Thus, small group ministry aims to be both an invitational and an intentional ministry of the local church. The nature of the matter reveals a practical problem in the practice of small group ministry. Proxemics provides additional help in spiritual formation and discipleship of the church through small group ministry.
Assessment of Current Discipleship Practices
The Bible is the written Word of God and is completely accurate in everything it teaches. With regard to questions that emphasized gospel conversations and "going," the DMDS's pre-training survey found that leaders had high theological conviction to share the gospel. The leaders had a high biblical and theological conviction of service, but lacked a measure of ability to serve.
The leadership development results showed that the leaders lacked ministry competence to reproduce leadership and group multiplication. Half of the leaders showed some confidence in how to choose a group disciple, along with sharing vision and strategy to multiply their respective groups. Both leadership development and group proxemics were important in assessing the impact the training would have on the reproduction of leaders and multiplication of groups.
Conclusion
Training Handbook Development
The data also helped raise awareness of possible areas of improvement among the group leaders for future discipleship trainings throughout the following pastoral year. The group leader will impart a multiplicative strategy towards the group apprentice, which will ultimately lead to reproducing new leadership and multiplying new groups.
Equip Young Adult Leaders
The data collected from the post-training DMDS survey showed growth among leaders regarding gospel conversations and “going” components of the . However, the "ongoing" component questions were found to be significant with mean responses ranging from a pre-test 3 to a 5.23. Much of the training manual's content proved to be transferable, as the manual provided a visual component.
Several leaders commented on the accessibility of the material due to the visual aids in the training. The success of the first objective of this project was measured by entering the scores of pre- and post-training total scores for both surveys into a dependent t-test. Analyzing the above results of 16 pre- and 16 post-training surveys, a t-test for dependent samples showed a positive, statistically significant difference.
Strategic Plan to Reproduce Leaders and Multiply Groups Leaders and Multiply Groups
This consisted of inviting Kairos small group leaders and disciples to participate in the overall strategy of the church. Most of the leaders (87 percent) committed to serving with their group in the near future, while half of the group leaders committed to being contacted by a DMD coach for small group coaching. The success of the project is attributed to God's prompting of the hearts and lives of the Kairos congregation at BBC.
Pastors, pastors and group leaders in the BBC family found the need to create a disciple-making culture. They recognized a "discipleship gap" that needed to be bridged with more intentional discipleship with their group leaders and groups. The stated purpose of the project was to equip young adult small group leaders to make disciples in Kairos.
Assessment of Current Discipleship Practices
Group leaders submitted their survey prior to the training and I was able to modify some of the learning content to reflect areas of improvement needed for the retreat. The DMDS included categories such as the Lordship of Christ, Biblical Involvement, Salvation, Sin, and other related Biblical and theological concepts pertaining to a disciple.
Training Handbook Development and Implementation
Their perspective was invaluable as they critiqued the curriculum instead of the new group model to support the DMD strategy. One individual on the panel provided useful insight into the need to provide an executive summary as an overview of the DMD Training Handbook. The review will address general questions regarding the nature of the DMD strategy and lead to the relevance for a DMD training manual.
Grace Story Church's pastor offered an excellent critique of the ambiguous language the curriculum had early in its development. Finally, the third group that evaluated the curriculum consisted of the Kairos Discipleship Team (KDT). Their insight was invaluable as they added an essential element to the curriculum; namely "So what?" component of each session that represented their millennial mindset.
Equip Young Adult Leaders
Leaders commented on appropriate content and timing of instruction that allowed them time to process with their group and coach. After the lesson, the leaders were divided into two personal space groups based on gender. After the personal spatial groups, the groups were divided into smaller groups of two to three participants and formed transparent spatial groups.
Leaders appreciated the opportunity to meet other leaders in a more private setting. Several leaders commented on how they understand the value of close ministry in the local church. Hearing these comments was an added blessing as they gave me the confidence to organize a successful small group ministry using proxemics.
Strategic Plan to Reproduce Leaders and Multiply Groups
At the end of the final session, each group leader and apprentice received a DMDS survey and a DMD commitment card. A survey and commitment card were to be completed at the end of the retreat. The theory of proxemics has influenced the organization of an effective strategy for the implementation of the DMD strategy.
Finally, the strongest part of the project was the development of the Kairos Training Handbook. The benefit of being part of the BBC DMD Strategy Team allowed me to influence the strategy and content of the training. The handbook must be used for managers to equip their apprentices to lead.
Would Do Differently
Similarly, the members of the Kairos small group ministry have grown in their understanding that discipleship is not so much a program as it is a lifestyle of knowing, believing and following Jesus. There is much more to be said about the use of the spiritual disciplines within the context of the study of proxemics. As ministry moves from the public worship, that is, the public space, through descending proxemic contexts of social, personal and transparent, transparency between church members increases.
Despite the constraints necessitated by a pandemic, the timing of the project was ideal for myself and the BBC. The session is sufficiently thorough in its scope of the material on disciples making disciples in small groups. The research in which you are about to participate is designed to identify the current understanding of biblical discipleship and the practices by which disciples make disciples of the participant.
Biblical and Theological Foundations
I allow others in my small group to SD D DS AS A SA challenge me to become more like myself. I regularly confess sin to my SD D DS AS SA small group or to someone in my small group. I believe I should share the SD D DS AS SA gospel of Jesus Christ with people who do.
I regularly have gospel conversation SD D DS AS A SA with those who do not know Christ. I believe God wants me to serve my SD D DS SOM A SA neighbors in my community.
Disciple Making
Learning Objective: The DMD Group Leader (D-Leader)/Apprentice will discuss to understand the biblical and theological basis for disciple-making in lieu of
Core Concepts
New Covenant - A structured relationship that God established with the church as a one-sided relationship, initiated by God through Christ's death and resurrection (Heb 9:15).
Inductive Study 4 : Matthew 16:17-28
Visual Tool
As members of the body of Christ who form His New Covenant Church, we are invited to participate in His kingdom work here and now. Christ's invitation to lose our lives for His sake is our only way to live a meaningful life, to grow His kingdom instead of ours.
Application
Learning Objective: The DMD Group Leader/Apprentice will discuss to understand the value of the spiritual disciplines and their impact toward a disciple’s
The Spiritual Disciplines-The spiritual disciplines are the practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 6.
Inductive Study: Matt 28:16-20
Equip- works to make disciples by beginning with prayer about whom to teach, then inviting these individuals into our lives, resulting in disciples being able to do the work of ministering and discipling others.
Inductive Study: Acts 2:42-47
Learning Objective: DMD Group Leader/Student will discuss understanding that groups are ongoing biblical communities that grow, nurture, and equip disciples in various ministry contexts. Humans are made for community - it's in our DNA to be connected to each other. In the context of purposeful groups, we find the necessary invitation and challenge to grow, care for, and equip one another in Christ.
Learning Objective: The DMD Leader/Apprentice will discuss the importance of the DxD Group Apprentice to reproduce DxD Leaders and. DxD Group Apprentices - are those individuals that the DxD Group Leader deliberately invests in to reproduce DxD Leaders and multiply the groups.
Inductive Study: 2Timothy 2:1-7
- Session Five: Gospel Conversations Making Disciples Who Multiply Disciples with Jesus
The discipleship relationship gives potential leaders the opportunity to observe, learn, experience and practice disciple-making instead of just getting information. The accountability and intentionality of a disciple-making relationship allows us to learn from someone's life, instead of just gathering information. Learning Objective: The DMD Group Leader/Apprentice will discuss understanding the value of prayer in gospel conversations, the steering nature of a group.
Learning Objective: The DMD Group Leader/Apprentice will discuss to understand the value of prayer in gospel conversations, the sending nature of a group to
- Session Six: Going Missional in Making Disciples who Multiply Disciples with Jesus
As a disciple, if the gospel of Jesus has transformed our lives, it should also move us to share it with those around us who are searching. We are Christ's ambassadors to a lost and broken world, so the call has come for all of us to speak of the life and hope of the gospel to those on the streets, across the city and around the world. Number of people in the group trained to tell their salvation story and share the 3 circles gospel presentation.
Learning Objective: The DMD group leader/apprentice will discuss understanding the need for DMD groups to serve their campuses, neighbors, and states.
Learning Objective: The DMD Group Leader/Apprentice will discuss to understand the need for DMD Groups to serve their campuses, neighbors, and nations to
Inductive Study: Acts 1:1-11
The purpose of this project was to develop a disciple-making strategy among Brentwood Baptist Church's young adult small group leaders. The chapter offers a solution using proxemics in addition to spiritual disciplines in small group ministry.
