The First 50 Days of Discipleship for New Christians short seminar
I was recently asked to share at Outreach and Bus Convention about how to create tools to help new Christians get established in their faith, and form discipleship routines.
I shared a session about how even small church pastors can do a better job discipling new converts in those crucial first 50 days.
Here’s the video:
If you’d like to download a handout and use this for training in your local church to create vision for making disciples, you’re welcome to do that. CLICK HERE to download the handout instantly.
In a recent Barna Survey:
Only 1% Of Pastors say that churches these days are doing “very well” with discipling new believers.
Only 8% Of Pastors say that their church is doing “very well” with discipling new believers.
Wow. Clearly, almost everyone recognizes that we’ve got work to do to level up our game for new believers!
3 Questions You Must Ask About Your Discipleship
#1: What am I trying to produce?
Baby Christians who know the disciples names? Or new Christians who have holy habits that will continue to transform them?
Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he was you. Dallas Willard
So here’s what I decided I want to produce in my new believers here in my local small church. I want to go from information to transformation by producing:
Actions & habits in their lives.
Emotions.
Prayer & Bible as a conversation with God.
Self feeders
#2: Is the entrance & pathway absolutely crystal clear?
#1 rule of marketing: A confused mind always says NO. Unclear direction stops people from moving forward.
#3: Can it be multiplied?
You’ve got to set your discipleship plan free from the need for a Bible or communications degree.
Multiplication is going to require 2 things:
Clarity & Simplicity
WHAT IF YOU COULD BUILD A SYSTEM THAT WOULD SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS?
#1: a system that was more about habits of transformation for new Christians than information?
#2: a system that was absolutely crystal clear to new believers for that critical first couple of months?
#3: a system that was EASY to give away & multiply so that anyone in your church could become a disciple-maker?
Creating a NewStart for new believers in Jesus
5 Secrets to move from information to transformation:
Secret #1: Do your thinking in advance.
What habits do I want them to develop right up front? How am I going to create those habits in a way that is perfectly clear for new converts? How can I
Secret #2: Focus on mini habits, not factoids.
If you can establish habits for your new Christians that are tiny, but are anchors for future growth, you’ll be ahead instead of teaching them Bible fact content.
Secret #3: Start with Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
The NewStart Discipleship System, for instance, starts with a 50 day Bible reading plan that covers the highlights of the Bible, so they grasp the broad strategy of the story God is telling. (If you’d like a free evaluation copy of the NewStart Discipleship Journal emailed to you, just click here to get it instantly via email.)
Secret #4: Harness rhythms & tools that already exist.
You’re only going to get so far fighting the way people consume information in the modern age. Your plan should integrate with technology like smartphones or devices, to help new Christians find the tools they need to grow in discipleship.
Secret #5: Integrate connection with your plan. How are you going to remind & facilitate connection with your new Christians so they are matched with disciple-makers in your local congregation?
What next?
If you want a solid, turn-key system to help you create new disciples that are forming new habits that will grow their new life in Christ, you should consider subscribing to NewStart Discipleship Premium.
This valuable set of tools features the NewStart Discipleship Journal, The NewStart Discipleship website, and a series of bite-sized, tech-integrated spiritual growth tools for new Christians.
Not only does NewStart Discipleship Premium include an unlimited printing license for the new believer journals and Bible reading plan, the set of tools also continues to grow. I’ll be sharing more in a few weeks, but coming soon, the NewStart Discipleship set of tools will add:
Defending Your Faith
This 10-session video class will equip new believers to understand the firm foundation on which their Christian faith rests. It features content developed for Shepherd’s Global Classroom by Dr. Mark Bird, and a downloadable workbook.
Pursuing Holiness – A 40 Day Journey
This site and resources aren’t finished yet, but I’m getting so close, I just have to share it with you. 🙂
Pursuing Holiness is a 40 day campaign that teaches about God’s holiness, and how he re-creates it in humans. This 40 day discipleship journey for growing Christians will take you deep into the heart of God, seeing the beauty of His holiness, and learning to long for it in your own life.
We’ll give holiness definition and clarity, talk about what holiness is and what holiness isn’t, and teach you how to become holy, and grow in holiness.
Holiness is not a Pentecostal concern, or one for the Holiness Movement, the Methodist Church or Wesleyan/Arminian followers of John Wesley’s theology. It isn’t just for “holiness” churches! It is for all serious Christians, all students of God’s Word, regardless of denomination or background.
I’ll let you know more about when this becomes available!
Signing off for now!
– Darrell