A Plan For Discipling A New Believer

You may want the discipleship process to be very organic, but you may also desire to share some hopes and expectations.

Communicating expectations can cast a vision for what discipleship can be, and it shows the new believer how intentional you're being. This teaches them to intentionally look for others that may be newer to the faith that they may be able to disciple one day. 

If you desire to share your hopes or expectations, you may communicate something like...

"I am so happy you've become a follower of Jesus. That is so awesome and I'm so happy for you! There is a word Christians use quite a bit called "discipleship." Basically, discipleship is when one Christian helps another follow Jesus. Especially when you are a new Christian, having someone further along in the faith help you learn and grow is really important. I'd love to intentionally help you grow in your walk with Christ. This would include just spending time together to get to know each other and encourage each other, being a part of a bigger community together (church and community group), and meeting up to study the bible together every week or two. I'd also love to just be a resource as you have questions. I usually recommend new believers meet with another believer for intentional discipleship for at least a year to help develop the foundation of their new life of following Christ. Let me know if you are interested in something like this. If you're up for it, I'd love to get to know each other better and do whatever I can to help you grow in your relationship with God." 

Part of discipling someone is simply growing in friendship and spending time together.

Consider the following Bible verses...

(1 Thess. 2:8) Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

Paul says that he and his team not only taught the Thessalonians through preaching or formal teaching, but they shared their lives with them as well. Discipleship at its best is relational!

(2 Tim. 3:10-11) You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured.

Paul says that Timothy, a younger Christian Paul discipled, knows his teaching, way of life, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, and sufferings. How would Timothy know all that? They must have spent quite a bit of time together. Timothy must have been with Paul a lot, to not only hear his teachings but watch his life.

Don't overcomplicate this. Invite the person you are discipling to do whatever you already do with you.

• Eat together
• Exercise together
• Run errands together
• Invite them to your family movie night or game night
• Go on a weekend vacation together
• Invite them to come to your child's baseball game

Whatever you are already doing, invite them along. Spend time together. You will get to know each other, ask each other questions, and build relational trust. Trust is so important in discipleship. So much of the Christian life is caught more than taught. Living life in front of someone so that they can follow your example as you follow Christ is crucial to discipleship. 

Don't think that you have to disciple this new believer alone. And, if you try to disciple them alone, you aren't doing good discipleship, because you aren't showing them the importance of the local church.

Invite them to your church and to your community group. This allows you to spend more time together, shows them the importance of community, exposes them to biblical teaching/preaching, and involves other Christians in their discipleship process.

Consider the following verses...

(Acts 2:42-47) 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

This is a beautiful picture of Christian fellowship from the early church. 

(Hebrews 3:12-13) 12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

This shows the importance of being a part of a community of faith that will encourage you.

(Hebrews 10:24-25) 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Again, this shows the importance of meeting together with a community of faith to encourage each other in the faith.

There are some basic theological concepts and spiritual practices that new believers need to be taught soon after their new birth. I recommend meeting with your friend for 1-2 hours each week or every other week for a time of study and prayer. I also recommend using a discipleship curriculum or book that is designed for helping new believers. For recommended resources, see the FAQ below. 

A possible outline for a normal meeting...

• (5-10 minutes) Check-in and small talk
• (30-40 minutes) Read and study a paragraph or two of the Bible together
• (10-20 minutes) Talk about the book that you are reading together between meetings
• (10 minutes) Pray for each other

*The above is just a possible way to structure a meeting. It does not have to feel formal, and it doesn't have to look the same each time. 

A few thoughts...

1. Find someone to teach you.
2. Use a resource to teach yourself
   • Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin (book) 
   • Inductive Study Method PDF (2 page doc)
3. Don't shy away from initiating discipleship because you don't feel confident in your ability to teach them how to study the Bible. So often, we learn ourselves because we have to learn to be able to teach others.