3 pandemic-related challenges christians face making disciples when using a coach approach
DISCONNECTion
1 in 3 Christians stopped attending church
George Barna July 2020
FEAR
We've essentially been training for a phobia
David Spiegel Stanford Center - Stress & Health.
FOCUS
Righteous person lives for the next generation
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Our post-modern culture has disrupted the modern map for DISCIPLE MAKING
If you view the disciple making process like a map – chances are the map you used in the 20th century is different than the map you use in the 21st century.
The modern map began with ‘Believing’, followed by ‘Behaving’ and culminated with ‘Belonging’.
In the post-Modern era the map looks more like this: ‘Blessing’, ‘Belonging’, ‘Believing’, ‘Becoming’
“The Next Wave: Empowering the Generation that will Change the World” by David Wraight
What’s Different?
“The starting point has changed!”
Instead of beginning with ‘Believing’ as the starting point – the initial point of contact is ‘Blessing’.
When a person comes in contact with a Christian who heightens their curiosity for spiritual matters, that person might be interested in exploring a next step on their discipleship journey.
That initial point of contact, which heightens curiosity and could lead to a potential next step, most naturally occurs in the Harvest!
BLESSING
How can you bless people far from God?
BELONGING
How can you help people experience community?
BELIEVING
How can you help people learn to trust Him?
BECOMING
How can you help people follow Jesus?
How does a disciple use a coach approach?
Jesus mastered the art of listening and asking questions to help people discover truth for themselves!
Today, self-discovery is foundational to the disciple making process.
This is why disciples have shifted from telling people (Modern) what they should believe to self-discovery (Post-Modern) using a coach-approach.
DISCIPLE
As a disciple I am learning from Jesus to live my life as he would live life if he were I. I am not necessarily learning to do everything he did, but I am learning how to do everything I do in the manner in which he did all that he did.
Dallas Willard
DISCIPLE MAKER
Someone who is living out of a Basic Core that exhibits a love for God in Christ and a love for others that leads to making disciples.
Colin Noyes
DISCIPLE MAKER + A COACH APPROACH
A disciple coach helps their newest disciples by listening and asking questions to help them discern the voice of the Holy Spirit so that they can take the next step in their discipling making journey.
Gary Reinecke
Research suggests that about 2% of the churches in America are multiplying so I think it is fair to speculate that about 2% of Christians are making disciples, that are making disciples.
So, we created the Disciple Coach Quiz to inspire the 98%. These are the Christians who are looking for a way to use their gifts where God has placed them in life to help other people discover and follow Jesus so that they can make disciples. Our aim is not to have another thing for you to do or a program to follow, but to make several natural shifts that will enable each of you to make disciples who in turn make disciples.
Discover HOW TO SUPPORT Your Disciple MAKING RELATIONSHIPS
Find out what is keeping you from flourishing as a disciple maker using a coach approach and what is missing in the kind of support those you are coaching need on their discipleship journey.
MISSIONAL VALUES
knowing and understanding your personal values and living them out through consistent behavior
ACTIVE PRAYER
utilizing prayer as a critically key element in the disciple making journey
RELATIONAL CONNECTIONS
building strong and authentic relationships with both Christians and non-Christians in your community
DISCIPLE MAKING CYCLE
creating intentional and enduring disciples who, in turn, create intentional and enduring disciples
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
forging strategic partnerships to keep you on mission in your disciple making journey
What people are saying about the Disciple Coach Quiz...
“As someone who desires to grow in their understanding of how to be a disciple who makes disciples and lead others through this process, the Disciple Coach quiz was extremely helpful. It highlighted key areas of growth as well as provided practical next steps that were specific to my disciple making journey. For those of you who are unsure of where to begin as disciple maker or feel stuck in the process, the Disciple Coach quiz is an excellent resource that will empower you to take significant steps forward in the vital mission of making and multiplying disciples”
Becoming a disciple coach is a journey that begins by knowing your starting point. The assessment gives you a clear picture of where you are and priority area(s) for growth. When a coach comes alongside in your journey, you can discern and take the next faithful steps toward reproducing disciple-makers. I strongly recommend that you engage in the journey!
Dr. Bob Logan – Author The Discipleship Difference and The Church Planting Journey
Gary Reinecke and the team from InFocus have created a crucial resource for leaders and churches who are serious about being with Jesus on His Mission. I highly recommend the Disciple Coach Quiz as a tool for shaping the future of your disciple making efforts. The five qualities it measures and the behavior it supports provide a solid foundation for helping people authentically follow Jesus.
Gary Reinecke and his team have developed a really useful questionnaire which gives you an overall Disciple Coach Score as well as some improvement keys to help you grow in your commitment to His Mission.
Colin Noyes – Author As You Go, Makes Disciples, Making Disciples in a Postmodern Era & Making Disciples Coaching Guide with Storyboard
The Disciple Coach Quiz is a powerful tool that helps leaders understand and assess where they are as disciple makers. This is a key to effectively coach others to make disciples and empower generations for disciples.
Micah Dodson – Director, Thrive Church Planting
The InFocus team have put together a very helpful tool in the Disciple Coach Quiz. It only took a few minutes to complete and gave comprehensive feedback that was immediately helpful. The quiz helped me identify where I was weakest and the quiz report offered up quality questions to help me start down the road of growth in this area.
Daniel Bethel – Church Planting Director, Christar International (Malaga, Spain)
I took the quiz at a pivotal time in my ministry. Very recently retired from over 40 years in pastoral work, I’ve been praying about how God might use me in this new season of life. The results of the quiz helped me identify several areas I want to strengthen as I begin to volunteer in a new church where I’m not the pastor, but am one of the elder disciples and could readily become a disciple coach. As I pray about how to make the most of the time I have now been given, this helps me identify places (and people with whom) I want to be strategic.
Rev. Gayle Parker