Principle 7 – Gather People – Gather People to Influence People (part 11)

“Discipleship Uncomplicated”, The 8 Principles of Disciple Making by Dr. Warren Haynes

Principle 7 – Gather People – Gather People to Influence People (part 11)

I intentionally frequent the same coffee shops, restaurants, and businesses. I avoid the drive-thru and make it a point to go inside and talk with people. Being a disciple maker means we are in the people business. I keep lists of businesses, employees, and customers. I keep lists of people, their names, where I met them, and snapshots I have learned along the way. There is a vital connection between being spiritually intentional and being spiritually influential.

Cultivating awareness of our surroundings and opportunities is important to the skill of gathering groups. It’s not that there are no opportunities to gather people; it’s just most of the time, I don’t see them. Wherever people naturally gather in the stride of life can develop into a spiritual gathering. I have friends that have started conversation groups on their lunch breaks, after work, in restaurants, at hospitals, in school bus barns, apartment complexes, sports practices, and before school groups. Any natural gathering presents an opportunity for disciple making.

In Chattanooga, Tennessee, I experienced a man who, in the early morning hours from about 6:30 to 10:00 a.m., shared one of God‘s stories from the Bible with three different groups. It was amazing and opened my eyes to just how unaware I had been concerning the opportunities that exist around me.