Sharing Life III

In our time together we quickly discovered two things. First, an hour wasn't enough time. And that what we were doing was well worth it. We saw that the triad atmosphere is different than a small group study, Sunday School, and definitely preaching. We noticed how open we became with each other over the first six weeks or so. We noticed how we all looked forward to the time together. And often if one had to miss, the other two met, even though they didn't do the material for the week.

We would suggest that you commit at least an hour and a half. Trust me, you will want to. On the other hand, you don't have to finish each lesson in the allotted time. Both groups regularly took two weeks to do a lesson because the discussion was so good. We all got to ask all the questions that we wanted to ask, and wrestle with them together. Remember, not content based, but relationship based. There are 25 lessons in the manual, and 52 weeks in a year, you got time.

One criticism that we had was that the first page in each lesson was not very helpful. We ended up skipping it in both groups most of the time. It did give the scripture memory and study passage for the week, but that was about the extent of its usefulness.

Three things that we would add. We would add a component of daily intercession on behalf of your other triad members. This is something that we found ourselves doing anyway often, but we felt like it would be good to be more intentional about it. Secondly we would add a fellowship component outside of the weekly meeting. It would be neat for families to get involved in the deepening rerelationships that are forming. It would also give us a chance to model biblical fellowship to others. Thirdly, we would do a couple of lessons on very practical issues. The study is very general in some aspects. And for men's triads, I would add lessons on being a good husband, sexual purity, and family worship. These are just some of the areas that could have been dealt with more thoroughly if the study was gender or age specific. But again, the study is broad enough where you can work all these things in when you want to.

I am firmly convinced that if we truly want to make disciples in our churches, that we must do some things different. And one thing that we must do is get back to one on one/two discipling over the long term, pouring our lives into one another. Without the use of this tool, I forsee more great difficulty and failure in our goal to make disciples (not that this tool guarantees success, just that it is necessary). For in the end our first two triads I am fully anticipating the results that we are now standing firmer in Christ and closer to our brethren, as well and poised and inspired to continue the process of making more disciples, and advancing the kingdom!

Sharing Life II

In my previous post, I discussed how we started to discipleship triads, and how great they went. So let me fill in some of the gaps on how's and why's.

I ordered some of the Discipleship Essentials manuals and asked two men to meet with me once a week for about an hour for a year. The commitment to the time is the hardest part. But this study is really not content-based. It is more about relationships and sharing life than about learning lots of verses of biblical truths. Although that having been said, the study part of it is not shallow, in fact is very deep, and deals with difficult truths (theodicy, sovereignty of God in salvation and suffering, etc.), quotes Piper, Packer, Stott, and others. But again, the main point of the study is to develop lives together.

So Monday morning at 5:45 AM three of us began our walk together with Christ and Greg Ogden in September of last year. We shared some of life each week, prayed for each other, and studied the Word together. And this group became the group of people that I would share anything with, and I mean anything. We all began to grow in closeness with each other and with Jesus.

It was going so good that I started a second triad with two other men. I will not do two groups at a time again simply because of time, but it went great too! The first two men were biblically-knowledgeable, and discipled. The second triad was made up of men whom the church had seen come to Christ, baptized, and then expected to grow upon their own. No one had ever discipled these men intentionally. And I figured that this would really be the test of Ogden's methodology. So we began meeting at 6 AM on Wednesdays. And their testimony was weekly, "this is the best thing that New River has ever done" to promote spiritual maturity and growth.

They began to grow in leaps and bounds. And it is not that these men were worldly or anything, but they just began to press on toward maturity. And their families and friends noticed their passion for Christ and the relationships in our group. And our relationship has surpassed that of a pastor or a hunting buddy to that of a friend, deep and true.

And this is one of the reasons that I say that this is what God has been using in my life. I have been grown, challenged, held accountable, and been encouraged through these two triads. I thank God for His grace to me in this fashion, and for these men.

And now, as our first triad is over, these men are finding two other men a piece, and beginning their own triads; forming deeper relationships over truth with other men; discipling others in the way that Paul and Jesus did. In fact, even in the second triad, these men are beginning to think about who they want to take on in their next triad. And we have some ladies in our church that have seen how the men have responded, read Ogden's book, and are contemplating beginning triads of their own. Hopefully this will help transform our church over several years, and fill it full of genuine disciples for Christ.

In the next post, I try to outline some of the helpful hints and suggestions that our groups have come up with, in case you are interested in doing triads.

Sharing Life I

One of the things that has impacted my walk with Christ in the past year is sharing life together with two other men in a discipleship triad. And I have constantly referred to it on Facebook, in sermons, and in conversations with other believers and pastors, and one of them suggested that I blog about it and share what God is doing. Probably have to break it up into a couple of posts, so as not to be too lengthy. So here goes...

I have forgotten who turned my attention to the manual Discipleship Essentials by Greg Ogden. Or maybe I was perusing the latest advertisement magazine from Christian Book Distributors. But I have been for a long time reading about (and experiencing in churches) lots of discipleship programs, classes, studies, etc, and little results. Leonard Ravenhill thought that the 50's were a time of shallow faith, but certainly we have surpassed his era. And our commission is to make disciples. So in searching for a fresh way to make disciples, I came across this book. It was obviously a manual, and I wanted to read the method to the madness, so I ordered his other book, Transforming Discipleship.


This book detailed his journey as a pastor of education at several churches to find something that helps truly accomplish the task of making disciples. He told of the myriad of programs, and detailed the church's failure as a whole to produce mature believers, sound in their theology and serious in their biblical worldview. I was hooked! So he went on to describe his discovery, or rediscovery, of the method of disciple-making used by Jesus and Paul--one believer pouring out his life into other believers one at a time over a long period (not just six weeks), and covering the breadth of theology AND practical life issues, and providing depth of life relationally, accountability, encouragement, and challenge. It sounded too good to be true (not that it would be easy or quick), but it just made sense. So, I figured that I would try it and see. So, I started two groups; one last September, and one in January. The summary statement is that they are awesome! I am thrilled with the work that God is doing in all of our lives.

I will try to explain the how's and why's of their success, and how we went about doing this in the next post. But I know that I speak for the other men when I say that we are convinced of the power of the triad, and are going to continue using it to make disciples. You can find more info at Greg Ogden's website, and you can find his books at CBD and Amazon.com.