“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

Acts 2:42-47

After coming to faith in Christ, it is good and natural to want to grow spiritually. This does not happen by oneself but rather through a person or group. Spiritual maturity takes time and intentionality, but most importantly, it requires humility and a willingness to learn. Many will say they are ready and desire to grow, but once the journey begins, they give up. However, others will embrace the journey and deepen their faith by exercising the spiritual disciplines, resulting in a fulfilled Christian life that is grounded and fruitful. 

The path to spiritual transformation is best navigated with the support of a community. The challenge posed in the title is the same one we extend to the members of our church. Are you ready to embrace a time of rapid spiritual transformation? There are several avenues for this to happen. The first is through a one-on-one setting, which can benefit more in-depth discipleship. However, it does have setbacks. It doesn’t help build a community of believers who can encourage and support one another. In contrast, a community provides a sense of belonging and support, making each feel valued and part of something bigger. This is why we encourage you to consider our discipleship groups, where you can experience the power of collective spiritual growth. 

At Grace Baptist, we have a well-structured plan to guide our discipleship journey. We use the Replicate material from Robby Gallaty and his ministry, a resource that has proven highly beneficial in developing people in their discipleship journey. This program is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a rigorous and challenging journey, but it’s designed to be undertaken in a small community of people who share life for twelve to eighteen months. We encourage and develop spiritual disciplines through meaningful discussions and mutual accountability during this time. The shared journey and mutual growth in a community make the experience meaningful and impactful, a testament to the power of collective spiritual development. 

We Learn Better Together

A discipleship group, as described by Robby Gallaty, is a closed group of the same gender, either male or female. The size is intended to be 3 to 5 people. The reasoning for this is that spiritual growth happens best in a community. This is because there are multiple people with whom to help encourage and share experiences. The benefit is that people will not have to feel as if they are alone and have a group of people supporting them. These groups will help each other with scripture reading, memorization, prayer, evangelism, and accountability. 

Practice Spiritual Disciplines

Spiritual disciplines, habits, and practices that aid in spiritual growth will be formed and developed within the discipleship groups. The first practice is learning to read the Bible systematically. This means having a plan when approaching the scripture rather than just opening it up and reading a random passage. Understanding the narrative of scripture is crucial for growth and understanding God’s message. Approaching the scripture this way allows the Bible to be studied in context, ensuring a proper interpretation. The goal of the groups is to read the scripture from Genesis to Revelation so the overall metanarrative is understood. Following a structured approach to Bible study will deepen your understanding and connection with God’s word. A group should adopt and agree on a plan they will follow and work through it together weekly. One plan that is recommended for this is the Foundation 260 Plan by Replicate. This plan consists of five days of reading over seven days, and it takes the reader through the narrative of scripture. 

The second discipline is journaling, and it coincides with reading the Bible. This discipline helps engage the scripture in a meaningful way. When people read the Bible, they often overlook and surface-read the text. Journaling forces the reader to think through what is being said. There are several methods that people use to practice this discipline. The recommended model is to apply the H.E.A.R method. This is the plan that Replicates Ministries recommends for those who are utilizing their material for discipleship groups. The process starts with first highlighting one or more verses of scripture that stood out during the daily reading. The scripture will be examined and explained in its original context. This requires looking up the passage and gaining an understanding, possibly from commentaries and other sources. Once this has been accomplished, the passage is ready to be reflected in today’s context. The question that is asked is, how does this apply today? Lastly, the journal will require a response once the previous steps are accomplished. This aspect is essential in the process because it takes the Bible from just being read to now having to be followed. The scripture, once understood, brings action to the heart of the reader. 

Prayer will be a prominent part of the discipleship group. Sadly, it is one of the most neglected disciplines in a person’s life and is only utilized when there appears to be trouble or difficulty. It is a benefit to share requests with others and talk through the burdens weighing a person down. 

The groups require scripture memorization as part of it. Through this, a person will take time to commit verses to memory. This aspect is the scariest part for most people because they believe they cannot do it. This is often a misplaced fear that is rarely true. Once people start, they realize it is easier than they initially expected. Committing scripture to memory helps build a person’s faith and change their heart and mind. This is because when someone goes through a trial or needs to share the Gospel, it has been memorized and can be recalled at any time. Along with this, a person is intentionally filling their mind with God’s word, which will impact how they think.

Discipleship is more than just growing and learning the scripture. It also involves the sharing of one’s faith. This is an essential aspect of the group because the goal should be to reproduce. Through spiritual development, the group members will build confidence in their knowledge of scripture, have a closer relationship with God, and manifest themselves naturally with people wanting to share the Gospel. In a group, the goal is to identify someone who does not know Christ and endeavor to reach that person throughout the year. This keeps evangelism and sharing the Gospel at the forefront of the group.

Accountability

 Accountability is the backbone of the group. It is not meant to be discouraging and disheartening but uplifting and encouraging. The group helps members stay accountable in attendance, faithfulness, and the spiritual disciplines they practice. The group is also to be where secret struggles of sin and problems can be brought forward. Having other people pray and encourage one another can help bring victory to areas people have struggled with for a long time. With accountability, there is also a need for confidentiality. When people open up with one another, there has to be trust and respect, and everyone in it has to take this part seriously; otherwise, it can genuinely hurt a group. For accountability to work, there must be trust and respect, which is only earned through confidentiality.

Reproducible

The last aspect of a group is that they should be able to reproduce themselves. The goal of each group member is to leave equipped and confident that they can lead a group. This is the goal, but it rarely comes to fruition. The main reason is that people need more confidence in being leaders and feel ready. A solution to this dilemma is that when it comes time to form new groups, two people from a previous group start one and co-lead it together. Another suggestion is that a person who has led a group in the past take a new disciple-maker with them and co-lead a group with more experience, leaving the group after the new disciple-maker feels comfortable.

Conclusion

 Ready for rapid spiritual growth? This is the challenge to grow in the Lord through discipleship groups. Do you have what it takes to commit to Jesus and be a devoted follower? This process will not be easy and requires the sacrifice of oneself to be faithful, available, and teachable. Will you follow Jesus and be a disciple and disciple-maker?

Resources

Gallaty, Robby. Growing Up: How to Be a Disciple Who Makes Disciples. Nashville, Tennessee, B&H Publishing Books, 2017.

Gallaty, Robby. Replicate: Creating a Disciple-Making Movement Right Where You Are. Chicago, Il, Moody Publishers, 2020.

Earley, Dave. 8 Habits of Effective Small Group Leaders. Houston, TX, Cell Group Resources, 2001.