New Christian Discipleship Tool: Introducing the NewStart Discipleship Journal
I wrote recently about the Bible reading plan for new Christians that I found. But the truth is, that a new believer needs a lot more than just a Bible reading plan, right?
So I started brainstorming:
What do brand new Christians need in a good discipleship tool?
What do brand new believers need besides Bible reading to grow spiritually?
How can I help a new Christian stay in touch with a mentor?
What would a good discipleship tool for new Christians look like?
So, take a look at what I've built on that Bible reading plan!
As I brainstormed it, good discipleship tools should do these things:
1. Discipleship tools should focus on Jesus first.
I love the stories in Genesis, but that's not where my new believers need to start! They need to start by being fascinated with this man who died, and CAME BACK TO LIFE. They need to be fascinated with his teaching, and clearly hear him give his invitation to discipleship, "Follow me!"
2. Discipleship tools should harness technology for good, not bad.
I think our spiritual rhythms should connect to rhythms that already exist. How many times a day do you pull out your phone? The average person checks their phone 53 times per day. And the average length between checks? 3 minutes.
What if we could harness this rhythm, this cultural liturgy, for good instead of evil?
As John Piper once pointed out (I'm paraphrasing): "We tend to blame technology for the lack of spiritual depth these days, but have you ever realized that it has never been easier to get addicted to the Bible than it is right now? You have it available at your fingertips every second, more than any generation in history! The truth is, we don't have a technology problem, we have a heart problem!"
I think he's right. So I designed my discipleship tool to integrate with technology, instead of fighting it.
3. Discipleship tools ought to focus on habit formation, not Bible facts.
We live in such an information-overloaded world, it's easy to think that our problem is just "one more fact" that's just out of our reach. But really -- if a person has been in church for 20 years, is it really some obscure Bible fact that is keeping them from maturing? Probably not.
It's probably that they have never developed the spiritual growth habits that they needed to be spiritually, mentally, and emotionally healthy. So any discipleship tool that's worth it's salt ought to focus on habits that will build that person's capacity to love and obey Jesus through the Holy Spirit's power!
4. Discipleship tools ought to integrate connection with their plan.
Several years ago, while attending a church conference, I had an epiphany about discipleship. Dr. Steve Gibson was discussing the misunderstandings we have about discipleship. He pointed out that, in the American Church, our mental model of discipleship is most closely related to "getting people into spacesuits."
You know what a spacesuit is, right? It’s a self-contained environment that shields you from a hostile world. When an astronaut goes on a spacewalk, they wear a spacesuit that contains everything they need to survive in a hostile environment. In this kind of mental model, our discipleship process looks like this: When someone gets saved, we try to get them into a spacesuit as quickly as possible. Because without a self-contained environment to protect them, they won't survive!
THIS ISN'T THE WAY.
Discipleship in the Scripture is a whole lot closer to "a baby born into a family." Think of the metaphors: grow in grace, the milk of the Word, born again, little children, young men/fathers, etc.
Discipleship requires connection!
Want a free copy of my discipleship tool?
If you like what I am saying, you'll love to check out a free download of the NewStart Discipleship Journal!
Check it out!
A Discipleship Tool that can be customized