“Discipleship Uncomplicated”, The 8 Principles of Disciple Making by Dr. Warren Haynes
Principle 7 – Gather People – Gather People to Influence People (part 13)
The Practical: How to Gather People
TIP #1: Look at your Reach List of names and best contact information and pray for each person to be receptive to the invitations you will give them. When you are inviting someone to a group, you can leverage their friends with others by asking if they have someone they could invite.
TIP #2: Get others involved from the beginning. If you are gathering a few friends, a small group, or a large group, get others involved from the beginning. Working together can be a lot of fun and very productive. Combine your Reach Lists to form groups fast.
TIP #3: Gathering people begins with planning. Whether you are gathering one-on-one groups, a few friends, a small group, or a large group, it is important to plan. Be able to answer the following questions: why, what, when, where, and who?
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Why are you gathering these people? Example: I want to get my neighbors together so we can get to know each other better.
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What kind of gathering is it? Example: a neighbourhood gathering.
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When? Example: Thursday, November 7, 2015, at 7 p.m.
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Where? Example: our house, located at (address and phone number).
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Who am I going to personally invite to this gathering? Example: my ten closest neighbors.
TIP #4: Give personal “with me” invitations. Make a simple invitation, card or a flyer, personally deliver it, and say you want them to come with you. Send a reminder email, text, or phone call the morning of the evening event, or the evening before the morning or midday event.
TIP #5: Design the meeting. Design an encouraging, engaging, and inspirational gathering. Visualize the gathering from beginning to end. Basic elements of a meeting to visualize are
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welcoming guests
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refreshments
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introductions
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icebreaker
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WOW factor
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group interaction
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transitions (how you move seamlessly from one element to the next)
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sharing your story
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a Bible lesson or spiritual direction
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call to action
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conclusion
Free resources for these basic elements and activities can be downloaded on your PC, laptop, or smart phone. In this time of technology, resources are often a click away. The ultimate goal of gathering people for the purpose of disciple making is to inspire them to follow Jesus.
