Church discipleship curriculum?

[Esaias]

The church's job is to disciple people. What is the best way to do that?

Considering that a church will have different people at different stages of understanding, knowledge, and maturity, how should a church go about achieving the following goals:

1. Ensuring everyone has opportunity to learn the Bible and its doctrines.
2. Ensuring everyone has opportunity to develop their personal service to God ("ministry").
3. Ensuring everyone has opportunity to mature in their personal and family walk with God.
4. No soul left behind!

[votivesoul]

Originally Posted by Esaias

The church's job is to disciple people. What is the best way to do that?

Considering that a church will have different people at different stages of understanding, knowledge, and maturity, how should a church go about achieving the following goals:

1. Ensuring everyone has opportunity to learn the Bible and its doctrines.
2. Ensuring everyone has opportunity to develop their personal service to God ("ministry").
3. Ensuring everyone has opportunity to mature in their personal and family walk with God.
4. No soul left behind!

Love feasts. The older brothers and sisters teach and help the younger ones, just like a family. Promote love and subjection to Christ and one another. Address needs as they arise, instead of trying to anticipate them and getting ahead of someone's learning curve. Since one size does not fit all, each situation and need must receive direct, even individualized attention, as opposed to the lecture format where only the lowest common denominator may be helped. Emphasize prayer in the Spirit; let the Spirit of Truth do the guiding. All correction should be done in humility. Each should consider themselves, lest they likewise be tempted. Teach 100% involvement from day one. Judge not, condemn not.

Indoctrination and maturation is communal and experiential; not taught or preached into someone.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by votivesoul

Love feasts. The older brothers and sisters teach and help the younger ones, just like a family. Promote love and subjection to Christ and one another. Address needs as they arise, instead of trying to anticipate them and getting ahead of someone's learning curve. Since one size does not fit all, each situation and need must receive direct, even individualized attention, as opposed to the lecture format where only the lowest common denominator may be helped. Emphasize prayer in the Spirit; let the Spirit of Truth do the guiding. All correction should be done in humility. Each should consider themselves, lest they likewise be tempted. Teach 100% involvement from day one. Judge not, condemn not.

Indoctrination and maturation is communal and experiential; not taught or preached into someone.

Can you give an example? How does everyone sitting at the table result in people learning and becoming intimately familiar with Scripture, in both its "academic" content AND practical application in life?

You said "just like a family". But in a family setting, parents teach children via actual instruction (unless they pawn their kids off to "professionals" to teach them). And there must be some kind of structured approach, some kind of scope and sequence. Unstructured learning often results in random acquisitions of usually useless or downright erroneous information, forms bad habits of sloth and apathy, and generally does no real good.

We use an unschooling approach at home but still have texts, scope, sequence, curriculum, examination, drill, effort, etc.

A church would need to have some kind of framework otherwise it would just be "don't worry be happy, build it they will come" anarchy. Learning doesn't occur spontaneously, especially when dealing with people who are victims of our anti-intelligence society. "Disciple" presupposes DISCIPLINE, does it not? If we are to teach, we must have CONTENT (scope) and ORDER (sequence) and a METHOD.

So, from what you've said I don't see any usable information that a church could take home and begin using? Can you elaborate?

[votivesoul]

To elaborate:

Brethren sitting at table together, enjoying fellowship almost always begin talking about the Lord and His Word. Sometimes the whole table is engaged in the discussion, sometimes there are multiple discussions going on.

As the Word is discussed, the Head of the Church manifests and begins stirring those He has gifted toward answering questions, giving comments, explaining passages of Holy Scripture, and etc. In those times, all who are engaged in the discussion are learning and growing, as they are challenged to think for themselves, give their own input, ask questions if they want to, or answer them. The discussion can continue to unfurl for as long as needed until all are edified.

God knows what all of His people have need of, in any given time and circumstance, even as it pertains to their understanding of His Word. Because He knows what needs are present, He can inspire discussion and debate as needed to meet the needs.

Jesus is the prime example to look at. He modeled a very specific didactic. He met with people where they were at, He was invited in, He fed or was fed, and in the course of the meal, He was either asked, or He asked a question, and dialogue commenced. Whatever issues existed that needed addressing, were addressed, and everyone present had a chance to hear and learn from Him as Rabbi. Almost everything Jesus did, while it had purpose and intent, was most of the time un-structured and in the moment.

As it pertains to the family metaphor. I know you have children ranging in various ages. So do we. My older children help with the younger ones, and often times I hear them repeat things my wife and I have told/taught them, to their younger siblings.

When it comes to reading, writing, arithmetic, and the like, we educate our children at home with a curriculum. We inspire the desire to learn, especially to read, and all throughout the day, even when "class" is not in session, you'll find our kids curled up with a book. An example: Our five year old recently read Dicken's Oliver Twist. I don't expect that he understood it all, but maybe he did, as he kind of taught himself how to read. In either case, however, he read it.

The point being that, although we use a format that works for us, the real challenge to educate our children is not through drills and rote memorization, but instead, to show them how wonderful it is to learn, and to know that fully investing themselves into a subject reaps great rewards. In this way, my children are as much self-taught as anything my wife and I do to teach them.

I submit it's the same with God's Word. Sure, curriculum and format can be used, and we can lecture each other on any given topic, and give Sword Drills and the like. But in my experience, that doesn't pay off nearly as much as showing people how rewarding it is to sit at the Master's feet and learn of Him for themselves. Those who have caught that notion love to dive into God's Word and be led of the Spirit into all truth. It becomes their passion.

Those who love to be preached to and take copious sermon notes, but don't ever develop an actual, living, abiding love and relationship with Savior aren't going to learn anything that matters, in the end.

In my experience, real ministry isn't done on a platform behind a box, but is done at Starbucks and Subway and in the living room and at the kitchen table, mostly one on one, or in very small groups of brothers and sisters. And most lessons in life are caught through experience, when the Lord takes a person's life in a specific direction. Until then, although they may have heard a lot about what the Bible has to say, it didn't become real to them until they walked in the reality of the Bible on their own.

[votivesoul]

A few case studies:

For several months, once a week, I went to my mom's house to lead a Bible study with a husband and wife, she mostly bilingual, he mostly native Spanish speaker with some English.

We all would have dinner together, chat and catch up, and the like. Then we'd retire to the living room. I almost never had any prepared notes or outlines. But for only one occasion, I brought my Reina-Valera Bible and that was it.

It was through meeting and eating together and being prayed up that I could get a sense of where things were at, what kind of exhortation or edification might be needed. So when we began, I already had a decent idea of what the Lord wanted to do. Then it was merely a matter of following His lead. Many times the husband would have questions from his own devotion time, or because of something he heard and wanted to check with me about it.

But then, I would have to do all the translating and interpreting into Spanish, then back to English, on the fly. It was the only way it worked, and the anointing of the Spirit made a way.

He received the Holy Spirit in my mom's living room on a night I wasn't able to be present.

Years ago, I was teaching a once a week Bible study to anyone who wanted to come over and be a part of it. Several people joined up and many of them were quite faithful to it. The study lasted nearly a year. The premise of the study was the Bible itself as a book, what it is, what it's about, overviews and insights, and etc.

I always had notes prepared, but we frequently never got to them. Each person came with needs and questions and rarely did the Spirit lead away from those things so I could stay on point with my outline. We just rolled with it all and made our way through the study as best as we could. It went extremely well. A lot of new converts were discipled that way, and are still living for God sold out.

These experiences and others not mentioned have led me to realize that, at least for me, trying to organize and make something happen isn't the way to go. Rather, the preparation is spiritual, and if the grace of God will allow it, His gifting in and among His people will do the heavy lifting for all of the ministerial needs the Body may have.

I am very anti-program. I use structure sparingly. Just enough as needed or called for. But often times none. I lean heavily upon the rod and staff of the Lord. I have never found Him unwilling to provide the daily bread His people require for their spiritual nourishment.

Others may have a different experience and prefer a different methodology, but this format has worked well for me and us, and I believe is the one most closely resembling how Jesus operated as itinerant preacher and rabbinical evangelist.

[votivesoul]

One more comment:

I have never found it necessary to get anyone to agree with me, or believe what I have to say on any given subject. I only want people to agree with God and His Word. I have never once tried to be someone's anything (teacher, pastor, etc.). Just a brother and friend, even though I've taught a lot of people and shepherded many, over the years. Never had any titles, never expected or wanted any.

Any service I rendered to the people of God was solely devoted to one cause: point people to Jesus and exhort them to devote themselves to Him. The saint that does so is in impeccable hands, literally.

So, because of this, I've never held strongly to the idea that my system and approach to studying and learning God's Word had to be seen through to the end, since what works for me is for me; others have to find what works for them. He that plants and he that waters is nothing.

Since Jesus never demanded in the Gospels, and the Apostles never seemed to insist, that a certain approach and format/style of learning be adopted for all time, I find it best to try to not add to that by saying a certain approach and format/style of learning is needed.

If a person is apathetic toward studying and learning God's Word, that's a matter of the heart that no amount of attempted education in any format is going to solve. They can repent or die. Conversely, the zealous brother or sister who pants after God like a deer does for water, will never walk away empty and un-sated. That can't be taught, only encouraged. It's a work of God on the inward man, as one experience with the Lord leads to another, to another, and another, and then, before you know it, you have a disciple of Christ on your hands, one the Lord created, and not you.

As it should be.

[Esaias]

Perhaps I wasn't clear. I am not talking about leading people to the Lord. I am talking about people who are Christians. I am talking about a hypothetical assembly, that throughout the course of time has new people coming in (coming into salvation and becoming a part of the assembly). So a person comes in and knows very little about the Word, they are a newbie Christian. I just don't see how winging it by the seat of one's pants is going to meet everyone's needs for finding the information they need to know how and what to study, and how to put it into practice. I'm not saying people cannot benefit from such an approach.

But is it the best? Is it sufficient?

We are to make disciples, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever Christ has commanded. That's a large body of information, that needs to be presented, digested, assimilated, and put into practice, sharpened, developed, perfected, etc.

What you are suggesting seems to require a particularly gifted "teacher" who always knows what to say, when to say it, to whom to say it, without ever knowing what they are going to say, when they are going to say it, or to whom they are going to say it. Christians across the board seem to be looking for and searching for better ways to learn God's Word, and how to put it into practice. That, combined with the fact that many Christians are disatisfied with their local church's methods of discipleship, indicates a need.

One size does not fit all, of course, but surely there are some basic, big-picture methods and ideas that can be found? Other than "just do it"?

2 Timothy 2:2 KJV And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

This is a command to take apostolic doctrine, and pass them on to others, so that they in turn may pass them on to yet others. Okay then, so how do we go about doing that?

Where does one start? How does one teach a person to teach others, so that apostolic doctrine is passed down from one generation of saints to the next?

What needs to be taught, and when, and how?

See what I'm getting at here?

[Amanah]

This is probably typical, and not what you are looking for, but it worked for us

My first pastor preached prayer and soul winning and he taught classes on Tues night, for new converts, and then it advanced into discipleship classes. So for the first few years I was in church, we were taught lessons he wrote himself.

He was the principal of our church school, Bible Truth Academy.

Sister Jeanie E., one of the greatest soul winners I have ever known, took me with her when she taught home bible studies, she taught a series of bible studies from salvation, worship, church attendance, Godhead, and many others, I watched her teach them first hand. Then copied the lessons into my bible, color coded, with each verse referencing the next verse in the study. Then I started teaching them.

The other thing we did was meet at the church every morning for prayer. and we fasted every week.

The thing that we didn't do well, in my opinion, was relationships, we had prayer, outreach, and soul winning down, but I think sometimes people were lonely.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Amanah

This is probably typical, and not what you are looking for, but it worked for us

My first pastor preached prayer and soul winning and he taught classes on Tues night, for new converts, and then it advanced into discipleship classes. So for the first few years I was in church, we were taught lessons he wrote himself.

He was the principal of our church school, Bible Truth Academy.

Sister Jeanie E., one of the greatest soul winners I have ever known, took me with her when she taught home bible studies, she taught a series of bible studies from salvation, worship, church attendance, Godhead, and many others, I watched her teach them first hand. Then copied the lessons into my bible, color coded, with each verse referencing the next verse in the study. Then I started teaching them.

The other thing we did was meet at the church every morning for prayer. and we fasted every week.

The thing that we didn't do well, in my opinion, was relationships, we had prayer, outreach, and soul winning down, but I think sometimes people were lonely.

How would you do it differently?

[votivesoul]

Anyone I ever discipled and help grow in the Lord was someone I spent a lot of time with. I made one on one time every week. The purpose of us getting together was to spend time talking about the Lord, answering questions about or from the Bible, and in sharing the communion two saints in the Lord have when they get together. And in the process of all that, indoctrination occurred.

In the past, I taught new believer classes; I even wrote most of the curriculum. I had a good time, and some in the room seemed to enjoy themselves and really wanted to pay attention and learn, but others were much more ho-hum about it, for whatever reason.

It's a model I likely will not return to, as I find it's not overly effective. Sitting silent while someone else exposits the Word can be fruitful some of the time, but mostly, I have found saints who stick and become mature do so by doing.

It's not so much about having an especially gifted teacher, although that helps tremendously (which is what the five-fold ministry is all about), it's about having a complete reliance on the Lord as Rabbi who will guide His people the way He wants. The job of the teacher in such a scenario, is to know when and how to help God's people learn how to rely on and be guided by the Lord.

I could take a Bible doctrine like New Covenant Priesthood, and I could sit down and write an extensive study and commentary on it, and I could give it to someone and have them read it or go through it with me, and in that way, I suppose I could say I indoctrinated a believer or passed on apostolic doctrine to the next generation.

But that's what nearly everyone is doing, and yet, as you say, many are finding their local assembly's discipleship programs disinteresting and unhelpful.

I think the reason for that is because it's merely a smaller version of the traditional Sunday meeting. One talking person while everyone sits quietly as spectators. This passing of information from pulpit to pew is very weak when it comes to actual maturing of the saints.

But get a saint on their feet, out their ministering and being used by God in the exercise of their role as royal priest, and they will learn much faster and in greater depth, than sitting down with me going over my study and commentary.

Sure, there might be a time to go over the basics, and sit someone down for awhile to acclimate them to the pertinent verses of Holy Scripture, but apart from that, I still go back to my original post: love feasts. Learning and maturing is experiential and communal, and the church is a family and needs to operate like one.

The Heavenly Father is the Dad, and when saints meet, they come under His attention, and He takes care of them through whatever means He deems necessary. Sometimes that may call for a systematic approach to teaching the Word, but in my opinion, that's few and far between, because the greatest two commandments cannot be taught. Loving God and neighbor as self is not learned simply because someone goes to Mark 12:29-32 and teaches a Bible study on it. It is learned in the prayer closet with much intercession and worship before the throne.

I think the correct approach to indoctrination is the same way. Jesus is in us to work out His good pleasure. Jesus quoted Isaiah and said, "They shall all be taught by God". Discipleship programs that I've seen, heard about, or was apart of back in the day, rarely emphasized this fact. New believers are not often taught about the privileges they may enjoy as part of their covenant with their Maker, that God Himself can be and will be their primary teacher in all matters relating to Him.

Instead they are led to believe they need another mediator who will be the oracle of truth for them. So they are conditioned to do nothing, be or become nothing, say nothing, and just accept their role as "laity".

Now, this doesn't happen everywhere. I know that. But it happens a lot, all over. The format doesn't work, and pastors, teachers, and ministers all over cry the blues to each other about why their saints aren't growing, never realizing hammering away at them a couple times a week from the pulpit isn't going to grow or mature anyone.

But get one on one with that same pastor, teacher, or minister, and go get a burger with him, and spend the afternoon driving around your city praying together, or outreaching like Amanah mentioned above, and that one person is going to learn nearly everything they need to grow and mature. It wasn't at the end of a print-out with 10 verses and summary, but in the doing of the work of the Lord, that the learning transpired.

To me, that's the essence of the love feast. Getting together, eating and sharing Christ with each other, whatever the size or number of people, even if it's just two or three. The elder will help the younger, if the younger will be in subjection to the elder, men with men, women with women.

When I was a new convert, I decided from the first week I was going to jump into my pastor's back pocket, and do my best to go with him everywhere he went. We spent so much time together those first few years. We even went to New York City, to Brooklyn, to do an outreach for a church he knew and sometimes visited while on business.

I learned more in those car rides spending time with him, than from anything else, except for my own personal studies and desire to learn the Word for myself. It was completely informal, followed no pattern, had no structure, or intended goal or timetable. It was simply a younger brother hanging out with his older bro, talking and getting a bite to eat.

That's what grew and matured me. It's the only thing I've ever seen work, long term. Anyone I ever met who never had that in their formative years never seemed to make it, or were most always a mess, in crisis, and couldn't walk on their own, years after conversion. But the converts who intentionally made themselves a student of the Word, who wanted to get onboard and learn everything they could, who loved hanging out getting tacos on a Saturday afternoon, or sitting around a bonfire, talking about Jesus, have all withstood and are standing even to this day.

Maybe I'm still not getting at what you're after, Esaias. I'm not sure. I'm just trying to relay my own experiences, as I understand your question.