A Vehicle for Disciple Making
Making disciples who make disciples is Jesus’ plan to reach the world, but how do we do that? D-Groups are the most effective tool we’ve found to help people at all levels of experience or ability get into the game and make disciples. D-Groups provide a simple, replicatable plan for disciple making that leads to growth, accountability, and multiplication.
D-GROUPS EXPLAINED
What is a D-Group?
A Discipleship Group (D-Group) is made up of 3 to 5 men or women committed to a 12 months (some groups meet for 3 months, some up to 18) of intense spiritual growth. Through daily reading, journaling, accountability, and weekly fellowship, the D-Group is intentional about growing and applying the Word to their lives. The ultimate goal of the D-Group is multiplication; realized when each member sets out (individually or in pairs) to replicate the group, inviting new men or women to take this discipleship journey with them and one day replicate the process themselves.
Big Problems, One Simple Solution
Two of the biggest barriers to growth in the church are a lack of Biblical engagement and a lack of authentic accountability. Without these two things – personal Bible reading and accountable relationships – most of us will eventually stall in our spiritual growth. D-Groups solve this problem! The greatest benefit of a D-Group is the plan and accountability it provides to help get people into the Word and keep them in the Word until the Word gets into them.
D-Groups also give us a replicable plan for making disciples. When people don’t know what to do, they often don’t do anything at all. Though we know our mission is to makes disciples who make disciples, we just haven’t been shown how to do it, and that lack of a plan keeps us inactive and ineffective. In D-Groups, we have a simple plan and repeatable process that anyone can follow to facilitate a group that leads to personal growth and multiplication!
Five MARCS of a Healthy D-Group
MISSIONAL
Healthy D-Groups find ways to meet regularly in places where they can form meaningful gospel relationships and they spur each other on toward sharing the gospel and making disciples.
ACCOUNTABLE
Healthy D-Groups foster authentic, honest, accountable relationships and hold members accountable to both their personal growth and to apply what they’re learning.
REPRODUCIBLE
Healthy D-Groups begin with the end in mind. From the beginning their goal is to replicate the process at the end of the year by sending out each group member to start new D-Groups. This is possible because of the simple to replicate components of D-Groups.
COMMUNABLE
Healthy D-Groups are a community that practices the “one anothers” of scripture. They text throughout the week, meet weekly, and build Christ-centered friendships.
SCRIPTURAL
Healthy D-Groups have as their text book, the Bible. There is an epidemic of studies in the church that teach us a lot about the Word but don’t teach us how to engage the Word and hear from God on our own.
We believe that the Word of God and the Spirit of God are more than enough to do the work of God through the people of God!
BIBLE READING PLAN
The Word Transforms Us
The “S” in MARCS is for Scriptural; the Bible is our curriculum in D-Groups. The transformation of our minds that happens when we read the Word leads to the changing of our hearts and lives. Being part of a group that is committed to the same daily Bible reading plan insures that transformation takes place!
The F-260 is one reading plan we recommend because it takes you chronologically through the Bible covering the major redemptive storyline of scripture in a way that is challenging, yet not overwhelming. Using this plan you will read and HEAR Journal through one or two chapters each week day, sharing those journal entries via text with your D-Groups to hold each group member accountable to the plan. By staying in touch daily and sharing your journals, you don’t have to wait a week for the group meeting to see who is keeping up, you know who’s reading each day and chances are that daily reminder will translate into everyone in the group reading daily! That’s a huge win that happens before we even meet, and a great help for those of us who struggle with self-discipline.
F-260 Reading Plan
F-260 READING PLAN (Printable PDF)
F-260 READING PLAN (YouVersion)
HEAR JOURNAL
Learn to “HEAR” From God
God wrote a book. He is waiting to speak to us through His Word whenever we are ready to take the time to prayerfully open it, read it, and hear from Him. By HEAR Journaling through the Word, we’re learning how to get the most from our time in God’s Word.
The HEAR Journal Method
HEAR stands for Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond. Click below to see a sample HEAR Journal entry. Your journal entries will be unique to you and will reflect your personality and learning style, but the format will help you to understand and apply God’s Word like never before! After you read, share your journal with your group to keep each other accountable. Remember, what’s expected must be inspected! The great by-product of sharing your journals with the group, in addition to accountability, is the new truths and applications you will gleam in the text from the others in your group.
Sample HEAR Journal
VIEW A SAMPLE HEAR JOURNAL
Read: Genesis 3 Title: The Fall Date: 1.3.16
HIGHLIGHT
“And He said to Adam, “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’: The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19. You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust.” (3:17-18)
EXPLAIN
Disobedience always brings consequences, whereas obedience brings blessing. Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s one command and sin, death, and frustration entered into the world. However, we see the game changer – God’s grace – at work in not putting Adam and Eve to death immediately.
APPLY
This chapter holds the key in explaining why the world is as it is, broken and in need of redeeming. There was an “aha” moment for me when I read and understood this chapter. As I experience frustration, temptation, pain, loss, etc. may I realize that this is the result of the fall and not creation as God intended. May these daily experiences cause me to remember the penalty of sin and lead me to flee from sin and run to Jesus, the Redeemer.
RESPOND
Lord, thank you for your reminder that sin has a great cost and it has long lasting consequences. The biggest cost of sin is that it separates us from you, which Jesus bore the brunt of on the cross as your wrath towards sin poured out on Him. Forgive me Father for the lingering sin in my life that I treat so lightly. May I see it as you see it. Help me in my weakness to battle sin as I should, by putting it to death. Thanks for your grace Lord. Thanks for your immense patience. Thanks for your Spirit which is empowering me to battle a force that I’m no match for in my own strength. In Jesus name, Amen.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountable to the Group, Accountable to Grow
Accountability is a big part of what makes D-Groups effective. Because the group is reading on the same schedule together and meeting to discuss accountability questions, there is an inherent emphasis on applying the Word to our lives.
The Great Commission emphasizes that we “teach them to obey” all that Jesus commanded and that is what accountability helps us to do. We’ve found that when we “inspect what we expect” people will meet and exceed those expectations.
Accountability Questions
WEEKLY ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTIONS
- Have you spent time in the Word and in prayer this week?
- Have you shared the gospel, shared your story, or taken intentional steps toward that end by building a relationship with an unbeliever this week?
- Have you spent quality time with your family this week?
- Have you viewed, read, or listened to anything immoral this week?
- Have you had or have you entertained any lustful thoughts or tempting attitudes this week?
- Have you told any lies or half-truths to put yourself in a positive light before others?
- Have you participated in any divisive behavior that has caused relational strain or damage this week?
- Have you lied about any of your answers today?
RESOURCES
D-GROUP READING PLAN w/ Proverbs, Mark, Colossians, Amos, Daniel, 2 John, 3 John, Jude 12 Week Reading Plan (Printable PDF)
D-GROUP GUIDE w/ Luke, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Hosea 12 Week Reading Plan (Printable PDF)
D-GROUP GUIDE w/ Exodus, Mark, 1-2 Timothy 12 Week Reading Plan (Printable PDF)
D-GROUP GUIDE w/ John, Acts, Romans 12 Week Reading Plan (Printable PDF)
D-GROUP GUIDE w/ Matthew, Thess., Hebrews, Peter, Rev. 12 Week Reading Plan (Printable PDF)
D-GROUP GUIDE w/ Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians 3 Week Reading Plan (Printable PDF)
F-260 READING GUIDE (Printable PDF)
ADDITIONAL D-GROUP RESOURCES
For more Info on D-Groups check out:
Replicate Ministries, replicateministries.org
Growing Up: How to be a Disciple who Makes Disciples, by Robby Gallaty
ADDITIONAL DISCIPLE MAKING RESOURCES
For more on the why of disciple making check out:
The Master Plan of Evangelism, by Robert Coleman
Tally Ho, The Fox!, by Herb Hodges
The Invested Life, by Joel C. Rosenberg
Discipleshift, by Jim Putman
Downline Ministries, donwlineministries.com
Harvest Church Podcasts, harvestmemphis.org/sermons
*Thanks to Replicate Ministries and Harvest Church Memphis for the impetus and framework for D-Groups as adopted and explained above.