Making disciples is the heart of Jesus' Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20, ESV). But for many small-church pastors, creating a clear and effective discipleship plan feels overwhelming. That’s where NewStart Discipleship Tools can really provide some clarity in your ministry.
I've been a pastor 21 years, and been developing my discipleship pathway for 5 years, and I get asked this question all the time: "Which way would you recommend using these discipleship tools?"
Let me show you four practical ways to implement these tools and jumpstart discipleship in your church.
1. Use them in Small Groups
If your church values small groups, you’ve got a golden opportunity. Start a New Believers Group or encourage one group to dedicate a semester to NewStart resources. Imagine a group environment where new Christians grow in their faith alongside more seasoned believers. Each week, they can walk through Scripture, learn foundational truths, and discuss practical ways to follow Jesus.
Why it works: Groups create community and accountability—two key factors in long-term spiritual growth.
2. Empower 1-on-1 Discipleship
One-on-one discipleship is powerful, yet often underutilized.
With NewStart, your mature Christians will no longer say, “I don’t know how to disciple someone.” Give them tools that answer common objections like “I wasn’t trained” or “I don’t know where to start.” They can confidently reproduce their faith in a new believer, knowing they have a clear roadmap.
Practical Steps to Empower 1-on-1 Discipleship:
Share the NewStart plan with your congregation.
Identify & meet with mature believers who are ready to disciple others.
Train them on how to use the materials effectively.
“Discipleship is the ultimate spiritual impact—reproducing yourself in another believer.”
Discipleship Questions you can ask to promote this behavior
Here's one more Pro-Tip: The questions you ask help to drive discipleship down into your culture. Here are two specific questions you ought to ask frequently... then help people find an answer to:
"Who is discipling you right now?"
"Who are you discipling right now?"
3. Launch a Church-Wide Campaign
Sometimes, the fastest way to build momentum is to bring everyone on board. With NewStart, you can print materials for every member and work through them together as a congregation. Use this strategy to multiply disciple-makers quickly by making sure everyone understands the basics of discipleship.
This is what we did at my church with at least 3 of the tools from NewStart Discipleship when I first created them. Here's how it worked for us:
We printed copies for everyone in the church and handed them out for free.
I aligned the Sunday sermons with the weekly discipleship material.
I specifically promoted and mentioned it during sermons and announcements.
We encouraged our Connection Groups to use it to promote discussion.
Preaching, using it in groups, and sharing it in announcements creates a lot of alignment in the messages that people are getting. Campaigns like this help everyone—new believers, long-time members, and leaders—speak the same "discipleship language."
You can also try these options:
Encourage small groups or Sunday School classes to integrate it into their studies.
Share testimonies weekly from those being discipled.
For a lot more detail on what we did, and why it's important, you can check out this post about our church's discipleship campaign.
4. Use in Sunday School
Sunday School isn’t just for kids! Use NewStart as a ready-made curriculum. Members can complete modules during the week by watching videos or reading materials. Then, dedicate class time to discuss:
What stood out?
What didn’t make sense?
How can you apply this?
This approach integrates personal study and group interaction, deepening both understanding and commitment.
Why NewStart Works for Small Churches
Here’s the truth: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel or spend countless hours building a custom program. NewStart is designed with pastors of small churches in mind—pastors like me, who understand the struggle of balancing too many tasks with too few resources.
Whether you’re just starting to prioritize discipleship or looking for tools to refine your efforts, one of these four strategies will fit your church’s unique needs. Pick one and take action!
But which of these will work best?
I hate to break it to you, but... it depends.
When figuring out the best strategy for your church family, it's important to realize that how well it works depends on two main things:
a) how much it clicks with your congregation, and
b) how committed you are to executing it.
Every church is unique, with its own traditions, values, and dynamics. So, the strategy that really connects with your members is probably going to get the best results.
Plus, the strategy you pick has to be something you're ready to actually implement. Just like picking a diet book from the tons of options on Amazon, the right one is the one you'll actually commit to and follow through on. Consistency and connection are key, as they're what will make your approach successful.
What’s your next step?
Do you see your church using small groups, 1-on-1 relationships, a church-wide campaign, or Sunday School to grow disciples? Let me know in the comments below. Or better yet, drop your email below, and let’s schedule a call to figure it out together!
Here's a place to download the discipleship pathway ebook I've created:
Remember: The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing—and the main thing is discipleship!
Comments