Three Stages of Discipleship
It’s important for Brother to Brother and Life on Life coaches to know how to identify where their disciples are at the beginning of their journey and how to give them hope, vision, and encouragement for the weeks they will spend with you.
As coaches, our role is to help our disciples mature and grow so they can move from one stage of development to the next and eventually coach other disciples.
Stage 1: The Searcher
(Come and See)
A person who does not know God but is searching for him is spiritually dead because they have not yet been born from above. In a word, they have been living in a stage of unbelief, but something about their life has taken a turn and they realize something is missing. This person is often someone you have had some type of relationship with and they feel they can connect with you.
The “Come and See” sessions are the meat and potatoes diet of the searcher. As a discipleship coach you are a guide, helping searchers explore the Scriptures, teaching to observe all that Jesus has commanded and inviting them to imitate you as you imitate Christ.
Stage 2: The Apprentice
(Follow Me)
Simply put, the apprentice has a sincere desire to follow Jesus. He or she has realized that their need for Christ extends beyond ‘fire-insurance’ or agreement with him and they are ready for a deeper dive to discover what it means to follow him. The apprentice has wrestled his or her way through doubts and questions that were stumbling blocks to faith. They have seen what the world looks like through God’s eyes and have said ‘yes”’ to their need for the Gospel and the Holy Spirit. All this has led to genuine repentance and the desire to turn away from sin.
As their coach, you will walk with your apprentices week by week. By coaching them through each chapter of Brother to Brother or Life on Life, you will be guiding them to live in close proximity to Christ, and to depend on the Holy Spirit as he transforms them into productive disciples who are able to teach and disciple others.(2Timothy 2:2)
Stage 3: Discipleship Coach
The discipleship coaches are equipped and willing to answer the call of Jesus to join him as a harvester of souls (Matthew 9:36-38). They have invested considerable time and commitment, growing in Christ through dialogue, prayer, journaling and experiencing the rich scriptural content found in Brother to Brother or Life on Life.
Coaches bear witness to the spiritual fruit of Galatians 5:22-23 that flows out of their abiding relationship with Christ (John 15). They are committed to arrange their life’s priorities relative to daily study of God’s Word and continual growth in their relationship with the Lord through prayer and obedience to the commands of Jesus.
The discipleship coach desires to live a Spirit-filled life worthy of imitation (1 Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 3:17; 4:9, 2 Timothy 3:10-11, Titus 2:7-8 and 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9).
The discipleship coach is confident that answering God’s call to be a disciple of Jesus demands a personal commitment to “go” and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), to take an active role as a co-worker with Christ in the harvesting of souls (Matthew 9:37), and accept the responsibility to teach others (2 Timothy 2:2).
Discipleship coaches understand that the Holy Spirit is the Source that produces the fruit of authentic discipleship as he or she guides searchers and apprentices to become effective disciple-makers.
