This approach uses sermons and the worship experience in order to move worshippers along in their discipleship journeys. Many churches who use this approach mistakenly believe that they have no discipleship strategy. Examples: sermons, sermons series, testimonies.
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Audience
The worshippers of the church.

Benefits
This approach will reach a wide section of members and attendees. Many believers are heavily influenced by the worship experience and by sermons in particular. This approach allows the pastor to set the discipleship tone for the church. This approach also models how to read and interpret the Bible for life-change.

Drawbacks
Requires little commitment from those being discipled. It is tough to follow up with those being discipled or to measure life-change. Accountability is difficult if not impossible. Only one discipleship issue can be addressed at a time, which means you cannot simultaneously target the discipleship needs of every person.

Next Level
Your church can take this approach to the next level in a number of ways

• Provide an outline for taking notes.
• Survey worshippers in order to see what discipleship needs are most pressing.
• Preach sermon series on a given topic. Repetition over a short period of time will keep a topic in the forefront and allow disciples to experience real life-change in that one area rather than bombarding them with a new topic each week.
• Provide a forum for discussion of the sermon topic and how it might apply to one’s life (this might be something that a family or small group does together as directed by a printed guideline).

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