With Sincere Gratitude…

With Sincere Gratitude…

In case you haven’t heard, allow me to share the very exciting news with you that I am going to the Lausanne Congress in Seoul next month, and it’s all because of your incredible generosity!  Many of you followed God’s prompting, which is allowing me to attend and learn many valuable concepts that I can bring back to my home church as well as other ministries I am involved with around the world.

The conference will be taking place in Seoul, South Korea from September 22nd-28th.  Please pray for the logistics of the conference to run smoothly, safety and good health for everyone traveling there, and for God to ignite a revolution that will change the world.  I can’t wait to return home and share all of the amazing things that I know God is going to do through this conference.  

Why I am Going:

  1. Equip my local church: I’ll bring back invaluable insights to help The Refinery Church reach more people in the Temecula Valley through effective disciple-making and spiritual formation.
  2. Address national challenges: The alarming rates of marital failure (43% of first time marriages fail in the US) and young people leaving the church (67% of high school students who are in church do not remain in church following graduation) demand innovative solutions. I’m eager to explore strategies for strengthening families and retaining our next generation.
  3. Advance global impact: Building on my experiences in Amsterdam, I aim to expand our Christian coaching initiatives to empower leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and India. Lausanne will provide a platform to connect with like-minded individuals and forge strategic partnerships.

Matthew 18:20 reminds us that where two or three are gathered in Jesus’s name, He is in the midst, so with 5,000+people gathered together to lift up the name of Jesus, can you just imagine the impact this is going to have on the Kingdom?!

The “why?” behind the Lausanne Congress:

Fifty years ago, evangelical leaders around the world recognized the need to think and work together for the mission God had given them. Meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974, they laid out priorities for Christian missions for the short and long term.

The primary purpose for the Lausanne Congress:

The movement’s full name, the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, reflects its primary focus. This focus, in part, responded to earlier mission movements that had lost sight of their original purposes. Specifically, the “conciliar” missions movement was over 60 years old, and had drifted from its missionary purpose.

By the time the International Missionary Council (IMC) was absorbed into the World Council of Churches (WCC), an emphasis on personal conversion and church planting had diminished significantly. Instead, the work focused on “larger evangelism”—meaning societal transformation—often at the expense of the proclamation of the gospel and the call to repent and believe. (1)

The impact of the previous three Lausanne Congress gatherings:

Each Lausanne Congress provides the global church with the opportunity to put down markers—foundational statements of faith that shape the movement’s future direction. These markers help clarify our mission and identity, especially as the world continues to change. In previous congresses, we have seen the publication of significant documents such as the:

These documents have profoundly shaped the mission and theology of evangelicals around the world. (2)

Because of the  generosity and obedience of several donors, the good fruit that will come from this conference, the jewels in the crown, if you will, will be yours as well as mine. 

The unexpected nature and timing of this invitation coincides with a new chapter of international impact where God has been connecting me with strategic partners in The Congo and India.  This has been developing over the last 3 – 5 years, and looks like it will be moving into an implementation phase in 2025.  Stay tuned!

Thank you once again, and please reach out if you have any questions.  My plan is to share up close and personal insights during my journey leading up to and through the Lausanne Congress.  I hope you can join me.

1-Foundations of Faith and the Future of Evangelism: A Look at the Lausanne Movement, part 1

2- 4 Hopes for the Lausanne Congress (L4) in Seoul, Korea

Photo by Product School on Unsplash

The 2024 Lausanne Congress

The 2024 Lausanne Congress

I’m thrilled to share some extraordinary news: I’ve been invited to attend the 2024 Lausanne Congress in Seoul, South Korea! Initially offered a virtual spot, I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join thousands of global leaders in person.

For those unfamiliar, the Lausanne Movement, birthed by Billy Graham in 1974, unites Christians worldwide to fulfill the Great Commission. Imagine 5,000 passionate believers from every corner of the globe converging to ignite a global movement of discipleship and evangelism. This gathering promises to be a pivotal moment in Christian history.

Attending this congress is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to:

  • Equip my local church: I’ll bring back invaluable insights to help The Refinery Church reach more people in the Temecula Valley through effective disciple-making and spiritual formation.
  • Address national challenges: The alarming rates of marital failure and young people leaving the church demand innovative solutions. I’m eager to explore strategies for strengthening families and retaining our next generation.
  • Advance global impact: Building on my experiences in Amsterdam, I aim to expand our Christian coaching initiatives to empower leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and India. Lausanne will provide a platform to connect with like-minded individuals and forge strategic partnerships.

To make this dream a reality, I need your support. The congress is just over a month away, and I must raise $5,000 by September 28th. I know this is a tall order, but with faith, I believe we can achieve the impossible. Just as the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 demonstrated God’s boundless provision, I trust He will multiply our efforts to achieve His purpose.

Your generous contribution will enable me to attend this life-changing event and make a lasting impact. Thank you for considering partnering with me in this exciting endeavor.

In His Grip, 

Gary Reinecke

Please consider supporting me to attend the 2024 Lausanne Congress in Seoul, South Korea.

Photos courtesy of: https://www.flickr.com/photos/54978317@N02/albums/72157627226908794/

4 Questions to Use to Coach Leaders Through VUCA

4 Questions to Use to Coach Leaders Through VUCA

When you are coaching a leader who is navigating a really challenging issue, where do you begin?  What kinds of questions do you ask? How do you remain in the coaching role and not morph into the role of consultant, especially when you have experience and/or expertise in the problem being solved?

In the best scenario possible, I have found that when I can ask curious questions that are not tethered to an agenda, other than helping the other person, I can be helpful.  When I let my bias contaminate the questions, then I risk losing the leader’s trust.

When coaching leaders in the ministry space where I spend my working hours, I have discovered the VUCA 2×2 can apply.  

The notion of VUCA was introduced by the U.S. Army War College to describe the more Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous multilateral world which resulted from the end of the Cold War.

  • The “V” in the VUCA acronym stands for volatility. 
  • The “U” in the VUCA acronym stands for uncertainty. 
  • The “C” in VUCA stands for complexity. 
  • The “A” in VUCA stands for ambiguity.  

Consider a real issue: a leader comes to you and is searching for ways to engage people in the church.  You have two “buckets” you are thinking of when you envision engaging people.  These overlap, but for argument’s sake, think of these two buckets as the discipleship/spiritual formation bucket and the leadership development/service bucket.  

Note – the VUCA 2×2 above was initially intended to assess and diagnose an event; however, for our purposes let’s apply this to discipleship and leadership development.

Thinking about a church plant scenario that I serve in, come with me as I apply the VUCA 2×2.  We are constantly wrestling with people’s engagement in these two buckets.  Gina (my wife) and I serve on the Welcome Team at our 2-year old church.  We have grown to 200 in our community, and last fall launched a second service.  Our Welcome Team members often are serving at two services beginning at 8:30 am through the start of the second service and tear-down, which finishes around noon.  You can see the problem.  Burn out!  

Knowledge about the Welcome Team 

(Horizontal Axis)

We need to build our capacity = grow our team.  That is easier said than done given a couple of key variables:

  • Connections to People – new, newly established, or long-term attenders
  • Bandwidth – people are busy
  • Leadership Capacity – Gina and Gary’s margins to recruit and train more team members and leaders

Predictions of Outcomes for the Welcome Team

(Vertical Axis)

  • Current Team members will become tired and disenchanted
  • New people will be excluded from a place to serve
  • People will not have the opportunity to use their gifts and be part of the community our team offers

Just from the analysis above, the situation has become clearer.  We know what we need to do; now we just need to execute.  

One of the big developments for us in our church is the addition of a new staff position under the title of Operations Director.  Eventually, this person will oversee the Connections process where people are asked to take a spiritual gifts assessment, meet with a coach, and find ways they can use their gifts by taking the next step in their journey. However, we are not quite ready to launch this platform and process quite yet.  In the meantime, our Operations Director is contacting people new to the church community to follow-up with them from a campaign our lead pastor launched to engage people in ministry.  The initial signs are encouraging;  we are receiving “hot leads”, people who have indicated an interest to serve on the Welcome Team. This has put light on our path by creating a pipeline for newer people to find places to serve.  For the Welcome Team, this has addressed some of the issues listed above.  We are quickly moving to a better place to staff both services with separate teams and rotate people so no one burns out.

Anticipating the potential outcomes balanced with a clear understanding of our current reality helped us address the Welcome Team’s capacity problem which we have been facing for the last 12-18 months.

Here are descriptions of each aspect of VUCA with a key question that will help you coach a leader through.

Volatility: The challenge is unexpected or unstable and may be of unknown duration, but it’s not necessarily hard to understand; knowledge about it is often available.

Key Question: How long has this problem been occurring?

Uncertainty: Despite a lack of other information, the event’s basic cause and effects are known.  Change is possible, but not a given.

Key Question: What would it take to improve the situation?

Certainty: The situation has many interconnected parts and variables.  Some information is available or can be predicted, but the volume, or nature of it, can be overwhelming to process.

Key Question: What things can you influence?

Ambiguity: Casual relationships are completely unclear.  No precedents exist; you face “unknown unknowns.”

Key Question: What things are you unaware of right now?

Four Key Questions to Coach Through VUCA: 

  1. How long has this problem been occurring?
  2. What would it take to improve the situation?
  3. What things can you influence?
  4. What things are you unaware of right now?

Here are two VUCA blogs that were originally posted that will give you more insight to navigate complex situations leaders face:

Interested in learning more about raising up disciples using a coach approach?  Check-out the FREE Discipleship Webinar!

Curious about your unique strengths as an apprentice of Jesus? 

Take our FREE Disciple Coach Quiz today!

FREE Webinar- Five Habits of Effective Disciple-Making – August 5th

FREE Webinar- Five Habits of Effective Disciple-Making – August 5th

I want to share about a key upcoming opportunity about which I am very excited. My colleagues, Micah Dodson of Thrive Church Planting and Kevin Robert of Lockstep Ministries and I are hosting a free one-day webinar on the Five Habits of Effective Disciple-Making. We call this the “Discipleship Collective,” and it is happening August 5th from 10am-3pm PST, completely free. Register HERE

In the webinar, we will emphasize how you can engage in making disciples of pre-Christians and seeing that process multiply for generations of disciple-making. As we focus on building a prayerful dependence, we are confident that you will see fruit from this webinar.

Following this webinar, we will be offering five coaching sessions that will serve you as you seek to make disciples that make disciples. This coaching is designed to help you architect and implement your discipleship cycle that will lead to generations of disciples being formed.  A cost of $475 is required with this portion, which will include 5 coaching sessions from top- notch coaches. This normally would cost $1,250 per person.  You can register for the coaching sessions HERE.

Agenda

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Missional Value – Hard places demand that you know why you do what you do.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Active Prayer – Taking prayer from the safety of the Christian bubble into the world requires courage.

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Relational Connections – Leaning into the tension of having relationships with insiders and outsiders.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Disciple-Making Cycle – Mission of Jesus: Clear Simple Reproducible

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Strategic Partnership – Leveraging the right relationships for Kingdom fruit

Interested in learning more about raising up disciples using a coach approach?  Check-out the FREE Discipleship Webinar!

Curious about your unique strengths as an apprentice of Jesus? 

Take our FREE Disciple Coach Quiz today!

FREE Webinar- Five Habits of Effective Disciple-Making – August 5th

FREE Five Habits of Effective Disciple-Making Webinar – August 5th

I want to share about a key upcoming opportunity about which I am very excited. My colleagues, Micah Dodson of Thrive Church Planting and Kevin Robert of Lockstep Ministries and I are hosting a free one day webinar on the Five Habits of Effective Disciple-Making. We call this the “Discipleship Collective,” and it is happening August 5th from 10am-3pm PST, completely free. Register HERE

In the webinar, we will emphasize how you can engage in making disciples of pre-Christians and seeing that process multiply for generations of disciple-making. As we focus on building a prayerful dependence, we are confident that you will see fruit from this webinar.

Following this webinar, we will be offering coaching triads that will serve you as you seek to make disciples that make disciples. This coaching is designed to help you architect and implement your discipleship cycle that will lead to generations of disciples being formed.  A cost of $475 is required with this portion, which will include 5 coaching sessions from top- notch coaches. You can register for the coaching sessions HERE.

Interested in learning more about raising up disciples using a coach approach?  Check-out the FREE Discipleship Webinar!

Curious about your unique strengths as an apprentice of Jesus? 

Take our FREE Disciple Coach Quiz today!

What to Do When the Urgent Overshadows the Important!

What to Do When the Urgent Overshadows the Important!

What if your vision has reached a point that leaves your people frustrated?  You have launched your ministry – a new church, a network, or an organization (coaching, or a business as mission).  Or you are in an established ministry and you are stuck!  The initial excitement has begun to taper off.  

You have trained leaders in coaching.  The first round there was a lot of excitement.  Those coaches have seen encouraging signs in those they are coaching – disciples are being made, leaders developed, and new ministries ignited.  But now what?

One of the realities of momentum is that there is a constant need for innovation.  When you are the primary vision caster for a movement, the need for more coaches is always front of mind.  But the urgent overshadows the important!  You might be wondering why your leaders are not excited and seeing fruit.  But when you reflect, the answer is clear.  Leaders without a coach will eventually hit their lid and stop growing.  That is why you must always be developing more leaders in their capacity to empower others through coaching.

What to do when the urgent overshadows the important!  

  • Slow down
  • Reflect on what’s important
  • Remind yourself what helped you get where you are
  • Refocus and prioritize training 
  • Focus on the issues that matter most
  • Recruit a new cohort of leaders to train in coaching
  • Create a plan with your key influential leaders

How do you proceed to train the next generation of leaders in coaching?

You will have leaders that are now experienced in coaching, and leaders who have been coached.  These are the two groups you should look at first to conduct a new round of coach training.

  1. Experienced Coaches

From this pool you would consider your highest-performing coaches.  These are your potential coach mentors to train the next generation of coaches.  We recommend that you assess your coach mentors using the Christian Coach Assessment for an objective evaluation of your high performers based on the 9 competencies of a Christian Coach.

  1. Leaders who have been coached

This is the pool that you can assess to become coaches.  Based on the feedback you receive from the leaders that have coached them, you can identify those who are ready for your next round of coach training.

How do you train coach mentors?

This is a pressing need for those who are training leaders in coaching.  You want leaders who are competent coaches, plus, have the capacity to train others.  Not all competent coaches are competent mentors.  Here are 5 questions to ask about training coach mentors.

Five Questions to Reflect on how to train Coach Mentors:

  1. What is my vision for raising up more coaches in the next 3-5 years?
  2. How can I train leaders in coaching to attain that vision?
  3. How many coach mentors will I need?
  4. How can I objectively assess who will be excellent coach mentors?
  5. How can I train a coach to become a mentor to train other coaches?

Where do apprentices of Jesus need to use a coach approach?

  • Making more and better disciples
  • Cultivating leaders
  • Planting churches

Interested in learning more about raising up disciples using a coach approach?  Check-out the FREE Discipleship Webinar!

Curious about your unique strengths as an apprentice of Jesus? 

Take our FREE Disciple Coach Quiz today!

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Learning to Make Apprentices of Jesus from the Celtic Way – 4 Important Questions to Ask Yourself

Learning to Make Apprentices of Jesus from the Celtic Way – 4 Important Questions to Ask Yourself

Do you love to engage with people on their spiritual journey, watch others grow in their faith, develop leaders, and catalyze disciple-making movements?  Are you growing and learning how to improve as a leader?  Do you enjoy examining how different streams of the Christian faith have created disciple-making movements, developed leaders, and planted churches?

If your answer is “yes” to these questions, then you will enjoy studying the historical Celtic movement dating back to the 500s AD and the ministry of Columba.

Columba’s Early Beginnings

Columba was born in 522 AD to parents of royal lineage.  One of Columba’s teachers was Finnian of Clonard, best known for making the Bible the foundation for all education.  This had a profound effect on Columba, who, after a period, left Clonard to plant churches and set up mission stations wherever God led him.  Historians describe him as being incessantly active and perhaps this intensity of energy and a fervent zeal for the truth led him to plant over 300 churches and to found a great number of Bible training schools.  

Columba’s Mission Strategy

The Celtic Way was to establish a thriving, self-sustaining mission outpost to develop people of deep faith.  Part of the mission outpost was a Bible training school attached to a farm, a bakery, and large gardens. A church was birthed as part of the Iona community.  

Columba’s Holistic Approach

The Celtic Way blurred the lines between insiders and outsiders.  By virtue of living on the island of Iona, or being on pilgrimage visiting Iona, you became part of the community.  Last summer, I traveled to Iona and experienced the ongoing life of the Iona community; a trip that forged a lasting memory.  Watch this video if you would like to learn more about Columba and the Celtic Way.

Challenges from the Celtic Way to Modern Missiology:

  • Christian Community
  • Discipleship
  • Distinction between insiders and outsiders
  • Leadership Development 
  • Church Planting

Dissecting the Problem

Expectations for discipleship, leadership development, and church planting are unrealistically high in our current reality (in my humble opinion).  

  • Fast-pace of life so time is not permitted for the slow work of God.  
  • Visions are more aspirational than real.  
  • Results are more attractive than substantive.   
  • Measure the wrong things
  • Breadth over depth.  

This is one reason why it is helpful to look at historical movements like the Celtic Way.

4 Questions to consider in your methodology to make apprentices of Jesus:

  1. Is your vision too small?

The Celtic Way was focused on the whole of life and community transformation to bring the Kingdom of God – here and now.

  1. What is your starting point?

The Celtic Way began where people were at in their spiritual journeys rather than the approach many use today that invites people to the place the ministry needs them to be before you begin the discipleship process –  for example, “into the church”.

  1. What is your process?

The Celtic Way was clear, simple, and reproducible. Think of three concentric circles, mentioned earlier: the community, the church, and the monastery.  

  1. Do you have a complete picture of an apprentice of Jesus? 

The Celtic Way has a comprehensive view on spiritual formation – to read more about the 6 stages of spiritual formation, see Where Discipleship Intersects with Spiritual Formation

Much can be learned about the Celtic Way.  If you would like to participate in a conversation around these principles, I would invite you to consider participating in our Discipleship Collective.  During the FREE Discipleship Webinar, we will identify the principles that have been foundational to disciple-making movements for centuries.

Interested in learning more about the FREE Discipleship Webinar?

Curious about your unique strengths as an apprentice of Jesus? 

Take our FREE Disciple Coach Quiz today!

Become an InFocus Partner

Invest in leaders who are transforming lives and join the InFocus community. Together, let’s create a ripple effect of faith and love.

Click here to learn about joining the InFocus family to start your ripple effect!

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Where Discipleship Intersects with Spiritual Formation

Where Discipleship Intersects with Spiritual Formation

Healthy conversation is taking place in the church and discipleship circles today.  One of the questions that surfaces is how and when discipleship intersects with spiritual formation.  This is a really important issue when disciple-making movements are brought up. Behind the issue is the question: Is discipleship synonymous with spiritual formation?

In a sense, “yes,” they are one and the same thing; but in a pragmatic, functional sense – maybe not.

As an apprentice of Jesus you are learning to be like Jesus.  I like what John Mark Comer has written about in “Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus, Become like him, Do as he did”.  In his book, he highlights stages of “The Critical Journey” from Dr. Janet Hagberg and Robert Guelich.  

These have become very familiar.  Let me share these with you again.  

You can read more about the six stages in ARE YOU HITTING A SPIRITUAL WALL?

When you follow the narrative of the evangelical church in the West, most agree the church has done a good job on stages 1-3, not so well with stages 4-6.  Using the diagram as a backdrop, it appears that discipleship is a subset of spiritual formation.  

And, some might suggest the Catholic church does a better job in Stages 4-6 by emphasizing the ancient practices the Reformation deconstructed.  

Naturally, there is a ton of church history that one would need to research to argue the point.  My goal is not to argue; but instead, to synthesize the current reality and what I believe the popular line is on spiritual formation so together, we can fill in the gaps.

In summary, authors like Pete Scazzero (Emotionally Healthy Spirituality) and John Mark Comer (Practicing the Way) reinforce the six stages.  Both emphasize the need for a Rule of Life.  A Rule of Life is a wonderful tool to potentially advance your spiritual formation, assuming you implement and practice a Rule of Life that uniquely fits you.  

The bridge between let’s say, stages 3 and 4, is moving from information to application.  For instance, reading about the Rule of Life is important. The next step demands more – living into a Rule of Life.  Understanding and knowing are two different activities; one is information-based vs. the other, which is experiential.

So, this raises the question, “How?”  

Glad you asked.  

In a real sense, writing out a plan is half of the challenge, which is what Scazzero and Comer do so well.  In coaching leaders for the last 35+ years, part of the battle is won by having a written plan in place.  If you, an apprentice of Jesus, take this step, the authors have achieved part of their purpose behind writing a book about spiritual formation.  However, implementing the plan is up to the apprentice of Jesus, and requires a different orientation–a depth of understanding and motivation.  

This is where the hard work begins.  

Challenges apprentices of Jesus face moving from a plan to taking action:

  • Intrinsic Motivation – deeper levels of motivation have not been tapped 
  • Priorities – there are other “important” issues competing for attention 
  • Sustainability – the level of complexity may be too great
  • Accountability – finding a person or group that will provide a level of accountability 
  • Perfection over Progress – if perfection is the goal, you will fail; aim for progress

How to move from Stage 3 to Stage 4 in the Critical Journey

Following is a list of best practices I have discovered in moving from Stage 3 to Stage 4.  It is not exhaustive, nor is it always the case in every situation.  It should be considered as a list of suggestions that could help you sustain the shift from what evangelicals are generally strong in (Stages 1-3) and into the later stages (Stages 4-6), beginning with the shift from Stages 3-4.  What I am trying to say is that I am an apprentice, just like you, and here is one apprentice sharing with another apprentice some things I’ve learned along my journey.  See what resonates with you.

  1. Pray for a Spiritual Friendship

Preferably a person trained in spiritual direction who can be a discerning listener to hear you process your experience through the exercises

  1. Find a Road Map 

I found that I benefited tremendously from a directive and detailed tool that has passed the test of time.  The Ignatian Exercises (Journey With Jesus by Larry Warner) has been a helpful guide as I learned how to put my Rule of Life into practice.  

  1. Embrace the Long-Term

Don’t rush; just take the next step. The “intent to do” your exercises is as important as the actual exercises.

  1. Don’t beat yourself up

You will go through seasons when it is easy to do your exercises and other seasons when it is challenging.  Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day, or have to cut it short; just pick up where you left off.

  1. Be patient

Growth doesn’t happen overnight – it takes time.  Set realistic expectations.  The beauty is that the journey we are on will take a lifetime.  Don’t be in a rush; enjoy the process

Curious about your unique strengths as an apprentice of Jesus? 

Take our FREE Disciple Coach Quiz today!

Interested in learning more about the FREE Discipleship Webinar?

Become an InFocus Partner

Invest in leaders who are transforming lives and join the InFocus community. Together, let’s create a ripple effect of faith and love.

Click here to learn about joining the InFocus family to start your ripple effect!

Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash

5 Reasons to Rethink Your Disciple-Making Strategy (and How to Do It on a Napkin!)

5 Reasons to Rethink Your Disciple-Making Strategy (and How to Do It on a Napkin!)

Feeling stuck in auto-pilot ministry? You’re not alone. We’ve been diving deep into 5 key disciple-making habits, but what’s the real point? Here’s why it’s crucial to assess how you’re creating a ripple effect of disciples who make disciples.

STOP, REFLECT, and REIGNITE your disciple-making strategy:

1. Reignite Your Why:

Have you ever been on autopilot? Ministry can become routine. Summer’s a perfect time to rediscover your passion!

Reflection Question: What gets you FIRED UP about your ministry?

2. Evaluate Your Impact:

Is your ministry bearing fruit? Take a courageous look at the results. Are you excited, frustrated, or somewhere in between?

Reflection Questions:

  • What’s THRIVING?
  • What NEEDS WORK?
  • What NEEDS to CHANGE?

3. Make the Main Thing THE Main Thing:

Busyness can steal your focus on what truly matters: disciple-making disciples!

Reflection Question: What activities are DISTRACTING you from your core purpose?

4. Simplify Your Disciple-Making Cycle:

Busy schedules cloud the essentials. Refocus on the actions that truly transform lives.

Reflection Exercise: What are the FEW, CRUCIAL STEPS to cultivate apprentices of Jesus ?

5. Refine Your Invitation:

A clear, compelling invitation is key! Think about your own journey to faith. What drew you in?

Reflection Question: What are you inviting people to become, as followers of Jesus?

Ready to Refine Your Strategy? The Napkin Challenge Awaits!

In our Discipleship Collective, we challenge participants to describe their entire disciple-making cycle in a 3-minute video using just a napkin! 

Here’s how:

  1. Grab a napkin (or paper).
  2. In 3 minutes, sketch out your disciple-making cycle.
  3. Keep it SIMPLE, CLEAR, and COMPELLING.

The previous five blogs have been dedicated to unpacking 5 discipleship habits.  In case you missed them, here they are:

Curious about your unique strengths as an apprentice of Jesus? 

Take our FREE Disciple Coach Quiz today!

Interested in learning more about the FREE Discipleship Webinar?

Become an InFocus Partner

Invest in leaders who are transforming lives and join the InFocus community. Together, let’s create a ripple effect of faith and love.

Photo by Small Group Network on Unsplash

Habit #5: Strategic Partnerships: The Secret Weapon You Didn’t Know You Had

Habit #5: Strategic Partnerships: The Secret Weapon You Didn’t Know You Had

For over 30 years, I’ve witnessed countless approaches to discipleship. The beauty of that? It’s not a one-size-fits-all game; new methods are constantly emerging, fueled by imagination and the ever-changing world.

But what if you’re facing a unique challenge? What if the people you are coming alongside, or those you are leading, are not seeing the results they want to see?  Things are taking much longer than expected; they are experiencing setbacks.  Deep down, their commitment is wavering, and they are asking if it is time to quit!

The answer lies in a powerful secret weapon: Strategic Partnerships.

Think of it as a three-legged stool. Each leg represents an essential partnership:

  • Leg 1: Your unwavering connection with God. This is your source of strength, wisdom, and spiritual fortitude.
  • Leg 2: The bond with your disciples. You walk alongside them, a trusted companion on their path of self-discovery.
  • Leg 3: The guidance of experienced apprentices of Jesus. Their experiences keep you focused, and provide invaluable insights as you navigate challenges.

Each leg is crucial. Try becoming and making disciples with just one or two, and things get wobbly. But when you leverage all three? That’s where the magic happens.

Imagine a community of fellow apprentices of Jesus encouraging each other. They celebrate the victories, big or small – a first-time prayer, an act of service, a deepening faith. This supportive network becomes the wind beneath your wings, amplifying your impact.

You are not doing this alone!  It goes back to the principle of synergy: 1+1=3! You are part of a community that is pulling in the same direction.

But what about reaching those outside the faith, especially in a secular world? Creativity is key. I found the use of 3 Thirds Groups to be a helpful format to introduce newer disciples to, and a tool that allows everyone to engage regardless of where they are in their spiritual journey. 

A 3 Thirds Group is a group format that’s structured into three segments.

  • Looking Back: this first segment gives group members the opportunity to provide care and support for one another based on what’s happening in their individual lives. It also provides accountability for the goals each person sets for themselves.
  • Looking Up: this second segment directs the group to “look up” to the Holy Spirit for direction, guidance, and revelation for the group’s journey through a passage of Scripture. What is the Spirit saying? What can we learn from this about God? About ourselves?
  • Looking Forward: this last segment offers the opportunity to look ahead and explore how each person can apply what they have learned or discovered.

You can read more here. CLICK HERE.

Discipleship and disciple-making is a collaborative effort. By cultivating strategic partnerships with God, your newest disciples, and mentors, you unlock a community of support. It’s about walking hand-in-hand, celebrating victories, and weathering challenges together. Unleash the power of partnerships and watch your disciple-making journey take flight!

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