The very first discipleship group I ever led met once a week in the basement of my parent’s home. I lived there at the time, and they allowed me to have a group of five guys come over each week to invade their house and hang out in the basement for an hour or two.
Bill, Steve, Keith, John, and Brad were many young guys I met while teaching at a beach retreat for a youth group my girlfriend (now wife) was leading. During a week-long retreat in Florida, God showed up and showed out in the lives of these teenagers. We had a revival! This group of about thirty teens was encountering God and experiencing a spiritual renewal in their hearts. Following the retreat, I knew I needed to keep investing in this small bunch of five guys that I had connected with during the retreat.
If you fast forward the tape about forty years, it is incredible where these men have ended up. Two ended up becoming pastors and are still in full-time ministry. One served as a church administrator for a while and is still faithful to God’s church. Another guy ended up becoming an elder in a church our church planted, and the last guy is not currently active in the church. With these results in mind, I thought I would share a few insights as I reflect on my time with the basement bunch.
First, start where you are! When I began meeting with these guys in the basement, I had yet to learn what I was doing. I had never been in a discipleship group. I needed a curriculum or guide for what to do. All I knew was that Jesus made disciples; I was called to do the same thing. I also knew that if I didn’t do something to help these guys grow, they would probably end up right back where they were before the retreat. I started where I was, and God honored that.
Second, use what you have! When Jesus started his discipleship group, there were lots of things he did not have that we think are essential. He did not have a building, a budget, or a book. He had himself and a group of hungry guys to meet with. I know many people who hesitate to make disciples because they don’t think they have the right resources. To make disciples, you only need three things—the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and the people of God.
Third, do the best you can! God is not looking for perfect people to make disciples. He is looking for people who are faithful and available. He will use you if he finds you usable! I wish I could say the results of the basement bunch were because of my expertise and ability as a disciple-maker. It wasn’t. I was making it up as I went. However, I was there every week for about a year, giving each meeting all I had. I regularly connected with these guys outside the group and did my best to encourage them and help them grow in their walk with God. God used me because he found me usable.
The basement bunch was so influential that I decided to continue making disciples for the rest of my life. So far, I have. I even write blogs and train others how to do it now. That means that Impact Discipleship Ministries is here to help you as you set out to make disciples. Please contact us for resources, training, or consulting on how to be and build disciples. You can reach us at impactdisciples.com.
