Discipleship Framework
Staff coaching is the intentional one-on-one mentorship of new leaders by the church leadership or staff leading your group ministry. For small churches, this model can be an excellent way to make sure all new groups launch with healthy leaders who embody your ministry’s culture and values.
Typically, the staff or key leaders overseeing your groups will coach some or all group leaders, keeping an open line of communication with their leaders and intentionally meeting with them at least once a quarter or semester. Coaches should have a close relationship with each group leader so that they can support and help develop leaders.
While this hands-on approach does not necessarily create a high volume of new group leaders, it is a much more controlled way to ensure that all group leaders are prepared to lead groups the way you envision.
Apprenticeship decentralizes the leadership development process, empowering group leaders to identify and develop leaders in their groups. This model of development inspires group multiplication and can produce an ever-increasing group of potential leaders. Apprenticeship follows a four-step process:
- You watch me. The apprentice observes the leader and learns from their example.
- I lead with your help. The apprentice takes on some small responsibilities under the leader’s guidance.
- You lead with my help. The apprentice takes on significant leadership roles while the group leader assists them.
- I watch you. The apprentice takes on full leadership responsibilities while the leader coaches and gives feedback to the apprentice.
While the apprenticeship model shifts responsibility for leadership development to groups, church leadership must remain active in overseeing and approving new leaders. All apprentices must meet your standard for leadership and maintain the culture of your group ministry.
A leadership accelerator is an intentional event or weeks-long training that equips a large group of new leaders. During the accelerator, you will share your Big Hope, describe your small group model and logistics, and clearly communicate the expectations for small group leaders. It is both theological and practical, helping leaders understand the heart behind groups and what it actually looks like to lead a group. While not as effective as long-term relational discipleship environments, accelerators get the ball rolling so new groups can be formed quickly. After the accelerator, church staff or key leaders will need to be active in supporting, coaching, and training leaders as they launch their groups.
Accelerators can be a half-day event, a full-day event, or take place over 4–6 weekly lunches or evening meetings—whatever works best in your context. If you would like to run a leader accelerator in your church, consider using the Leader Accelerator course included in the Discipleship Framework.
Group Discipleship is a long-term mentorship style of leader development. Instead of teaching people how to be group leaders, a church staff member or a key volunteer takes a group of five to ten individuals and focuses on their relationship with Christ for six months to a year. As group members grow as disciples, they will be called and equipped to go and make more disciples. This framework, in essence, puts potential group leaders into one of your small groups, allowing you to model how it works. While this method of leader development takes more time and creates fewer leaders than an accelerator, group discipleship creates stronger disciple-makers in a setting that instills your vision and culture into your group leaders.
Note: To see an example of group discipleship, check out The Trueface Journey.
Staff coaching is the intentional one-on-one mentorship of new leaders by the church leadership or staff leading your group ministry. For small churches, this model can be an excellent way to make sure all new groups launch with healthy leaders who embody your ministry’s culture and values.
Typically, the staff or key leaders overseeing your groups will coach some or all group leaders, keeping an open line of communication with their leaders and intentionally meeting with them at least once a quarter or semester. Coaches should have a close relationship with each group leader so that they can support and help develop leaders.
While this hands-on approach does not necessarily create a high volume of new group leaders, it is a much more controlled way to ensure that all group leaders are prepared to lead groups the way you envision.
Staff coaching is the intentional one-on-one mentorship of new leaders by the church leadership or staff leading your group ministry. For small churches, this model can be an excellent way to make sure all new groups launch with healthy leaders who embody your ministry’s culture and values.
Typically, the staff or key leaders overseeing your groups will coach some or all group leaders, keeping an open line of communication with their leaders and intentionally meeting with them at least once a quarter or semester. Coaches should have a close relationship with each group leader so that they can support and help develop leaders.
While this hands-on approach does not necessarily create a high volume of new group leaders, it is a much more controlled way to ensure that all group leaders are prepared to lead groups the way you envision.
Apprenticeship decentralizes the leadership development process, empowering group leaders to identify and develop leaders in their groups. This model of development inspires group multiplication and can produce an ever-increasing group of potential leaders. Apprenticeship follows a four-step process:
- You watch me. The apprentice observes the leader and learns from their example.
- I lead with your help. The apprentice takes on some small responsibilities under the leader’s guidance.
- You lead with my help. The apprentice takes on significant leadership roles while the group leader assists them.
- I watch you. The apprentice takes on full leadership responsibilities while the leader coaches and gives feedback to the apprentice.
While the apprenticeship model shifts responsibility for leadership development to groups, church leadership must remain active in overseeing and approving new leaders. All apprentices must meet your standard for leadership and maintain the culture of your group ministry.
A leadership accelerator is an intentional event or weeks-long training that equips a large group of new leaders. During the accelerator, you will share your Big Hope, describe your small group model and logistics, and clearly communicate the expectations for small group leaders. It is both theological and practical, helping leaders understand the heart behind groups and what it actually looks like to lead a group. While not as effective as long-term relational discipleship environments, accelerators get the ball rolling so new groups can be formed quickly. After the accelerator, church staff or key leaders will need to be active in supporting, coaching, and training leaders as they launch their groups.
Accelerators can be a half-day event, a full-day event, or take place over 4–6 weekly lunches or evening meetings—whatever works best in your context. If you would like to run a leader accelerator in your church, consider using the Leader Accelerator course included in the Discipleship Framework.
Group Discipleship is a long-term mentorship style of leader development. Instead of teaching people how to be group leaders, a church staff member or a key volunteer takes a group of five to ten individuals and focuses on their relationship with Christ for six months to a year. As group members grow as disciples, they will be called and equipped to go and make more disciples. This framework, in essence, puts potential group leaders into one of your small groups, allowing you to model how it works. While this method of leader development takes more time and creates fewer leaders than an accelerator, group discipleship creates stronger disciple-makers in a setting that instills your vision and culture into your group leaders.
Note: To see an example of group discipleship, check out The Trueface Journey.
Staff coaching is the intentional one-on-one mentorship of new leaders by the church leadership or staff leading your group ministry. For small churches, this model can be an excellent way to make sure all new groups launch with healthy leaders who embody your ministry’s culture and values.
Typically, the staff or key leaders overseeing your groups will coach some or all group leaders, keeping an open line of communication with their leaders and intentionally meeting with them at least once a quarter or semester. Coaches should have a close relationship with each group leader so that they can support and help develop leaders.
While this hands-on approach does not necessarily create a high volume of new group leaders, it is a much more controlled way to ensure that all group leaders are prepared to lead groups the way you envision.
Apprenticeship decentralizes the leadership development process, empowering group leaders to identify and develop leaders in their groups. This model of development inspires group multiplication and can produce an ever-increasing group of potential leaders. Apprenticeship follows a four-step process:
- You watch me. The apprentice observes the leader and learns from their example.
- I lead with your help. The apprentice takes on some small responsibilities under the leader’s guidance.
- You lead with my help. The apprentice takes on significant leadership roles while the group leader assists them.
- I watch you. The apprentice takes on full leadership responsibilities while the leader coaches and gives feedback to the apprentice.
While the apprenticeship model shifts responsibility for leadership development to groups, church leadership must remain active in overseeing and approving new leaders. All apprentices must meet your standard for leadership and maintain the culture of your group ministry.
A leadership accelerator is an intentional event or weeks-long training that equips a large group of new leaders. During the accelerator, you will share your Big Hope, describe your small group model and logistics, and clearly communicate the expectations for small group leaders. It is both theological and practical, helping leaders understand the heart behind groups and what it actually looks like to lead a group. While not as effective as long-term relational discipleship environments, accelerators get the ball rolling so new groups can be formed quickly. After the accelerator, church staff or key leaders will need to be active in supporting, coaching, and training leaders as they launch their groups.
Accelerators can be a half-day event, a full-day event, or take place over 4–6 weekly lunches or evening meetings—whatever works best in your context. If you would like to run a leader accelerator in your church, consider using the Leader Accelerator course included in the Discipleship Framework.
Group Discipleship is a long-term mentorship style of leader development. Instead of teaching people how to be group leaders, a church staff member or a key volunteer takes a group of five to ten individuals and focuses on their relationship with Christ for six months to a year. As group members grow as disciples, they will be called and equipped to go and make more disciples. This framework, in essence, puts potential group leaders into one of your small groups, allowing you to model how it works. While this method of leader development takes more time and creates fewer leaders than an accelerator, group discipleship creates stronger disciple-makers in a setting that instills your vision and culture into your group leaders.
Note: To see an example of group discipleship, check out The Trueface Journey.
A leadership accelerator is an intentional event or weeks-long training that equips a large group of new leaders. During the accelerator, you will share your Big Hope, describe your small group model and logistics, and clearly communicate the expectations for small group leaders. It is both theological and practical, helping leaders understand the heart behind groups and what it actually looks like to lead a group. While not as effective as long-term relational discipleship environments, accelerators get the ball rolling so new groups can be formed quickly. After the accelerator, church staff or key leaders will need to be active in supporting, coaching, and training leaders as they launch their groups.
Accelerators can be a half-day event, a full-day event, or take place over 4–6 weekly lunches or evening meetings—whatever works best in your context. If you would like to run a leader accelerator in your church, consider using the Leader Accelerator course included in the Discipleship Framework.
Group Discipleship is a long-term mentorship style of leader development. Instead of teaching people how to be group leaders, a church staff member or a key volunteer takes a group of five to ten individuals and focuses on their relationship with Christ for six months to a year. As group members grow as disciples, they will be called and equipped to go and make more disciples. This framework, in essence, puts potential group leaders into one of your small groups, allowing you to model how it works. While this method of leader development takes more time and creates fewer leaders than an accelerator, group discipleship creates stronger disciple-makers in a setting that instills your vision and culture into your group leaders.
Note: To see an example of group discipleship, check out The Trueface Journey.
Reflect
Great Questions to Come Back To:
- Do we have the quantity of leaders needed for our relational discipleship goals?
- Do we have the quality of leaders needed for our relational discipleship goals?
- How do we identify future leaders in our church?
- What processes and content do we use to develop a group leader?
- How does our development process develop the theology and identity of our leaders?
- Is our development working? Where and how can it be improved?
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