Ten years ago, youth leaders talked about seeing entire schools

transformed. Creative strategies were birthed to impact young people of all

ages. Concerts were arranged after school, flyers were handed out, and in some
places youth leaders got the opportunity to speak at assemblies. All in the name of
effective evangelism. Ten years later, many are doing the same thing. The question we
need to ask is: why do we do what we’ve always done when we are searching for different
results? Much effort and energy has been put into a lot of events and strategies that have
borne little fruit. We are not seeing the results we have dreamed of and deep down we
know we have just got busier doing tasks and leaving people underdeveloped. There must
be a simpler and a better way to fulfil our calling.

Change is in the air. Many youth leaders are waking up to the fact that their job is to train
young people to be able to lead their peers. There is a new awareness that young people
have the potential to do much more than we have ever realized. Many are beginning to
inspire their youth group to rise up and lead their friends into life. Stories of transformed
lives are being circulated because Christian young people are getting into society again.
There is a new generation emerging with a compassion for their friends, and a stirring for
their schools. They believe that God can do all things and that transforming a life and a
school is not difficult for Him.

The majority of people today, unfortunately, are not well trained to make disciples. Many
lead their friends to a salvation decision not knowing why or how to take it further. Many
people come to Jesus and drift away a short time later due to a lack of community and
understanding. This needs to change as we have been commissioned to bear fruit that will
last. We need to re-learn why we do what we do and how to interpret this into a post-
modern culture.

This booklet has been developed to assist in the training of a new generation by detailing
several stages of development necessary for making disciples. Our hope is to show that
evangelism and disclipleship is the same intentional jouney towards life with Jesus.

Learn to love people like God loves them and see your friends transform.

introduction
by mark dowds
 stageone {tears}
6 Ask God to touch your eyes and heal your heart so that you will be moved
with compassion and weep for those who are lost.

stagetwo {holy spirit}

12 Ask the Holy Spirit to come fill you and equip you with the gifts and tools
you need to fulfill what God has asked.

stagethree {church}
18 Become part of a community that is making disciples and training leaders.

stagefour {dream}
24 Ask God to let you dream about what He wants to do through you.

stagefive {prayer}
30 Start a prayer group.

stagesix {friends}
38 Choose someone to spend your time with who does not know Jesus.

stageseven {invite}
44 Invite your friends to an Exploring Christianity course.

stageeight {challenge}
50 Discover what your friends believe and share your heart with them.

stagenine {disciple}
tableofcontents 56 Encourage your friends to become part of a small group.
written and developed by mark dowds
design and photography by freshresource (http://www.freshresource.com)
copyright © 2001 fresh initiatives, inc. manufactured and distributed under license by freshresource stageten {multiply}
62 Train your friends to multiply with you.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION.
NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan
Publishing House. All rights reserved.

5 _contents
 Tears are a sign of compassion. Weeping for your friends and your school is
a good indicator that you are ready to become an effective witness. Jesus was
moved into action by compassion for those He saw around Him. He had eyes to
see that the people around Him were lost and wandering like sheep without a shepherd.
They needed a leader, a shepherd leader who cared about belonging and development.
This touched more than Jesus’ intellect; it went to the depths of his heart and soul drawing
out tears that would be heard in heaven.

People long to be led by a leader who is humble and broken with the capacity to love. Your
friends will be drawn by someone who desires to serve rather than to be served. This is
Jesus style leadership that reflects the ability to draw out the best in others. It is a nature
that prefers others needs before your own.

{te
We need God to touch our eyes so that we can see people differently than we do today.
When Jesus touched the blind man’s eyes he asked him, “Do you see anything?”. The blind
man looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” So Jesus
touched his eyes a second time, his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw
everything clearly. We need to ask Jesus for this second touch that will allow our eyes to fill
with water out of compassion to see our friends discover the fullness of God and His love.

This stage of the process is often hurdled by eagerness to see results. Many press on
without having their hearts ploughed and cultivated by God. It is easy to let passion and
impatience drive our actions, instead of compassion, which leads to being hard and angry
with people. This often roots to our insecurity as people who want to be recognized.
When God touches our eyes and heals our hearts we have a greater capacity to love others
and express ourselves more honestly. We need to have the ability to accept God’s love
before we can give it away, therefore, becoming a Christ-like leader necessitates patience
to walk through the pain of this stage in development.

Anyone can lead without tears in their eyes but making a disciple requires engag-
ing the emotions of the heart as well as the strategy of the mind.

stageone {tears}
As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it.
Luke 19.41

stageone {tears}_ 6 7 _stageone {tears}

ars}
Ask God to touch your eyes and heal your heart so that you will be
moved with compassion and weep for those who are lost.

>Go to a high place (a hill, a rooftop) and look over your city. Wait on God, and ask Him to
give you his eyes for your neighbors. Pray for those who are lost and unloved, the sheep
without a shepherd. Ask God to raise up servant leaders to care for and lead these people.

This stage will change you to be able to treat people more like God does. It will assist you
to be able to see the potential in people and what they could become. A desire will grow
to serve them to fulfil their calling as well as leading them to Jesus. Disciples are people on
a process of development and life-change. You need to have personal experience of the
development stages in order to compassionately lead your friends one step at a time.

( use this space to journal your thoughts )

2 Kings 20.1-5, Psalm 6.6-10,
Psalm 39.12,13, Psalm 56.8-13

practical {stageone}

stageone {tears}_ 8 9 _stageone {tears}

 We have to know God. It is that simple and the rest is details. We have to know
what He has done for us, what He is like, and what life with Him can be like. There
are thousands of people who have no idea about Jesus and need to be told about
Him in a way that they can understand. We are a team in the U.K. dreaming of thousands
of young people knowing, hearing, and believing God. For us, Fresh Start is the tool to
arm this generation to break the darkness with the Word of Light. We ran the course on
Saturday nights at our youth congregation so that everyone could take part in it and get
a better understanding of the hope to which they have been called. It was a chance to
hear, and be reminded of, the foundational truth on which our life is built. It is so easy to
become complacent and satisfied with an inherited faith, or to become accustomed to the
awesome miracle of Immanuel, God With Us. When we discover anew what it is that we’ve
been given, then the passion to give it away emerges in a new and real way. We now have a
whole load of workers who have caught a glimpse of the Kingdom again; the bright shining
city they are a part of, that they have been born to build.

There’s a whole lot of praying going on, more and more friends are being invited to cell
meetings. The worship times are gathering more and more people who don’t know the
words and don’t know what’s going on, but something inside of them wants a piece of the
action. The knowledge that there is a safe, non-confrontational way of reaching friends
and presenting the Gospel is inspiring and releasing. Prayer, praying, and learning how to
pray as we pray becomes an exciting journey that makes sense, and it’s not as hard as it
used to be, because we know why we’re doing it and what we’re doing it for. Jesus is the
answer, and the rest is details.

gettingpersonal
James Guard, Sub City One
(England)

stageone {tears}_ 10 11 _stageone {tears}

 Jesus invested a few years with his disciples, training them how to live and
do all the things He was able to do. He took the time to play, to listen and to know
who they were by becoming their friend. He strategically developed them with
the ability to multiply themselves with people in the same way He had done with them.
Jesus was an extraordinary leader with a simple but effective plan.
When it was time for Jesus to go back to heaven, He commissioned His friends to engage
the culture and make disciples of every people group by the power of the Holy Spirit. He
asked them to wait on God until they were filled with the Holy Spirit, who would enable
them to continue this work. Jesus relied upon the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and empower
Him do what He was called to do, because he was completely human as well as being
God. It is diificult for us to wrap our heads around the fact of Jesus humanity and realize
that without the Holy Spirit, Jesus would not have been able to do what He did. The

{ho
encouraging thing about this, however, is that we can do what Jesus did through the
empowerment and guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus said, “I tell you the
truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will
do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
(John 14.12).
If you want to live for Jesus and make disciples you will need more than your own knowl-
edge and understanding. A bracelet with four letters will not be enough. You need to rely
on the Holy Spirit to communicate with you and guide you in every unique situation. The
Holy Spirit can show you how to approach someone and tell you what to do or say at the
right time. You do not need to be an expert in ministry to experience this; you only need
to be willing to learn and be used by God. If you read the stories of how Jesus ministered
to people you will notice that it was different every time. This is because the Holy Spirit led
Him to give every individual a personal and unique encounter with God that would lead
them into a fuller experience of life. It is important to remember that God is relational as
well as functional in his approach with people.
I have seen many people come to Jesus through a supernatural encounter when God used
someone else to reveal things only He could have known. This is similar to when Jesus
talked with the woman at the well and told her everything about her life without actually
knowing her. We should be careful not to discount these methods and occurrences but
instead ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you to do similar things at the right time.
God still works through people by the power of His Holy Spirit in ways beyond our
stagetwo {holy spirit} understanding and natural capability to draw people to himself.

Wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For
John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1.4-5

stagetwo {holy spirit}_ 12 13 _stagetwo {holy spirit}

irit}
Ask the Holy Spirit to come fill you and equip you with the gifts
and tools you need to fulfill what God has asked.

Surrender to God completely and deal with any self-sufficiency,

pride or sin that could hinder you from receiving more of the Holy
Spirit in your life. Ask specifically for the gifts you desire most
(1Corinthians 14.1)

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are like God’s power tools. Read 1Corinthians 12.8-14 and list the
tools you think will be most helpful for you to do the job of revealing God to your friends.
The Bible tells us to eagerly desire spiritual gifts, therefore, it is vital to name, ask and per-
severe after the gifts we want. God can give all things to all people and does not dangle
carrots in front of our noses. When God says it, he means it so do not be afraid to ask for
more than one. (Luke 11. 1-13)

>Spend time seeking God everyday asking Him for the spiritual gifts you desire most.

( use this space to journal your thoughts )

Acts 2, 10, 16.16-40, 19.1-7

practical {stagetwo}

stagetwo {holy spirit}_ 14 15 _stagetwo {holy spirit}

 I was offended by the Christian representation at my school in 1997 and had
recently experienced God for myself, so I decided to do something. It was my last
year, so I was urgent about it. My friend and I decided to get a room in our school
to pray everyday for God to come and touch our friends, our teachers, and anything else
that we could think of. We believed in what we asked for. Shortly into the term, we decided
that prayer wasn’t enough, so we asked all our friends to come and discuss their views
in what were the early stages of ‘Exploring Christianity.’ They all came, week after week,
eager to tell their stories and give away their views. A few weeks into the course, we
started asking our friends if they wanted to meet the Jesus we had talked about. So, day-
by-day, we had lunchtime appointments with people to pray with them and ask God to
meet whatever their need was.

At first nothing happened, but then stuff started with people breaking down in tears. Some
said when we prayed they felt ‘stoned.’ People began to hear about what was happening
and came to watch. We were challenged to pray at six o’clock every morning and we did.
Soon afterwards our friends gave their lives to Jesus, one at a time. Whether it was at the
pub on a Friday night, or after school on a Tuesday, they committed to follow Him. By
the end of the year our un-churched headmaster gave us the chance to take an assembly
where the senior school met on a Thursday morning. We took five minutes each and then
prayed at the end. During the assembly, two girls started screaming and crying. We asked
for a response and invited people to ‘the room’ that lunchtime. When we got there, it was
packed with about 40 people, eager to experience God.

Two years on, we have all learned a lot. Some still passionately follow Jesus, while some
others didn’t last too long. I recognize two keys to moves of God: one is believing in
what you regularly pray for, and the other is continuing natural community; not
trying to shift people into church, but realizing that church can be most evident in
our schools.

gettingpersonal
Keith Winter
(Northern Ireland)

stagetwo {holy spirit}_ 16 17 _stagetwo {holy spirit}

 Jesus had a strategy and ministered with a purpose. If you take the time to
look closely, you will see that this was not a new mission but one that had been
unfolding from the beginning of time. Jesus came to remind everyone that God
had not given up on creation but had a clear plan to populate it with people who would
demonstrate his nature and creativity.

When God created the world, He also created Adam and Eve in His own image. They
reflected the nature of God and showed the earth what He was like. God had a plan to fill
the whole earth with people who were like them, so he told them to “go forth and multi-
ply”; to reproduce and have children, who would enjoy Him and walk with Him. Adam and
Eve ignored God and gave into temptation, only to end up separated from living and walk-
ing with him every day. As a result, the reflection of their creator started to fade and life got

{ch
progressively worse from that point on. The image of God was still evident in every person
that was born but a natural tendency to ignore and disobey Him was passed on to every
person and generation.

When Jesus came, He treated people differently than anyone else alive. He spoke words of
hope and life, drawing out the depth of who people really were, and stirring up the image
of God again. He was in constant contact with a few people he called His disciples teaching
them about life and showing them the nature and mission of God. He invested three years
of His life to transform the lives of these few men, and in doing so redeemed God’s plan for
the earth. When the time was right, He commissioned them to go into all of creation and
do what he had done with them, by pouring their lives into a few people who could make
disciples. Jesus sent them to go out and multiply just like His Father had done with Adam
and Eve, by reproducing themselves in other people. Jesus said,
I’ve laid down a pattern for you, what I’ve done, you do.
(John 13.15 - The Message).

Jesus has plans to change and develop every one of us to become more like Him. This is
a process that cannot be accelerated and will last for the duration of our lives. It is a slow
painful journey that leads to a life beyond our normal experience. We need to support one
another through change and work together to fulfil the mission Jesus has given us. Acts
2.42 gives us a glimpse of how the early Christians met and supported one another to live
stagethree {church} for God and effect society. Church was designed to be a gathering of people organized to
fulfill the great commandment as well as the great commission.
I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it.
Matthew 16.18

stagethree {church}_ 18 19 _stagethree {church}

rch}
Making disciples means being dedicated to serve the same few people for a significant
amount of time. After leading your friend to become a Christian, be prepared to serve
them on their journey to become more like Jesus. Training people is most effective when
working together with others who are doing the same thing. It is important to find a
community of people who know how to love people and make disciples of those who are
un-churched. This may not be easy to find, so take your time and be careful not to get
sucked into a church that is not actively leading new people to Jesus.
You need good friends who can hold you accountable and pray for you when step
into society to serve people, as well as an experienced leader who can mentor you
and develop good support systems for new believers.
{practical {stagethree}
stagethree {church}_ 20
Become part of a community that is making disciples and training
leaders.
When Jesus spoke to his disciples and said “follow me and I will make you fishers of
men”, they were not dangling hooks off the pier hoping to land a big one, they were
standing together holding a net they knew how to use. These experienced fishermen
who knew that working as a team was the only way to fill their nets and bring the fish
home. Jesus designed the art of discipleship to be a community exercise this is why we
need to find a few others who can share the responsibilty and build a home for your un-
churched friends.
>Ask God to lead you to someone else who shares the same desire so that you can work
together towards leading and discipling your friends.
( use this space to journal your thoughts )
John 10.10, 2Corinthians 9.8,
Colossians 2.8
21 _stagethree {church}
 I was first challenged to start a prayer group in my school back in
October 1999 by a guy named Mike Oshiro. He had a really challenging
message and it really spoke to my heart. I started asking myself why I wasn’t doing
anything in my school. I was witnessing to my friends and trying to demonstrate my love
for Christ by my actions, but I didn’t feel like I was truly acting on it. So I spoke with some of
the people around me and they led me to Darian Kovacs. He provided me with the rough
draft of the resource book that was in the works for starting a prayer group. It was so great
to have something in my hands, and some sort of direction to start going in. I talked to
some of the people in my school who I knew to be Christians and we started praying every
morning, half an hour before school started. We were blessed in so many ways. A teacher
at my school attends the same church as I do, so he was more than willing to offer his room
to us, so that we could have somewhere to meet. My principal had been my basketball
coach for the last four years, so we had a great relationship and he didn’t have any problem
allowing us to meet.

I had been praying for a group of my friends for awhile, and I wasn’t seeing any fruit. I
started telling them about the group, and how we’re all going to do the ‘Exploring Christi-
anity’ course. It is amazing to see God working in their lives. These are not the people that
you would expect to be doing this and sharing these things. They are the ‘popular’ people
who party every weekend. We are doing the first session in four days, and they are all get-
ting excited. It makes me nervous, but knowing that the Holy Spirit will be leading brings
much comfort. I feel as though I can just sit back and let the Lord work in me and give
me the right words. I have confidence that He has already been, and will continue to work
in their hearts as well as in my school. What we have seen so far is just the beginning. I
encourage those who are getting started to just do it faithfully, and give God the glory.
There will be days when it might be only you and Him in those prayer meetings,
but go anyways knowing that He hears your prayers.

gettingpersonal
Liz Willock
(British Columbia, Canada)

stagethree {church}_ 22 23 _stagethree {church}

 For many years, I heard this verse preached in a way that encouraged
me to hide from the world and become detached from reality, but this is
not the sort of holiness that Paul was intending when he wrote this part of the
Bible. This verse has nothing to do with the sort of clothes we wear, the friends we have
or the places we hang out. Paul wanted to teach us that our minds need to be continually
renewed and reformatted by God’s words and thinking patterns to enable us to live as He
intended. The best way to do this is by studying the bible, listening to God and meditating
on the truth he speaks:
The pattern of this world says that only gifted leaders can
lead but God says that He chooses the weak and the foolish.
(1Corinthians 1.27-28)

{dr
The pattern of this world says that it is not possible to do what
you dream about but God says all things are possible through
Him who gives you the strength.
(Philippians 4.13)
The pattern of this world says you have to know the right people
but God says that if He is for you who can be against you?
(Romans 8.31)
The pattern of this world can help you feel defeated before you
start but God says that you are a victor and more than a conqueror.
(Romans 8.37)
The pattern of this world tries to dictate how many people you
lead but God says that the least of you will become a thousand
and the smallest a mighty nation.
(Isaiah 60.22)
The pattern of this world breeds fear and insecurity but God says
that you have not been given a spirit of timidity but one of power,
love and self-discipline.
(2Timothy 1.7)

Abraham and Joseph believed their dreams were from God and lived them out every day

stagefour {dream} even when it was tough and didn’t make sense in the eyes of everyone else in society. They
knew how to transcend the norms of their culture and believe in God’s mysterious ways.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12.2

stagefour {dream}_ 24 25 _stagefour {dream}

am}
A lot of people are afraid to dream in case their dreams are not from God. It
is important, though, to realize that dreaming draws out the things that are
already deep in your heart and that cultivating a fruitful imagination can help with
the discovery of what God has called you to do. Dreaming allows God to lead
your imagination so that you can be fulfilled in the knowledge of walking in the
direction he has destined for you. When your imagination becomes fertile you will
find that many beautiful plants and flowers grow showing the wonderful things
that God will let you participate in. Like every fertile environment, weeds can grow
as well as flowers. This does not mean that the dreams are from your own mind, it
just means that you need to learn how to do some weeding. The common weeds
sprout in the form of lust, greed and power. They try to choke the real beauty of
what God is doing and distort the dream into being for your own personal gain. It
is better to learn how to remove these ‘ego’ weeds than to stop dreaming and see
the whole garden die. Ask God to lead you and cleanse your mind so that you can
use this God given nature for his Kingdom.
practical {stagefour}
stagefour {dream}_ 26
Ask God to let you dream about what he wants to do through you.
>Read the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-47) to see how God leads through dreams
and circumstances and recognize that your situation today doesn’t necessarily reflect what
God holds in the future for you.
This will help you to see that it is God who is in control of your future and can help you
to relax and wait on Him to reveal more when the time is right. You will begin to live
differently when you view yourself differently and see yourself as a son/daughter of God
who is heir to all the riches of heaven. You will begin to act and pray differently as
you will slowly become aware that you are seated at the right hand of Christ in the
heavenly places.
( use this space to journal your thoughts )
Genesis 12 and 37, Galatians, Ephesians
27 _stagefour {dream}
 It has been amazing to learn how God can use even little things to
do big things. This year God has used my little things to do cool stuff, like
starting an underwater basket weaving club to meet, and create relationships
with environmentalists at my school. I bake muffins for people when they come over, or
enjoy their company through art projects.

God is a creative God, and He made us to be creative as well. Let us never constrain or
repress the ways to reach people on our campus. We have the same God that created
pomegranates. If He created a rotten-apple-looking fruit that holds these little sacks
of juice, our God can reach your whole campus through amazing ways by letting
us reflect Jesus into people’s lives.

gettingpersonal
the ramblings of a student

stagefour {dream}_ 28 29 _stagefour {dream}

 Prayer shows your dependence on God. The more you learn to rely on God,
the more you will pray and listen to what He says. Hopefully by now you are
aware that God answers prayer. You have probably several stories where God
obviously responded to your requests. Praying for your friends is no different. You need
to learn how to pray for your friends when alone and in a group setting. Prayer is learned.
Ask God to teach you how to pray, and then read Matthew 6.1-18.

There are some clear guidelines to follow and patterns that can help you remain focused.
Meditate on the words and journal the thoughts that come to your mind. This will help in
the discovery of the clarity you need. Some of the main points to emphasize in these verses
are:

{pr
·Pray for the right reason rather than trying to impress people
·Use your normal language and say it as it is. God doesn’t need to be impressed
·Speak your mind. God loves to hear your thoughts and feelings expressed. It’s all part
of your relationship with Him
·Believe that God has plans to change your life and the society you live in to become a
clearer reflection of heaven on earth.
·Live a life of forgiveness and grace so that you can receive more from God.

When you pray, you “stand in the gap” between your friend and God. It is a time to pray
for their salvation and also for particular needs you know they have. You can ask God to
show mercy to them and to forgive them. You can also pray that God will open the eyes of
your friends who have been blinded by the enemy. If you recognize that your friend is held
back by fear, pray that they would be delivered from fear and that the love of God would
come in replacement. Take some time to read up on intercessory prayer. There is much to
be discovered.

stagefive {prayer}
Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find,
knock and the door will be opened.
Matthew 7.7,8
There are many ways you can gather information for your prayer group. You can go to the
principal and ask him/her for things you could pray for in the school. Ask them if you could
pray for God to financially bless the school. Ask if there are any problems that you could
pray about e.g. violence, stealing, vandalism, etc. Go back every so often and ask if they
recognize the difference since you began to pray. Expect God to answer your prayers. Ask
God to show you the right way and timing for what to do and what to pray for.

stagefive {prayer}_ 30 31 _stagefive {prayer}

yer}
You can pray anywhere at anytime as God is not confined to any particular time
or space. Some people meet at lunch time to pray together for their friends
while others meet in the mornings or after work/school. Some meet in church
buildings while others meet in coffee shops, restaurants, classroooms and each
other’s homes. All it takes is someone who is in constant contact with the people
who particicpate to organize the meeting time and place. It is a good idea to start
praying for one another’s friends as well as your own so that you can begin to work
as a team. Make a short list of the people you are jointly praying for and tape this
into the inside of your bible or journal for reference when you pray.
Start a prayer group.
>Find a few others who share the same desire to pray for their friends and
organize a consistent time to pray together.
Try to choose a time that is not anti-social yet accessible for everyone. Lunch
times are not always the best as this is when you have the best opportunity
to chat and socialize with other people in work or school. Be careful not to
isolate yourselves or begin to hang out all the time together in public as this
will be counter productive to being integrated into the normal life of work or
school. Praying together publicly is not a good idea either. Jesus clearly told us
to avoid this sort of thing but recommended that we go to a private or hidden
place to talk with Him. Prayer is not a statement to those who do not know
Jesus but rather an opportunity to talk with God. Prayer rallies in school and
work will be counter-productive to making disciples who follow Jesus.

( use this space to journal your thoughts )

Galatians 6, Mark 11.24, Matthew 5.44,
Matthew 6.5-15, 1Thessalonians 5.17,
James 5.15

practical {stagefive}

other resources:
Intercessor: Rees Howells by Norman Grubb
Intercessory Prayer by Dutch Sheets
stagefive {prayer}_ 32 33 _stagefive {prayer}
 I had a desire to see my friends meet Jesus, but lacked genuine
compassion. I began asking God to give me His heart for the school and soon I
not only had a desire to see my friends transformed but a deeper hunger for their
salvation and freedom. My desire to see them saved has grown into a burning in my heart
to see them not only come to know Jesus, but to be free to grow and go farther than I could
ever imagine.

I got a few friends together and we started to pray. We mainly prayed for our school and
unsaved friends and teachers. Within days, God started opening doors. In my English class
one day, my teacher handed the class over to me to answer questions about God. I was
able to share so much and I wasn’t asked to stop until I was finished. With our friends,
things began to change too, their openness and curiosity grew, and God seemed to give us
a lot of favour.

We have started a cell group for our friends who are interested in knowing who God is.
Many of them have never been shown the unconditional love of God and have never seen
the freedom that He brings. What is so great about seeing our friends meet God is that it is
not about us preaching at them, or quoting the Bible all the time. It is about us being real
with each other, seeking God and hungering after Him. My friends see something that they
don’t have and they want it. Not just in the meetings, but day after day, no matter what
comes our way, they see that we have a real peace.

It’s amazing how faithful God has been and is to our prayers. We need to be more cov-
ered in prayer, more accountable to each other, less self-seeking and more God seeking.
Remember, no matter how bad it gets, God is in control and He always draws us
back into His heart and His love for our friends.

gettingpersonal
Tobey MacKinnon
(British Columbia, Canada)

stagefive {prayer}_ 36 37 _stagefive {prayer}

 Jesus took the time to become friends with His disciples. Jesus grew up
in a small town and knew these men for quite a while before choosing them to
become his disciples and investing His life with them. It was not a random act as
many would suppose but was a well calculated action that was a result of intense prayer.

Jesus was also recognized to be a friend of sinners. He did not call Himself this but was
given the label by those who watched the sort of people he associated Himself with.
Many people will not understand your actions when you begin to befriend those who are
unchurched and live the wild life. The greatest opposition you will receive will be from
those who claim to be religious who will judge you and spread rumours about you. This is
only to be expected because Jesus said that a servant is not above his master which means
that we will encounter what He did in His day when we begin to follow Him. It is important

{fr
to learn to ignore what these people think and say and press on into what God has for you.
Don’t rise to their bait or schemes to trap you but rather learn to be wise as a serpent and
harmless as a dove.

The greatest gift you can give to your friends is to not be ashamed to be seen with them,
so learn to overcome the fear of what other people think about who you socialize with.
Follow Jesus by going to the parties and places your friends go to and be normal as this
is a sign of holiness. Be open and accountable with your prayer group and ask them to
pray for you or go with you when you feel tempted to act inapropriately. Learn to stand up
for what you believe when someone at a party questions why you are different or why you
choose not to participate in something you know would dishonor God. Be honest about
your feelings without making judgement on others as this will eventually gain you respect
as a person who has a viable purpose and reason to life.

When you reach out to your friends let them know where they stand with you. Be careful
not to offer more than you can give. Many make the mistake of pledging an undying alle-
giance to one another from day one which does not always help things. It is better to grow
together and learn to get to know one another first before promising a longer-term rela-
tionship. It is better to give more than you promise than to not give enough.

stagesix {friends}
Greater love has no-one than this, that he
lay down his life for his friends.
John 15.13

stagesix {friends}_ 38 39 _stagesix {friends}

nds} Choose someone to spend your time with who does not know Jesus.

>Pray that God will direct your steps and lead you to the right person.
>Pray for this friend every day.
>Be in constant contact with this friend by phone, e-mail, letter, or face to
face meetings.

Do not enter this relationship presuming how things will turn out but simply have
fun and spend time listening to this person. Learn to play and laugh a lot and let
God do the rest. Avoid manipulating the conversation to talk about God but wait
on your friend to ask questions about your faith and lifestyle. Your friend will see
your life and recognize how God influences your decisions. Think of the story of
Daniel and how his diet was a simple witness that following God leads to a health-
ier life. Your friend will make their own decision about Jesus as the relationship
develops and they see that following Jesus leads to a fuller life.

( use this space to journal your thoughts )

Luke 9.28, Mark 14.32-34, John 17.6-19

practical {stagesix}

stagesix {friends}_ 40 41 _stagesix {prayer}

 When I look back to my school days, I regret not making the choice to
follow God and get involved with His plans. I am now 30 years old and
have been a youth leader, youth pastor, and many other titles that people call
themselves out of insecurity. I have come to the place in my life where I realize that it
doesn’t matter what you do in the church if you are not participating in the greatest
commission ever given. Making disciples is the life-blood of the church. It is the deepest
form of worship and obedience. Even everyone in Heaven parties when new people
discover God and receive his forgiveness and grace. I want to keep them dancing up there
by living like Jesus did. Living for the benefit of others and helping many to enjoy the life
that is planned for them.

I was convicted to lead people through the Exploring Christianity course. I gathered about
ten guys who were a similar age to myself. I went to a bartender I knew and a few of my
party-centered friends. All of them said yes to the invitation to talk about Christianity in
my living room on Tuesday nights. Some brought their beer and sipped along while read-
ing the Bible and having Jesus pass their lips. It was life-giving and free. Everyone loved
it. I was the only Christian at the beginning but there where a few of us at the end. Some
committed their lives to God while others got more informed about the decisions they had
to make. We journeyed together and met God.

It did not always go like clockwork. It was often strange and hard. Every week, the discus-
sion had a life of its own. I eventually got to realize that this was a good thing and that
it was okay not to cover every point. I learned that it was more important to answer my
friends’ questions and meet their needs than just completing a booklet. When discussion
got unproductive or exclusive I reeled it into the main points again. The booklet was more
of a tool than a structure. Look at your group like a garden. Learn to know what to tend
to and when. Learn to leave things to grow and to prune things when they need pruning.
After all, God is a gardener - not a clockmaker.

gettingpersonal
Mark Dowds
(British Columbia, Canada)

stagesix {friends}_ 42 43 _stagesix {friends}

 Jesus didn’t just wait for things to happen. He was intentional with His
actions. He waited for the right time and then gave out an invitation to a few guys
He knew. Using Jesus’s words, “I will make you fishers of men,” with your friends
might raise a few eyebrows and you may gain the reputation of being a weirdo. Giving an
invitation to a course, however, is different.

One of the best things you can invite your unchurched friend to is an Exploring Christian-
ity course (see freshresource.com). The benefit of a short, seven-week course is that it
gives your friends an opportunity to be open about what they believe, which gives you the
opportunity to be open about your faith. Because it is seven weeks long, you will get to
know each other and begin to set the ground for a small group experience in the future.

{in
It is a good idea to plan a course with another Christian friend who will bring some people
also. This makes a small group discussion more fun and also lets you know that you’re not
alone. You can then serve one another in the process of leading your friends to Jesus.

It is important to realize how much work it is to develop significant depth in a friendship.

A deep relationship makes it easier to lead your friend into a growing relationship with
Jesus which is why it is best to start with one or two friends before stretching yourself any
further.

Being and doing are not opposites, they work together. Some people say that if they just
focus on being made holy and being decent to people, disciples will automatically spring
up. This is far from the truth that Jesus taught. Jesus lived the life but He also called the
disciples out. We need to imitate Jesus rather than live in someone else’s philosophy.

Jesus eventually chose a dozen people, which is about the maximum anyone should take
on in small group discipleship. Smaller numbers can produce better interaction and more
opportunity for participation. Choose a few responsive people and ask God to lead you
from there.

It is better to have a few well-discipled people than a multitude of people who are
not formed properly.
stageseven {invite}
Follow me and I will make you fishers of men...
Matthew 1.17

stageseven {invite}_ 44 45 _stageseven {invite}

ite} Invite your friends to an Exploring Christianity course.

>Plan a room and a time that will suit to meet for one hour.
>Partner with another friend if possible.
>Invite your friends to come to the course for seven weeks.
>Do not be shy about asking, as most friends will enjoy the opportunity.
>Pray that God will move in an obvious way with your friends.

Courses work best in most circumstances today. This is partly because those who are
unchurched want to know who Jesus is before making a choice to follow Him. The course
will also help everyone become closer friends because most talk more openly in this type of
setting. Jesus will be with you when you step out in faith to ask your friends to participate
in the course, so pray for the right time and act on your hunches.

( use this space to journal your thoughts )

John 4.1-26, John 3.1-21

practical {stageseven}

stageseven {invite}_ 46 47 _stageseven {invite}

 The course, which I led my friends in school through, was not brilliantly
organized, or fantastically put together. Usually what we did was made up
on the spot, or decided in the class before it was due to start. Despite this, God
used what we did in ways far beyond what we could ever have imagined. We simply
met for about ten weeks with guys, most of who were completely unchurched, and who
were all skeptics to say the least. We simply went through a discussion course, dealing
with issues such as Jesus, church, and the meaning of life. The first weeks were tough.
Gradually, however, things began to change, and we had opportunities to pray with nearly
all the guys, many of who had dramatic encounters with God. After taking them away on
a weekend, and praying lots, many made the decision to follow Jesus. While some of them
today have given up, others have lasted the pace and are passionately following Jesus
today. The effects of the course spread into the whole school and many people in other
grades led similar courses. We even had an opportunity to take an assembly, where God
moved very powerfully.

We did learn some lessons. We learned not to be so focused on the point of conversion, but
to trust that the Holy Spirit can bring people into relationship with God without us forcing
the issue. Any opportunity to pray with the guys you should take, and talk about all the
issues, but the choice is theirs. Remember that we are all on a spiritual journey, and our
job is to help others move on in theirs. This is more than getting someone to pray the sin-
ner’s prayer. Also, if people completely reject what you believe, don’t reject them. They are
friends, not evangelistic projects.

I guess that if you commit yourself to do this, you are in for a lot of discourage-
ments and disappointments, but ultimately they pale into insignificance when
compared to the opportunity to introduce people to Jesus, and to see Him trans-
form their lives.

gettingpersonal
Nick Mathison
(Northern Ireland)

stageseven {invite}_ 48 49 _stageseven {invite}

 A lot of people had a lot of ideas about who Jesus was when He walked
the earth. Most did not recognize who He was. Only those who were given eyes
to see, like Peter and John the Baptist, were able to know who He really was. This
is why Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do the crowds say I am?” He wanted to listen to their
ideas and the rumours. But He also wanted them to know who He really was.

It is difficult to ask the hard questions but it is these questions that help to get to know one
another. After you have taken the time to listen to your friends’ ideas and beliefs do not
be afraid to ask them why they believe what they believe. Ask with genuine concern and
love. Don’t presume the answer but be willing to evaluate it. Listening to a person shows
your respect for them.

{ch
When someone comes off with a statement in the group that is ridiculous like, “I believe
Jesus was an alien,” don’t shut them down; let the truth stand for itself. Ask them why they
believe this. Let others share their philosophies and ideas and then share your beliefs. Be
careful not to preach to the group. Be patient and let God do his work. Just be true to what
you believe and allow your friends to ask you the hard questions too. If you don’t know the
answer tell them you will find out for the next session. No one should expect you to know
everything.

During the duration of the seven weeks, ask if anyone would like to hang around after-
wards for prayer. It may surprise you that some might want to. Put your hands on their
shoulder and pray for them. Ask the Holy Spirit to come and show them that God is real and
alive. Ask God to open their hearts to Him and ask God to bless them and speak to them.
Take every opportunity to do this with your friends when they are open to it.

By investing in each person individually you will deepen friendships and open channels for
more honest conversation. Your friends will also realize that you are more interested in
their development than the course you are leading. You will earn their respect through
genuine concern and listening to who they are.

More opportunities will arise when there is no peer pressure outside of the group.
stageeight {challenge}
Who do you say I am?
Luke 9.20

stageeight {challenge}_ 50 51 _stageeight {challenge}

nge} Discover what your friends believe and share your heart with them.

>Read the story of Thomas (John 20.24-29). Meditate on what it means to believe
something that you have not seen. Think about how Jesus wants to meet your friends
where they doubt Him, and pray that He would come to them quickly.

This will help you to have much more spontaneous conversations with your friends on the
issues they are interested in. Do not let the discussion go off track for too long within
the group. Tell them you will answer some other off-track topics at another time
during the week.

( use this space to journal your thoughts )

1Peter 3.15, Acts 17.16-34

practical {stageeight}

stageeight {challenge}_ 52 53 _stageeight {challenge}

 After e-mailing for three months with a guy who was challenging me to
start a prayer group, a friend of mine and myself went out and prayed during
the lunch hour. We kept meeting every Thursday to pray for the school, each
other, the teachers, the administration, and for those who were not yet Christian. It was
awesome to walk into school each day knowing that the school was prayed for. It was cool
to see a bunch of Christians coming together every Thursday from different churches to
meet with one common purpose.

The group is still going and now I am at university. Throughout the year it has really hit
me about reaching out to the lost. We are praying for them, but what are we doing? We
are praying for an awakening, but could we handle it? I love praying, but it seems that
when it comes to making disciples, I’ve been quite lacking. I have done evangelism, but
walking through all of Christianity with someone, walking through the swamp, valley and
mountain with someone, I have yet to do. God is not looking for super-evangelists, tract-
giving robots, or doctrinal geniuses. He’s looking for availability; willingness and humility
to build relationships that are disciple-making. Jesus told us to, “Go and make disciples.”
If we do this, we will reach our whole campus.

When David went to Saul and said he wanted to fight Goliath, Saul gave David his armour
that was seven sizes too big. It wasn’t going to work. He ended up using what he knew
how to use: his slingshot. God has called me to disciple, to create a relationship with a few
people. My desire is that the three people I am discipling will reach someone there was
no way I could ever reach. With the unchurched at school it’s not a matter of looking at
them as people to try to save and leave like many an evangelist. We need to treat them like
people who God has created and loves, and who God wants to have a relationship with.
Maybe He’ll use me to tell them about Jesus, to explore Christianity with them and to lead
them into a small group. Go and make disciples, not out of duty, but out of love.

gettingpersonal
Darian Kovacs
(British Columbia, Canada)

stageeight {challenge}_ 54 55 _stageeight {challenge}

 When you have reached the end of the seven weeks you may have one person,
no one, or many that have become Christians. Continue to pray for them everyday
so that they can continue in their development.

Invite your friends to continue meeting together. The freshresource Experiencing Life
course will help by taking things a little deeper. It follows a similar line to Exploring
Christianity but focuses in on the person of Jesus.

Keep a long-term focus on leading your friends into a small group so that you can lead
them all the way. This sort of small group I mean is focused on the development of a
person, not just a Bible study group. This small group needs to be outward focused so that
you can do what you need to do. This small group is for prayer, the experience of Chris-

{di
tian community and for strategizing together about how to reach the rest of your friends
for Jesus. A good small group will help your friends to remain in the process of Christ-like
development, were an unhealthy small group will breed dependency on the leader. You
need to stay focused on seeing Jesus formed in your friends or you will get easily side-
tracked into having a religious meeting. The freshresource Cell Leaders Manual will help
you gain a wider understanding on how to lead this group effectively.

If your friends are really open to God but have not yet made a decision to follow Him, invite
them along to an event that would provoke more discussion and questions or introduce
them to some other people who will take the process to another level. Work as a team
within your church small group and dream of the day when each of your friends will lead
their own groups and be training their friends to do the same.

Some groups will form more quickly that others just like plants grow at different speeds in
different seasons. You must learn to succeed and fail as a team instead of thinking that you
are responsible for everyone’s development. The work of the Holy Spirit is to lead people
into life-change, it is our resposibility to encourage people to continue in their walk.

Work together in evangelism and compensate for each other’s weaknesses.

stagenine {disciple}
As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.
Luke 19.41

stagenine {disciple}_ 56 57 _stagenine {disciple}

ple}
Encourage your friends to become part of a discipleship small group.

>Take time to consider what a disciple is like and list your five favourite
characteristics of a disciple of Jesus.

Continually encourage your friends to continue to participate in the small group so as not
to lose momentum. It is more difficult to start all over again with someone than it is to take
him or her to the next level. Even when your friends do not choose to follow Jesus encour-
age them to remain connected with you.

( use this space to journal your thoughts )

Acts 2.42-47, Acts 4.32-36, Acts 6.1-7, Acts 12.1-18

practical {stagenine}

stagenine {practical}_ 58 59 _stagenine {challenge}

 I had just started my final year at school when I realized how little time
was left with the friends I had made over the previous six years. I had
progressed in my understanding of God in the past year and I saw the need for
helping my friends know the truth that is in Christ. A couple of my friends had started a
course on Christianity for their friends at school (this was right at the start of freshresource,
before it had its name, etc.) and I knew the option was open for me, although I didn’t really
think it was for me. Within the first couple of months of the school year, God brought me
into contact with a guy in the grade below me at school. His name was Phil Thompson and
he was keen to do something more specific in school for our non-Christian mates. After
some thought, we got together with Phil’s sister and a friend of hers and we organized the
same course as my friends had been doing.

Over the duration of about three months, we got friends to stay behind after school and
discuss various aspects of what we believe about Christianity. They were free to ask what-
ever they wanted and they made a point to do so, which I really appreciated.

Overall, the experience was a good one. I sometimes found it difficult to get my mates to
come and I was fairly aware of what they thought of the whole thing. Nevertheless I real-
ize, more than ever, that it was really worthwhile. The whole aspect of challenging the
uncertainty of what I thought my friends would think, is something God is concerned with
us doing. He wants us to battle any hindrances to doing His will by acting in faith against
our fears. I want to encourage those of you who want to have a course for your friends but
don’t feel you have the confidence or the certainty in God. It can be a very daunting task
which can develop your faith in God and aid you in overcoming the barriers the
devil has placed before you to prevent you from doing what God wants you to do,
and what you yourself want to do.

gettingpersonal
Alan Bennett
(Northern Ireland)

stagenine {disciple}_ 60 61 _stagenine {disciple}

 It is difficult to know when Jesus’s disciples actually became Christians.
There are so many times when you can see that they still had not grasped who
Jesus was or what He had come to do. Jesus, however, continued to lead them
through life-change. It is important to know where your friends are on the scale, so that
you can serve them more effectively.

The purpose of the discipleship phase is to build in basic ingredients that will help your
friends live for God and become more like Jesus. The discipleship phase will teach them
all the basics of the faith as well as the skills on how to multiply and fulfill the mission of
Christ. As a builder uses blue prints to follow when building, you need to know what you
are attempting to make before you start. The clearer picture you have of what a disciple
looks like, the better chance you have of making one. If you do not know what you are

{m
trying to make then you will miss vital ingredients. These ingredients are values to live by
that reflect the life of Jesus. It is important that your church is supporting you with this or
it will be too heavy for you to carry. You will need the support to lead your friends through
healing processes, discipleship and leadership development.

You should have a long-term goal of making a disciple who can reproduce and multiply.

When you have led three people to Jesus, begin to explain to them how you intentionally
led them. Show them how to do the same thing while walking with them. Get your three
friends to pray for and invite a friend to the group. Work with them through the course
again. Eventually, with much prayer, you will have a few more people in a small group who
want to grow and multiply.

Twelve people who can lead twelve who can lead twelve soon takes over your school or
neighbourhood like a virus. It is hard work but not complicated work when you have the
Holy Spirit leading you. It is as easy as reaching three friends, investing your life in them
and training them well. Patience is a virtue during this process. If you rush things, you will
ruin it so remember to treat the situation like a garden. Tend and water it by avoiding force
feeding or trying to pull up the plant before it is ready to emerge. Resist the pressure of
the results of others but wait on God, be faithful and God will increase.
stageten {multiply}

stageten {multiply}_ 62 63 _stageten {multiply}

ply}
Train your friends to multiply with you.

>Take time to pray and ask God to begin to show you a strategy that is relevant to
the people you are leading.

Working alongside your friends will be important for them as they need to know you are
still with them as they develop and step out. Live your life in a way for them to imitate
allowing them see you grow each week.

You can only lead someone as far as you are willing to go.

( use this space to journal your thoughts )

Matthew 28.16-20, Mark 6.30-44, Mark 6.6-13

practical {stageten}

stageten {multiply}_ 64 65 _stageten {multiply}

 Each section of this booklet has given you an opportunity to see into the lives
of some people who have taken the plunge and started discussion groups about
Christianity. The network of students and leaders that has evolved through
freshresource is giving people an opportunity to share their experiences, good and bad,
as they share their faith with their friends. As you start praying and bringing your faith into
your schools, workplaces, and families, e-mail us and share your experiences.

We are continually gathering and writing new materials that can serve people to lead and
serve their friends. If you have any ideas or requests for resources that could serve your
situation better please contact us and allow us to have the opportunity to serve you more.

Jesus I ask you to come and inspire this person to believe what you are putting in their
heart and mind. I ask you to connect them with other people who have similar dreams and
desires to lead their friends into the Journey of life with Jesus. Come by your holy Spirit and
impart a boldness and quiet courage into thier life that will give them the ability to say yes
and follow you in everything that you ask of them. I ask you to reveal more of who you are
and how to lead people effectively through the various seasons of life. I ask that you will
bless them and give them ears to hear your words of encouragement every day of life.
Amen.

{ www.freshresource.com }

gettingpersonal

stageten {multiply}_ 66 67 _stageten {multiply}