Program

PHILOSOPHY

  1. The focus of the "Great Commission" is much more than just evangelism. The focus is also to make disciples out of the believers who will then in turn evangelize and disciple.
  2. There are many believers but few disciples. (Those that abide in the Word of God.)
  3. To disciple is to mold the character of the believer so as to permit the character of the Lord to shine through. Discipling is also the preparation and the equipping of the believer for the ministry that God has prepared for him in the church.
  4. The discipleship has to be based on the Bible and its principles and the changes must come from the vital relationship between the Lord and the believer.
  5. The success of the discipleship depends more on the developing of the believer’s character to reflect the Lord’s character than on the believer’s ability and biblical knowledge. Christians now much more of the will of God than they practice.
  6. Since the process of developing character is the most difficult part of discipleship, the program is prolonged (10 years for 5 levels) to permit a maximum time for the achievement of necessary changes in the believer’s character and the bettering of his ministering abilities before the disciple becomes a minister.
  7. The knowledge of data and biblical information is NOT the goal of the program so we follow the motto "Nothing is taught until it is learned and nothing is learned until it is practiced."
  8. The goals of each subject should be these:
    A. as flexible as possible, so as to challenge the believer to take the next step in his relationship with the Lord.
    B. measurable, so that the believer can clearly know what needs to be done and when it has been accomplished with God’s help.
    C. personal, so as to avoid the same rule for everyone (legalism).
    D. aplicable to the area of practice or character of the believer.
  9. The process of discipleship is better done in groups where the believer can learn:
    10. A. to relate with the believers.
    B. to trust that the Lord can work in him and the other believers.
    • that being a disciple includes being integrated and discerning member of the body of Christ.
    • Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” NIV

 

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

  1. For every concept, characteristic, and ability taught, there will be specific written goals of performance and patterns of accomplishment. Theses will be communicated in clear and measurable terms to the tutors and the students.
  2. What is to be accomplished in each level is clearly defined, adapting every experience of that level towards that goal.
  3. The students have to identify orally with concrete examples of what they have experienced because of the instruction received.
  4. The focus is on oral communication of the truth and testimony since this is the usual way of communication in the churches.
  5. The instruction is started at the simplest level so as to assure that all the basic disciplines and developments of character are thoroughly completed before advancing to higher levels of discipleship.
  6. The student will eliminate himself from further discipleship by not doing the required work or inability to meet with the required standards or at the point where he realizes what his part is in the body of Christ and that he doesn’t have the gifts to acquire higher levels of leadership. (A rate of dropouts is expected as the first level progresses due to being able to identify the serious believers.)
  7. In every class these three areas are emphasized; Biblical knowledge, ministerial capability and spiritual character. Every evaluation is done with these three areas present.
  8. The instruction is progressive- each class, trimester, and level is based on the one before.
  9. The instruction is flexible so as to permit the regional, cultural, and economical differences.
  10. The instruction is limited to only the areas needed to disciple the student into a servant-leader in each level. (More education will be given to those who are recognized leaders.)
  11. Trimesters are 9 weeks long with some time in between so as to permit the students a rest and a time to finish other responsibilities.

THE GROUP DYNAMICS

  1. A mixed group will stimulate learning, compassion and understanding between generations, subcultures and vocations.
  2. The group size is limited (between 5 to 10 people) so participation can be encouraged.
  3. The group consists of students from the same church in the first two levels so the trust needed to produce spiritual maturity in each member can be easily obtained.
  4. In the first two levels, the tutors are from the same church as the students to create a trust so the students will share with others on a deeper level and help each other.

ORGANIZATION

  1. The organization of the program is kept as simple as possible, it’s only change to make more efficient.
  2. The director has to have a vision to train leaders in every level of the local church.
  3. Liberty on behalf of the director towards the tutors helps the tutors to develop their talents to disciple within the limits of the program.

TUTORS

  1. The tutors should live in the same area of the students to be able to help them practice their faith and observe the changes and the development of character.
  2. Before being a tutor, the disciple should have completed at least two trimesters.
  3. The tutors are instructed through different workshops that are organized in between each trimester.