The Intentional Discipleship Curriculum is a 10-month process consisting of 4 meetings per month. All the meetings are the same, except for the fourth meeting of each month, which will be centered around discussing our book summary and monthly assignment. It is essential to think through a plan for your meeting while remaining flexible to allow God room to work. The following are group elements that will be present in most meetings.
Fellowship. In the first couple of months, getting the group to know each other better is a crucial tool. Try to keep the opening conversations to around 10 minutes. If they want to talk more, they can do it at the end. Don't overlook the importance of fellowship.
Open in Prayer. One of the benefits of prayer is how it changes us from the inside out. Beginning with prayer is how we put our focus on God, who is the author and perfecter of our faith. The open prayer is usually shorter than the closing prayer. I usually ask someone to open us in prayer to start each meeting.
Scripture Memory. Make this a priority from day one. Set the bar high and encourage your group to rise to the challenge. Over the year, they will memorize 30 verses. There is no magic formula, but I always start with having everyone quote a verse. Try to do it differently each time to keep it interesting. Here are some tips:
- Have everyone quote a verse – no one gets a pass.
- Scripture memory is all effort – anyone can do it.
- Draw verses out of a hat.
- They have been challenged to memorize each verse by topic, reference, and verse. Give them one of the three and have them say the other 2.
- Ask them questions about the verse, like what is the context? Or who is speaking in the verse? How can you apply that verse?
Bible Reading. Encourage your group to read daily, not all at once. Remind them at the end of each meeting what passages you will discuss in the next meeting. I try to read with a new commentary every year to keep it fresh.
Application Journal. The discipleship book has space for two entries per week. I ask my group to have their books open to those pages so we can all hold each other accountable. The discipleship book also has a summary page at the end of each month. Have your group transfer their 4 top entries to the summary page and add a topic or theme in the box provided. The journal method is in Journaling. The guide adds these prompts:
- Why did the Holy Spirit include this passage in the book?
- You may write a call to action.
- You may indicate what you will do because of what you have learned.
- For example, you may ask God to help you to be more loving or to give you a desire to be more generous in your giving.
Book Discussion. Each person should have completed a book summary and listed some big takeaways. That means they have been processing the topic all month and have taken the time to apply it to their lives. Hold them accountable. Find the balance between staying on topic and going where the Lord leads. This is where you earn your money. This is where you build your influence and speak truth and wisdom into their lives. There are two articles in the discipleship book that are very helpful: Why do we read books? and How to actively read a book.
Discuss Assignments. Every homework assignment is different. Some will take more time than others to discuss. For example, the assignment to share their testimony will take almost the whole meeting time. Be aware of this when thinking through your meeting agenda.
Accountability. Many people will continue to meet in some capacity after the group is over.
Next Month's Assignment. Announce the monthly assignment with plenty of time for the group to complete it. Think through this before describing it to your group. There are book recommendations listed in the monthly leader guide section. Make sure everyone knows the assignment and when to complete it.
This is your group, and God has given you the charge to mentor them.
