they must be (F)aithful, (I)ntentional, and (T)eachable. This is a covenant the 2 (or 3) of you are making to each other. If you are selecting someone solely because you want to see them grow, your odds of being successful are greatly reduced as they will not be as invested as you are.
Get Acquainted: This is the time to really break the ice and be transparent. Share your story of how you came to faith in Christ, who was influential in that process, and where you currently are in your relationship with God.
Remember: It’s important to lead by example. Be transparent, but not long winded. Give the other person ample time to share their story and where they currently are in their relationship with God. Listen with intention.
Next, ask the person what their expectations are for the meetings. Setting expectations is a huge part of the process. If neither person is committed, most likely the meetings won’t bear a lot of fruit and won’t be very successful and will ultimately be a waste of time for both people. Confidently and boldly share what you expect from the person and what you hope to get out of your time together. Be sure to share meeting times, location, frequency, etc.
Discipleship Explanation: You will talk about what a disciple is in a later session, but help give them a good discipleship explanation. Ask this question: “has anyone ever sat down with you, one on one and helped teach you how to read the Bible?” 9 times out of 10 the answer is no. Talk about how strange that is since we’ve all been taught how to ride a bike, play sports, etc. This will be a good opportunity to really gauge where the person is at.
Here’s a Discipleship analogy to use: (Education Model)
| Going to church/ Sermons | = | Elementary School |
| Small groups/ Bible Studies | = | High School |
| One on One Discipleship | = | College |
| THIS is why we put so much emphasis on making disciples. Jesus’ last words on this earth were instructions to go make disciples of all nations. Teaching them the truths of the Gospel, baptizing them intentionally into the body of Christ, the Church and teaching them to do the same for other people. Discipleship is the foundational command for every person who follows Christ and should be carried out with urgency. |
Finally, let them know that this is not a one and done. This is a road to multiplication. The expectation is that by the end of this discipleship growth period, they should be planning on 1-2 people they want to invest in, and the cycle continues. Encourage them that you will be there for support as they go to disciple others as well.