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Responses (cont):

Pastor Jeff Jones – Kalamazoo, MI
Our church has been using a discipleship workbook called, “Getting a Grip on the Basics” by Beth Jones.  It’s a thirteen chapter, fill in the blank workbook that we teach in 13 week sessions throughout the year.  We use the book as a first step in our membership process and see awesome results from systematic teaching of the word.  We offer classes during one of our worship services so that people can go to class and then attend a service if they would like.  But, if they just want to bring their kids to church, attend the class and go home, we’re cool with that too, although we would prefer that they attend our worship service, but we don’t require it.

Our discipleship track goes something like this:  Getting a Grip on the Basics---Membership Class---Start serving somewhere---Getting a Grip on Serving God---EPIC School of Ministry.


Pastor Larry Millender – Tallahassee, FL
I think that all of us who have pastored for any length of time, often find that we have to change, adapt, and explore new methods of assimilating and discipling our new church people.  We have used many methods and ideas here over the years and keep exploring new ones even now.  When we have people born again, we encourage them first to join the church via church membership.  This requires them to go through 2 classes explaining what church membership is and isn't.  It gives them insight into what is required of them as members and of us as pastors over them.  It always allows us to ask them to commit to tithe, support, pray and serve in the local church.  This we do via a ministry profile form which asks them to list previous church experience and service and to list 3 areas of interest to be involved in at our church.  We then allow the leader over those areas that they list to seek them out for involvement.  Over the past 2 years, we have also offered a Sunday evening bible school class as a Rhema-Bible-School-type of class to help mature them.  We periodically do discipleship classes on Wednesday night in place of Wednesday night services using videos, etc., of other ministries.  Occasionally we will do these same classes on Sunday nights as well.

We have a number of small groups/home groups meeting either weekly or monthly.  These are somewhat effective, but really are for fellowship more so than for discipleship.  I think that every local church has to find what works for them, their locale, and for their diverse groups.  Things change from one place to another.


Pastor Mark Garver – Madison, AL
Over the fifteen years of the church, we have tried a few things.  But in everything you have to find what best fits the culture of your church.  We currently do a few things in conjunction with one another that has helped us with our new believers and new members.  First, we have a catch team (caring about Christ’s Harvest) that helps us to follow up on our first time attenders.  They go out of their way to meet new people and then follow up with a phone call.  Then we have a six week “Faith Foundations” class that meets every week on a continual basis that covers basic topics such as the integrity of the Word, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and others.  We have a brochure that all first time guests get in the mail and we encourage each of them to come.  We also host regular dinners for newcomers.  If you feed them, they will come!  At these dinners we introduce them to the staff and the volunteer leaders of each department.  This is a fun event that helps the newcomers connect with the core of the church.  We also put a lot of emphasis on membership class, where we give them vision and get them involved.  The best thing however for our church in assimilating and discipling new members is our Bible Institute.  We have a two year program that meets every Sunday night from 6 PM to 9 PM.   Each quarter there are three classes taught by different instructors.  Every new quarter someone can start, so they are not waiting around until the next year.  Anyone can come; it is run similar to a school but it is not a Bible school or a training center.  It is a place where people can be discipled, taught the word of God, make heart friends, and get the heart of our church.  It has worked well for us these twelve years.  It causes people to grow quickly and those who go through seem to stay.  It is not a quick fix or an over night solution.  It is long term and it causes long term stable growth.  The people that go through the Bible Institute then help minister to the next newcomers of the church.  This program started out small but has caught on and continues to grow.

In the past we have tried home groups, but it did not work for us.  I have found that whatever is in the Pastor’s heart will work.  You get the plan from the Lord, be passionate about the plan, have your leaders help execute the plan, and it will work.


Pastor John Brady – McAllen, TX
We tried small groups in our church in an effort to disciple our people.  I have heard the only way a large church can disciple is through small groups.  That did not work for us. 

I believe that we have to be flexible to the culture and life-styles of the people we are ministering to within our individual communities.

We felt God gave us a strategy.  Each of our weekly services has a specific purpose to move people through the discipleship process.   Our plan is truly a simple model:  Our Sunday service is our main connection with our people.  It is built to touch a wide range of people, including the lost.  It is not a seeker service, but I think it is broad and tends to deal with life issues.  It is an entry point for people to come.  The people that are saved in this service are then connected to a group of our workers that will help them through the process of water baptism and our basics class.  We do not have a Sunday Evening Service.

Everyone is then encouraged to come to our three-week “Family Connection Classes.”  People learn about our church history, vision, and the mission our church.  Our mission is for them to mature in Christ and fulfill the calling upon their individual lives.  These classes are held on Sundays.  They meet and connect with our entire staff. 

Then people are encouraged to come to our Wednesday night meetings.  Our Wednesday night meetings are our discipleship night.  We have six week courses with many electives.  A member of the Pastoral staff will teach the larger main class in the sanctuary on a Biblical subject meant for the growth of the people.  We also offer many different electives held in individual rooms scattered around the facility.   Most of these classes are on DVD’s of well known speakers.  This helps control the content and to make sure we are giving our people quality.  Each class has a facilitator for group discussion after the DVD.  Some of the classes that we have are Marriage on the Rock, Love and Respect, Crown Financial, Contagious Christianity, various teachings on parenting, leadership, and many on Bible subjects that we believe are important to their spiritual growth.  We will have five / six week sessions throughout the year and as many as five electives at each session.  We have done this for a little over a year and it has been a huge success!  We are constantly revamping it to keep it fresh and relative. 

Our ladies have also started some small group Bible studies on all kinds of subjects that we include in the discipleship track.  Women tend to gravitate to small groups and love the process of growing relationships.

The final step of the process is for people to meet with our staff and join a “Serve Team” in the church. 

Our job is to move as many people as possible through this process.  We have found that if we can move them through each phase, they are firmly connected to the church and have taken ownership of the church’s vision.


Pastor Stan Saunders – Chillicothe, MO
As needed, I teach a three week Sunday school class called, “Welcome to the Family.” In this class I am able to personally meet our new people. I share our church history (including my personal testimony) and vision and also how our church operates. I explain in the church operation week how we make decisions, how the money is handled, etc. I share that our church is not perfect but that our structure and procedures work for us. We ask new people not to try to change us, but to accept the way we do things.I or an associate teach a foundations class as needed. We cover the New Birth, Knowing God, Renewing the Mind with God’s Word, Ministry of the Holy Spirit, Establishing a Strong Prayer Life, and Knowing the Enemy. Often, individuals will disciple new believers. All that being said, I do like to plug new people into established small groups. Small groups work best for us.