THE CORE RESOURCE: A Tool For Personal Discipleship

This workbook / or the app is to be used when walking alongside a newer-in-the faith believer to spiritually mentor him/her.
Available in .PDF and electronic App format on our website: www.disciplers.org

WHERE DO I FIND BELIEVERS TO MENTOR?

I must seek God’s choices about whom to mentor.

A. Pray for discernment. Ask God to make it clear whom He is choosing to minister to through you, and where you should invest your time, energy and possessions.

Jesus let His Father make the decision when choosing the 12 disciples.

Luke 6:12-16 … He went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God. When daylight came, He summoned His disciples, and He chose 12 of them—He also named them apostles.

Sadly, many “older” Christians, especially those who have found a comfortable and acceptable Christian lifestyle, are not overly interested in being mentored on toward spiritual maturity, fruitfulness and reproduction. Prayerfully look to the Lord for His confirmation.

Caution: Trying to disciple a disinterested person will usually lead to frustration!

IMPORTANT: If I spend my limited time with a disinterested person, I may be neglecting someone else who sincerely wants to grow.

Timing is also important, i.e. someone who is not interested today may be interested at some time in the future.

2-2 The Practical Aspect of Making Disciples

B. When praying about discipling, what characteristics should I look for in other Christians?

1. New believers are “baby Christians” who need someone to walk alongside them to answer questions and help them understand how to follow the Lord and grow spiritually.

2. Christians who are living defeated lives in a “desert” experience (often for years), who through a God orchestrated crisis have found themselves humbled and are finally willing to acknowledge that He can manage their life better than they can. (His Lordship)

3. Christians, who have acknowledged His Lordship over their life, want to walk with Him but their growth has stagnated, because they don’t know how to consistently abide in spiritual harmony with Christ.

4. Christians who want to be equipped to mentor others. This can be a very fulfilling and exciting adventure in mentoring, as well.

Read each characteristic on the diagram below.

C What traits should I look for in a disciple-to-be or mentee?

A spiritual hunger: Are they hungering and seeking after God?
Matthew 5:6 (Jesus said) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled.
A teachable attitude: Do they have an openness to Him? Do they see themselves as an apprentice learner and open to a spiritual mentor or tutor?
A reliability (dependability): Do they want to apply His truth to their life? Is spiritual growth a priority in their life?
2 Timothy 2:2 (Paul told Timothy) And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Caution: It is not good if they think they’re doing me a favor.

TWO METHODS FOR CONNECTING MENTORS TO A MENTEE

1. Personal:

Through the prompting of the Holy Spirit and making oneself available, the mentor creates a discipleship relationship with the potential mentee on his/her own.
Together set up a time / place to meet regularly.

2. Corporate:

(If a church has set up a formalized process and designated a Discipleship Coordinator, this process would apply.) See Implementation Guidelines on our website or click here to access in the app.

Pastoral leadership makes a “Discipleship Coordinator” aware of potential mentees, identified because of getting saved, being baptized, personal interaction, etc.
The mentor is made aware of a potential mentee, either through personal contact or from a recommendation from the Pastor or a Coordinator.
The mentor seeks discernment from the Holy Spirit to reveal if this person may be the correct mentee for the mentor.
If so, the mentor makes the connection to meet.
1. Suggestion: The mentor recommends a “meet and greet for coffee” to get acquainted, show the workbook and/or App, and discuss the parameters of entering into a mentoring relationship.
2. TIP: While you should encourage a potential mentee to try the mentoring process, do NOT pressure them.
Together set up a time / place to meet regularly and report back to the Discipleship Coordinator the results. (for tracking purposes)

NOTE: Each method involves the Holy Spirit’s leading. This is critical.

Watch this video for an overview of Lesson 2-2.

Open 2-2 - The Practical Aspects of Making Disciples in PDF format

Go to 2-3 - Suggested Guidelines for Mentoring Another Person

2-2 The Practical Aspect of Making Disciples