I've been a pastor for over 20 years. For a long time, I didn't really have a solid set of discipleship workbooks I was happy to give to new Christians. Everything I tried was either:
Too much like a brochure (simple and shallow)
Too much like the Yellow Pages (complicated and long)
But over time, I have found some workbooks for discipleship that are excellent. I've even designed and published multiple workbooks myself.
So out of my search for discipleship workbooks that I could actually be proud of handing out, I'll share 10 examples below, and even give you some that are downloadable for free.
What is a Discipleship Workbook?
A discipleship workbook is a structured guide designed to
Help build personal spiritual growth habits
Help create active engagement with biblical teachings.
This might feature a Bible reading plan, journaling space, fill-in-the-blank lessons, connection to other resources, encouragement to take action, etc. (The ones below actually contain all these and more.)
The workbooks I'll share below provide a clear and systematic approach to discipleship, ensuring that essential spiritual disciplines—like prayer, Bible study, and reflection—are integrated into daily life.
Why Do Disciples Need Workbooks?
Workbooks are wonderful for disciples. Here are several reasons:
Structured Learning: Discipleship workbooks provide a structured learning environment that helps individuals grow in their faith systematically. They break down complex biblical concepts into manageable, daily tasks that make learning and growth achievable and measurable.
Accountability: With specific daily or weekly goals, disciples are more likely to commit to their spiritual growth. Workbooks facilitate a routine and discipline that might be challenging to develop independently.
Practical Application: The workbooks emphasize applying biblical teachings in real-life situations. This practical application helps disciples see the relevance of their faith in everyday decisions and challenges.
Community and Mentorship: Many workbooks encourage interaction with a mentor or participation in group settings, which fosters a sense of community. This not only enhances learning through discussion but also provides vital support and encouragement.
Measurable Progress: By laying out clear goals and actions, workbooks allow disciples to see their progress over time. This can be incredibly motivating and affirming of their spiritual journey.
10 Examples of effective Discipleship Workbooks
Here are ten examples of discipleship workbooks from the NewStart Discipleship tools, designed to help pastors implement effective and structured discipleship pathways in their ministries:
1. NewStart Discipleship Journal (50 days)
- Goal: Establish daily Bible reading habits and encourage interaction with scripture.
- Features: Daily Bible reading plans, journal spaces, mentoring relationship reminders, daily sample prayers, and 5-minute teaching videos to help understand Scripture.
You can download this one for free right here:
2. Obedience Challenge (90 days)
- Goal: Deepen understanding of Jesus' commands and foster a habit of meditative prayer.
- Features: Daily chapter reading from the Gospels, videos explaining Jesus' commands, and daily guided prayer videos.
This one is available from NewStart Discipleship, and can be licensed to print unlimited copies (and white label, if you want!)
3. Baptism Challenge (21 days)
- Goal: Prepare for baptism and evangelism.
- Features: Teachings on the meaning of baptism, guidance on writing and sharing testimonies, basics of Christian theology through the Apostles Creed, and encouragement to evangelize.
More detailed info on this baptism study workbook.
4. Moving From Me to We (40 days)
- Goal: Enhance community connection and understand biblical "one another" commands.
- Features: Daily teaching videos on church membership, the importance of Christian community, and how to get along with a local church
I wanted my congregation to understand the ways that Christian community matters, so I am definitely excited about this one. Here's where you can get a free copy:
5. How to Pray the Psalms (21 days)
- Goal: Integrate prayer and scripture.
- Features: Daily guides on devotional praying using the Psalms, teaching on various forms of prayer such as praise, confession, and supplication.
This one can also be downloaded for free by going to www.howtopraythepsalms.com.
6. Defending Your Faith (30 days)
- Goal: Strengthen the understanding of Christian foundations.
- Features: Learning the evidences for Christianity, geared towards equipping believers to defend their faith effectively: The Bible, the Resurrection, etc.
The place to learn more about this one is www.defendingyourfaithcourse.com.
7. The Prayer Guidebook (30 days)
- Goal: Enhance the prayer life.
- Features: A comprehensive daily prayer journal to deepen one's prayer practices and spiritual disciplines. Includes prayers from Christian history, a Psalms Worship Guide, and journaling space for your prayer times.
This one is included with the subscription to NewStart Discipleship, but is also available for individual purchase here.
8. The Gospel Challenge (40 days)
- Goal: Understand the depth of the Gospel through the study of Romans.
- Features: Daily readings and videos working through Romans. Taught on a level where new Christians can understand, it helps to deepen understanding of salvation and justification through faith, and goes on to sanctification and glorification. The tagline on this one is, "How the Gospel Creates a New Me and a New World."
This one is part of this discipleship pathway used by many churches nationwide in the US. The Gospel Challenge is available in May 2024.
9. Pursuing Holiness (40 days)
- Goal: Grow in personal holiness.
- Features: Daily studies on the attributes of God's holiness and how the Holy Spirit cultivates holiness in believers. Includes daily QR Codes leading to video teaching on holiness, daily 5 minute guided prayers for holiness, journal space / discussion questions, and more.
Find out more or get your own copy at www.40daysofholiness.com
10. Discipleship In the Home workbook (12 months family devotions plan)
- Goal: Foster discipleship within the family, specifically Scripture memory and education.
- Features: Guides, Hymns, catechism, and resources for family devotions and spiritual leadership in the home.
This discipleship workbook uses QR codes that point to Youtube Playlists to help you train and disciple children. For instance, here's the catechism for January:
Since this discipleship method emphasizes a lot of Scripture memory, it comes in 3 different Bible versions: KJV, NIV, and ESV.
You can find this workbook at www.discipleshipinthehome.com, along with a free audiobook on discipling your kids.
Why I love these discipleship workbooks
1. They're practical and bite-sized.
These workbooks are designed to be practical, easy to integrate into daily life, and supportive of growth in both new and mature believers. Each provides a clear, scripturally grounded pathway that encourages both the knowledge of faith and the practice of Christian living.
2. They're focused on habits, not just info.
As a disciple-making pastor, I'm not into just information. I'm into learning doctrine and habits that transform. That's what these workbooks focus on, which is why I love them.
3. They're robust, yet user-friendly.
Each one of these workbooks is thorough, yet easy to use. They have a lot of information, but through the use of QR codes and web-based teaching, they're also very user-friendly.
4. They're connected to more resources.
If you were paying attention on each one, you notice that almost every one of these includes teaching videos, prayer experiences, Youtube playlists, links to Bible resources, etc.
How about you? What do you use for discipleship workbooks at your church?