Adult Discipleship Class Idea-Coffee Talk
May 6, 2008
Perhaps you have a discipleship hour for adults that coincides with a children’s program. If so, you know the juggle of the kids programming moving on through the end of a semester, but adult classes ending at 4, 6, 8+ week lengths.
Recently, I tagged on the end of the semester a coffee talk forum for adults with one week discussion topics led by experts in their fields. One was on the post-modern culture, and another was a discussion about another world religion. Both of these stand alone classes were very well received, as was the coffee, tea, and snacks!
Now that I have primed the pumped on this style of class, I am looking forward to an expanded version in the upcoming semester with possible one week topics of:
End-time prophecy
The Temple/Tabernacle
Feasts of the Old Testament
Debunking ancient “finds”
World Religions
Take time to poll the church and find issues that are pressing or of interest. Also, use your pool of church leaders/experts where you are to discuss the topics that would be a blessing for many.
Let me know anything like this you may have tried, and as always, have fun!
Quick Tips for Promoting Adult Discipleship
December 23, 2007
If your church is like ours, your small groups/Sunday School classes kind of motor right along with few breaks if any, and seldom any significant shifts. However, our adult Discipleship classes, called Equip University, have definite stopping and starting points. You know the ones…these are the classes like:
Financial Peace University, Beth Moore, Men’s Fraternity/Navigators, One on One with God, DivorceCare, Moody Bible Memory, and One Verse Evangelism to name a few.
So how do I capture the momentum of promotion and registration:
1. We promote the classes online and in all our print.
2. We have online registration and registration through the offices.
3. We have a preview night in Worship to allow full church exposure to the new classes offered, and follow this with an opportunity to sign up at the end of the service.
4. There is a two week break between the preview night and class starts to allow time for the order and arrival of literature and leader kits.
Most of all, get excited. If you act like this learning growing opportunity is boring and out of touch, well, your experience probably will be.
Quick Discipleship Study Ideas…
December 23, 2007
I am pumped about the discipleship classes we offer each semester at our church. These classes offer the most flexibility, if you will, in getting creative; allowing teachers and the curriculum to stretch a bit. Here are a couple of examples I am exploring this semester:
1. Elementary Greek-Yikes, sounds heavy and serious doesn’t it? But, what a great opportunity. We plan to offer a short course in Greek like Mounce’s Greek for the Rest of Us. This will encourage our folks to stretch themselves to search out the history of this language and enhance and expand their personal study of the New Testament. In a word, cool! Of those I have asked for interest, it is very positive!
2. Round Table Discussions. This will be a weekly discussion class in a coffehouse type setting, casual, and relaxed, while focused on serious theological issues, cultural trends, and hot topics led by church and area leaders.
Let me know of any adult classes you have offered that have been new and fun!
How to strengthen Families in the Church.
December 13, 2007
Here are a few simple things that can impact families right away in your ministry:
1. Know that you really CAN have a positive impact on families! There are some great resources available to grease the wheels of this momentum like Reggie Joiner’s site at www.reThinkgroup.org and conferences like www.theorangeconference.com.
2. Strategically think about all the family groups currently in your church. How do you strengthen them? Don’t worry so much about who isn’t there, begin with who is and the different issues that would be great to address, encourage, and promote with your people.
3. As I have said before, don’t reinvent the wheel. Listen for special events in your area and jump on board. If Tommy Nelson is coming to town, or there is a special LifeWay enrichment event, as long as it is Biblically true and sound, get a group and go.
There is so much more that can quickly impact families positively, let me know what works where you serve!
Revealing
November 10, 2007
Recently, a colleague directed me to a most interesting site. Willow Creek Church in Chicago recently spent considerable time and effort to really take a hard look at the growth of the people they lead. It has helped me in a number of ways, like, am I currently thinking about where people are in their maturity with Jesus Christ? Do I have a way to really describe them? Am I actively aware of and facilitating growth for folks at these different levels of maturity?
But, you’ll also be confronted with some issues that I sensed were present in ministry, but I had difficulty describing, and therefore, improving.
Take just a few minutes, and watch this video.
Bible Knowledge Tool
October 26, 2007
In an effort to help your folks know the Bible more clearly, consider this learning tool, 30 Days to Understanding the Bible in 15 Minutes a Day. This is ideal for the new believer, but would certainly be a great refresher for anyone!
While not exhaustive, or overtly complex, this straightforward plan gives a brief way to broadly help folks grasp the scope of the Bible. There is a format for a teaching setting, and there are also great bonuses like a guide for telling the story of the Bible in 1000 words.
This resource has been a blessing during our Equip University classes.
Equip University
August 19, 2007
How do you give your church members opportunity to find enrichment in classes that focus on particular areas of the faith, or discipleship? I understand that essential discipling is a long-term, one on one, growth process with a number of mentors. But, broadly, how can you provide opportunities for members to be in groups that are closed and that study particular units of content, or perhaps even for those classes with covenants of confidentiality. Equip University has answered that for us in the past few years.
When: For some churches, this is simply the old Discipleship Training hour (training union: everything old is new again!) Some churches have cancelled evening worship in favor of having a night filled with these types of classes. In my current setting, we offer an EU hour during our children’s choirs program, and then a family worship service.
What: During our EU time, I try to have courses in a variety of areas such as theology, core discipleship (One on One with God), health, finances, personal growth (DivorceCare), women’s groups, men’s groups, and family/marriage enrichment. The content cycles, but these overall groupings remain fairly consistent.
Who: Who should teach? I have been delighted at many churches to find that varied church members will surprise me both with their willingness to teach/facilitate and also surprise me with the content they desire to teach. If I will trust the Lord to raise up leaders, He does so as I seek out those leaders that are being led by Him.
Classes that have been winners: Financial Peace University, Share Jesus Without Fear, The Five Love Languages, One on One with God, Beth Moore Studies, Serendipity House studies, DivorceCare, GriefShare, and Intimate Life Studies.
Key: Provide an active kids program the same time as your Discipling hour.
One on One
August 4, 2007
Making Disciples. The command of our Lord is clear, go and make disciples, reach and teach. With many evangelistic training tools and methods out there, it has been a bit more difficult for me to find a discipleship method that will simply help get new believers (and “mature”) on track in their daily walk.
Until almost two years ago. That’s when a friend took me and four other guys through a study called One on One with God. To sum it up, the best quote from members are, “I have been a Christian for xx years, and I have never done anything like this, and I should have.”
One on One teaches basic elements of the Christian life while getting believers to practice simple elements like Bible study, prayer, memorization, witnessing, and note taking.
Plus, the added bonus of helping members immediately have in their hands the way to, 3 weeks in to it, begin discipling someone else. Passability. No DVD. No special training to be a leader. Grab and go. Equipped personally and for others.
Spiritual Gifts
August 3, 2007
In a continuing effort to help our church members learn more about who they are in the body of Christ and how they can serve, I came across a unique instrument to use. It is through the Church Growth group and it is an online spiritual gifts inventory identical to a hardcopy version I had used for some time.
The wonder of the online version though is impressive. It will automatically email me when someone takes the assessment with their results, and email them with a response from me for next steps. And, it will track all who take the assessment in our church so that I can access the information for general information, or specific tracking in a spreadsheet. Too cool.
There is a nominal set up fee, and annual fee, but the blessing is great. I use it on our website, and lead people to it in our new members class. Check it out at www.churchgrowth.org.
Creative Announcements
July 30, 2007
When it comes to announcements, attempt to make them half-way memorable. For example, we have discipleship classes that run each semester called Equip U classes. The music minister and myself spoofed a popular commercial and had a blast. The folks are ready to see it again. Think about what is coming up, chip out some creative think time with your team, and go for it.