Real-Life Discipleship Training Manual: How to Build Churches That Make Disciples

by Jim Putman, Avery T. Willis Jr., Bill Krause

This companion training manual to Real-Life Discipleship provides unique guidance and insight to pastors, church leaders, and their disciples as they work to create an effective discipleship program.

With a thorough, results-oriented process that can be applied in other contexts and cultures, this manual explains the necessary components of disciplemaking so that every church member can play a part in reaching others for Christ.

This leader's resource shows you how to cultivate new leaders for the future and equip them to make disciples.

Genres: Discipleship, Church, Nonfiction, Christian

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

Reviews

[Carrie Daws · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was similar in theory to Mentor Like Jesus, but the overall, practical method is laid out differently. From what I read, either one would work well. I think it's more a matter of how you process the information and how much help you need. I like that this book was laid out less like a manual and more like a Bible study with fill-in-the-blanks, Bible passages to reflect on, and questions to answer.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good resource. It shows how a leader might intentionally move disciples from spiritual infancy to disciple-maker themselves. The last chapter provides a very practical format for a small group. Maybe read that first if wanting to start small groups.

Manual for leaders/mature disciples who are already a part of disciple group(s).
It might be best to read "Real Life Discipleship" first, before the manual?

[Nathan Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've gone through this workbook twice now and have been encouraged by the simple instruction from Jesus to make disciples. How do we do that? It's going to take a relational environment, an intentional leader, a biblical foundation, and a reproducible process. The reproducible process is the focus of the material in this book. Read this to better disciple anyone!

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no other way to teach how to disciple people the way Jesus did it with practical steps. Must read.

[Mike Self · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using this manual to train disciple-makers in our church. Excellent work!

[Frank Chirico · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was the focus of my church men's group and recommended by my pastor. At first, I was really excited about the book and had some really great points. I loved the fact that the focus of the book was describing the different people groups in a church and including their differences. The dead (unbeliever), infant, child, young adult, and parent. This was so valuable in how we as disciple-makers are to relate to each group, how to pick them out, and grow them to become parents and disciple-makers themselves.

But as helpful as this book was, it falls short in some areas that I have concern with.

First, the book never talks about hell as eternal conscious torment, but only as a "separation from God." It doesn't even come close to describe hell as it really is. Unbelievers are already separated from God; they don't care to be united with Him. So what is the point of saying that is beyond me.

Second, the book never describes the intricate details of the gospel, even the main verses in 1 Corinthians 15. How can you not explain the gospel and not talk about hell when a major part of dealing with unbelievers becoming born again and raising them up in the church? It makes no sense. It seems that this book poo-poo's confrontational evangelism sharing the gospel with strangers and getting into conversations with them in their world. It seems that the only evangelism this book talks about is inviting people to church or, at best, friendship evangelism.

Third, the very last week, they describe what a small-group curriculum is supposed to be like, which is telling bible stories without using God's Word, through a process called "Bible Storying." This is the most disturbing part of the book. One of the authors says, "many people today do not prefer to learn by reading...almost 60 percent of Americans never read another book after high school." That is a problem, so why are we catering to that? In the section, TELLING THE STORY, "the leader starts to tell the story to the group and says, "Here is the story from God's Word." His Bible is open, but he doesn't look at it and he tells his group to close our Bibles and just to listen as a story. He looks each person in the eye as he tells the story simply and accurately." Seriously? The authors pre-dispose people into believing they are hearing God's Word straight from the Bible, but then never read it, and tell the other people in the group not to make sure he is speaking accurately. This is very dangerous in my opinion. Even my wife, who teaches children in Sunday School, says it's completely the opposite of what she tells her students.

By doing a study like this, they say that everyone from dead to parent will learn at the speed of everyone else. The problem with this thinking is that young adults and parents will starve to death, and everyone will never get past children. It keeps adults and parents at child level. This is a very seeker-sensitive study at best.

I had high hopes for this class, and my pastor wanted to use it to raise men up to become group leaders and pastors of other churches. That will not happen with a book like this. I have to say, I don't recommend it.

[Ashley Gilles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a helpful guide to recognizing where yourself and others are in their relationship with Christ. I found some parts to be poorly written and needing updating/editing. I struggled with a few of the fundamentals that I will discuss with my pastor, as it doesn't necessarily affect the book rating. I feel this is a good starting point for believers - wether you're just starting out and want to know next steps, or you're well on your path and are unsure what's next. Regardless of my personal thoughts, this study was helpful in identifying ways to disciple others and grow.

[Mary Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went through this training book at a church class. It helps put things into perspective on how a person (depending on where they are at currently with their faith) will react to the gospel. How you can better articulate your words, approach them, and build relationships with them.
Extremely helpful

[Lindsey Hoobler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful workbook for understanding the reproducible process of disciple-making. I went through this book with a friend which worked pretty well. The study is definitely intended to be used with a small group.

[William Blanchette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good study

We used this for our small group and the format was good to give folks a daily task(s) it kept folks engaged. The leaders guide helped us get the most from each session.

[Emily Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went through this 11 week study at my church and it was absolutely amazing! It teaches you how to identify where someone may be in their faith journey and how to best connect with them. It also teaches you how to be a disciple and make disciple-makers. I highly recommend this study! ♥️

[Janet Browning · Rating 1 out of 5]

In my opinion this is a dangerous book. Scripture is used out of context and manipulated to fit the author’s process. He convolutes a simple process. Being immersed in God’s word leads to fruitfulness that nourishes those around you (Psalm 1). This book is a distraction from that.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really clear explanation of biblical discipleship. It's helpful and practical if you're trying to identify people to disciple and how to do it.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best thing I gained out of this book was to be intentional in disciple making. However, there were several points where the author's Arminianism got in the way of the discipleship process and distracted from it. He talked routinely about "choosing Christ" when no one chooses Christ. Rather, He chooses us. He talked about discipleship as a game or a team sport. I think that analogy breaks down too quickly to be of good use. Discipleship holds a much greater importance than a meaningless game. Also, in a game, you can't be certain of an outcome, whereas in discipleship the Lord's will will always be done. The last week of the study the author speaks of "telling Bible stories" without referencing the scripture directly. I could not imagine what benefit could be gained by this approach. Paraphrasing a Bible story is an excellent way to twist the story to suit any purpose you wish it to be about. If God's Word is absolute truth, and it is, then why wouldn't we want to read it directly from the text, rather than relying on our own fallible human nature to paraphrase it appropriately. I know Bible stories. I have read them my whole life. But I would not trust myself to lead a small group simply by telling, from memory, what a Bible story is communicating. God has given us His Word. Many have died to bring the written Word of God to us. Why then, would we seek to tell the stories apart from Holy Spirit inspired canonical text?

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the single most useful book I have ever read to help strategically equip disciples of Jesus continue to invest & grow more disciples of Jesus. FYI, I read the book “Real Life Discipleship " first, in about 2 days. I am of the opinion that this workbook was a much better format- for me anyway. While the information was the same, spacing it out in bite sized pieces over a 12 week period forced me to think more critically. I will be using this resource to help others in the late “young adult" or early “spiritual parent " stage because I believe it will help them become more purposeful & strategic with their disciple making. The more I look at “the wheel" graphic on this book that charts the spiritual life cycle, the more brilliant I believe it is. The “phrase of the stage" and appendix info is spot on as well. This is a fantastic resource for anyone who is investing in the spiritual lives of others.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated that this church put discipleship into a practical training manual like this that others could use to better understand and implement God's call for discipleship (Matt. 28:18-20) in their daily lives and churches. It makes an abstract, subjective process more practical and applicable. I highly recommend it. This is what I have been missing. I think it's best read with the actual "book" that goes along with it though.Real-Life Discipleship: Building Churches That Make Disciples

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was some good info and it did make me think about some things. However, it was a bit repetitive and not exactly the format I would learn and work best with.

[Eric Molicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic resource that I used to train my Life Group leaders on a basic theology of discipleship. It is not the be-all and end-all of training, but it is a fantastic tool in the hands of those who know what discipleship is and how it differs from just Christian education.

[Shannon Horst · Rating 4 out of 5]

This training manual is fantastic. I've taken a group of men through this book and it has sparked a new interest and drive toward discipleship. I can't wait to see how a renewed emphasis on biblical discipleship will revitalize my own life and the lives of those around me.

[tina]

i didn't finish this study with my small group. It was not a good idea to buy this format for this particular study.

[Jon Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great opportunity for Christians to actually engage in maturing to reach the point of a "spiritual parent", someone who makes other disciples that makes disciples.