All churches want to grow disciples with a real growing faith in Jesus Christ, not just members committed to a religious institution. But only a few churches seem to know how to make disciples. Finally, there is a resource that invites individuals and small groups into a process of discovering a maturing relationship as disciples of Jesus Christ. This interactive guide provides six months of engaging activities around six key dimensions of discipleship: worship, hospitality, opening to Jesus, obeying Jesus, service, and generosity.

Discipler: An Interactive Guide to Intentional, Relational, Accountable Discipleship

Religion & Spirituality

Maynard, Phil

Pipkin, Eddie

Christian Books & Bibles

Market Square Publishing

For many congregations, there is a lack of clarity about what a disciple is and what a disciple does. Your congregation might find it helpful to have a larger conversation in worship or as a small group series around this theme. Disciple Like Jesus could provide the framework for this conversation. At the conclusion of each section, you will find a set of discussion questions that could support this conversation.Small Group StudyThere are many small groups of different varieties meeting at thousands of churches every week. They are forming bonds, supporting each other, often studying, and sometimes serving together. And yet, many people in many congregations sense there is something missing. They just don't know what that might be. Disciple Like Jesus could launch them on a new way of engaging life both within and outside of the Church.Accountability GroupEach of the dimensions of discipleship described in this book includes specific suggestions for behaviors that help develop the "life of" ways of living like Jesus. Accountability is vital to this process. Whether through mentoring, apprenticing, coaching, small groups, or triads, partners can and should process this resource together. They should commit to specific behaviors, and hold each other accountable for progress. Leadership TrainingThe greatest form of leadership in the Church is the leading of disciples toward maturity in becoming more like Jesus. There are skills, presented in Disciple Like Jesus, that can help develop more effective leadership toward this goal. In a strong sense, every disciple is called to be this kind of leader. But those publicly identified as leaders (in whatever role) have a biblically mandated special responsibility to be modeling this kind of discipleship development.Personal StudyDisciple Like Jesus provides many tools for exploration for individuals into the ways in which they can become more like Jesus and disciple like Jesus did. There are also many references for further study and personal growth. We do believe, however, that while this is a great resource for individual study, it is even better to study with a friend or two.

Disciple Like Jesus: Making Disciples Like Jesus Who Make Disciples Like Jesus

Growth as a disciple begins with a good foundation. We need to learn how to pray, how to begin reading the Bible, how to live in authentic relationships, how to have a devotional time, how to use the resources God has provided, how to discern our call to serve, and how to share our faith. In this new updated edition of Foundations, these basic foundational spiritual disciplines are presented in an easy to understand and very practical format. Use this resource with a small group of new believers, with a nextgensmallgroup.com virtual small group, or with a new member class or as a guide in a mentoring relationship. Even seasoned believers are finding this to be a valuable resource to strengthen their spiritual lives.

Foundations - an Introduction to Christian Practices: Revised and Updated for The 2020s

Best-selling author Phil Maynard wrote The Journey's Call for as a part of The Greatest Expedition, a series of books by leading United Methodist authors to help local congregations to reach new people in their communities.\nThe people called Methodists are part of what was one of the greatest movements in all of history. Methodism was not conceived as a new kind of institution to do what we have always done in a more structured, restrictive way. It was a movement to reform the institutional church. It was a movement to help people rediscover the amazing relationship God has offered to us through Jesus Christ. It was a movement to revitalize the great balancing of ideas of holiness of heart and holiness of life. It was a movement to recapture the change that God works in the heart through faith in Christ.\nFor modern-day Methodists, the present challenge is to embrace adaptive change - not merely to employ technical changes to pull every trick out of the hat to preserve the institution as it has been - but to remain true to the Great Commission while modifying our approach with flourish and finesse. It's not about institutional preservation. It's about a bold, adaptive journey that ultimately honors the narrative of our heritage as Methodists and defines us as faithful and fearless disciples.\n“Phil Maynard is an experienced guide for such a journey as this. Let him guide you and your church through this incredible resource to reclaim your Methodist roots as you embark on an expedition to be the church that God is calling you to be in this time.” 
Rev. Jason C. Stanley 
Coordinator for Church RevitalizationElizabeth River District, Virginia Conference\n“Maynard brilliantly weaves together the call for The Greatest Expedition journey through the filters of a pioneer theology vs. a settler theology. Our Methodist roots call us to be pioneers on a journey to share the Good News, not to be settlers in pews. Phil helps us re-focus once again in becoming the movement that John Wesley intended.” 
Kay Kotan 
Author of Being The Church in a Post-Pandemic World\n“In The Journey’s Call, Dr. Maynard equips us to embrace the journey of our faithas a sequence of intentional steps, actively walking with Christ while embracing our identity as a beloved child of God. This book is a helpful resource for equipping and engaging people on their journey to belong to the body of Christ and become more like Jesus while blessing the world. ” 
Mary Noble Parish 
Executive Pastor, First UMC Dothan, Alabama\n“In The Journey’s Call, Phil Maynard helps us to walk into the future by reminding us of our past. As we move into a new (and sometimes uncertain) future, Phil brings us back to the core basics of our rich Wesleyan heritage and gives modern day applications of those basics. This book is a valuable resource as we blaze new paths in the name of Jesus.”\nJason T. Zebert 
Conference Coaching Coordinator, Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church

The Journey's Call: Returning to our pioneer roots (The Greatest Expedition)

Discipleship is one of those topics that we talk about a lot in the church. Every church does discipleship in some form, yet most churches admit that this is an area with which they struggle to be effective and fruitful.But discipleship existed long before even the Great Commission of Jesus. There were disciples of Moses, disciples of the Pharisees, and even disciples of John the Baptist.Discipleship happens in relationships. It's a "contact sport." When we want to help someone grow as a disciple, our first impulse should not be to give them a book or training guide (although these may be helpful resources) and send them off to a corner to process what they're reading. We invite them into a relationship with someone further along the path of discipleship. It is important to note that in contrast to the perspective of many congregations, discipleship is about how we live rather than what we know.This discipler (partner) walks alongside the disciple. When the junior partner doesn't understand something, the discipler explains it. When they stumble, we help them up and dust them off. When they start off on a "rabbit trail," we bring them back to focus. When they need a helping hand, we reach out.Good disciplers help people see the end-goal of the process (becoming more like Jesus). They help the disciple keep their eyes on the target.In Discipleship in the New Expedition, Phil Maynard helps readers understand and initiate the steps leading God's call to discipleship. Each church's discipleship process looks different. The most important thing to remember is that a church needs an intentional discipleship process in place. Without an intentional discipleship process/pathway, the church will not be fulfilling the Great Commission.

Discipleship in the New Expedition (The Greatest Expedition)