Components
In year 1, there are five sequential discussion guides containing five sessions each (25 sessions total). Order one per study group participant ($5.00).
Download Sample Discussion Guides Follow Me
(.pdf, 21 pp., 916k)
Called
(.pdf, 12 pp., 715k)
Created
(.pdf, 13 pp., 664k)
Crafted
(.pdf, 13 pp., 888k)
Commissioned
(.pdf, 14 pp., 1.49 MB)
Order Now (from the Faith Alive web store)
In year 2, there are five complete study modules containing five sessions each— Overcoming Sin contains seven sessions. Order one per study group participant ($7.00).
Download Sample Studies
Prayer
(.pdf, 15 pp., 888k)
Reading the Bible
(.pdf, 13 pp., 900k)
Worship
(.pdf, 13 pp., 888k)
Living in Community
(.pdf, 14 pp., 1,000k)
Overcoming Sin
(.pdf, 14 pp., 1,000k)
Order Now (from the Faith Alive web store)
In Year 1 the Disciples program lays the foundation for small groups to explore discipleship. The Follow Me Discussion Guide, Follow Me Resources for Worship and Follow Me Daily Readings provide an overview of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Continue to explore more in depth with the next four study modules: Called, Created, Crafted and Commissioned.
For Year 2 Disciples will challenge participants to grow even deeper. Five study modules explore some of the spiritual practices of disciples: Prayer, Reading the Bible, Worship, Living in Community, and Overcoming Sin. These study modules include devotional readings that lead up to each small group session. Also included are discussion guides for each small group session.
You can download samples and place an order using the links on the right side of the page.
Study Modules—Easy to Read, Easy to Lead!
You don’t need to be an expert to read or even lead a Disciples study. In five sessions (Overcoming Sin has seven sessions), the study modules are designed to get people interacting with one another and digging into their Bibles. All the key facts and terms are explained in sidebars—no separate leader’s guide is needed. A variety of activities and perspectives ensure that everyone in your group is engaged. And our website offers ongoing support and suggestions for planners, group leaders, and participants who want to dig deeper.
Each weekly session contains these key elements:
- Ice Breakers—Discipleship is always an “us” activity, and we begin by learning about and caring for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
- Word Search—Being a disciple means listening to God’s voice and digging into God’s Word.
- Bring It Home—This “application” section gets us thinking about how the Word touches our own lives. Different activity options are provided to match different interests and comfort levels.
- Pray It Through—We’ve allocated ten minutes for prayer on our “schedule”—but we know many groups will want to extend this further. Be prepared to adjust your schedule as needed.
- Live It Out—The heart of discipleship is how it translates into ordinary life. Group members consider how to hold one another accountable to what they’ve learned.
Worship Resources Will Help Your Church Get Started!
Coming together for worship is an integral part of Christian discipleship. We have resources to help your church integrate its study of Disciples with your worship services.
In Follow Me: Resources for Worship (Year 1) you’ll find five worship services that lay a foundation not only for the year but for a lifetime commitment to grow as disciples. Ideally, the worship services will be used simultaneously with the first five-week study (Follow Me). But if you can’t commit to five worship services at the beginning of the year, you can choose or spread them out throughout the entire first year.
Available in both print form and as a free download, this valuable resource includes full liturgies, song suggestions, sermon notes, ideas for art and multimedia, prayers, and more. Traditional hymns, contemporary praise and worship songs, and music from the worldwide church add further depth to the lessons and serve as musical touchstones you can return to again and again through the year.
Each of the five services comes in two flavors, one is in a more traditional structure and the other is designed in a more contemporary fashion. Use one, the other, or elements from both. Lectionary and other options can be found in the Worship Planners’ section of this site.
No, we haven’t forgotten the kids! These services are geared for the entire church. They include suggestions for interactive programming and children’s lessons—all built around the theme of the week.
Coming Soon! (August 2008) Year 2 worship resources follow the six movements of worship: Gathering, Confession, Word, Prayer, Sacrament, and Sending. These resources can be helpful whether a congregation worships in a more traditional or more contemporary style and will be available as a free download. They include two service suggestions for the start of the year and one to match each of the five study modules.
Connect with Home
In Year 1, the Follow Me: Daily Readings for Disciples is made for use at home. The book of 37 devotions (five weeks plus two bonus readings) encourage families and individuals to translate weekly worship into daily discipleship.
You and your congregation will love these devotions. Authors Peter Slofstra and Peter Schuurman have written thought-provoking daily readings that both inspire and challenge. Used concurrently with the five weeks of worship, it’s a great way to get your whole congregation on board—even those who aren’t able to participate in the weekly studies.
Order a copy for every household and distribute them on the first Sunday as you start the Disciples program in your church.
For Year 2 we’ve changed things a bit. The devotionals are included with the study modules. Each book contains five discussion guides and five devotions to go along with each discussion guide for a total of twenty-five devotions. (Overcoming Sin contains seven discussion guides and thirty-five devotions.)