The ABC's of a "D-Group"

Discovery Groups ("D-Groups") are discipleship groups that can grow into little churches or remain small groups in a local church. The key element of D-Groups is multiplication – that is what gets people active in being a disciple and making disciples.

Here is a quick guideline on running a D-Group by using the ABC process. Use this as a "how to" guide and keep in mind as a church planter you will be training trainers to start more D-Groups that can grow into new churches. You do this not so much by doing it yourself but by coaching others.

Ask

This part of the group is about loving God (for believers) and caring for one another!

• Asking people what they are thankful for is a springboard for worship. Encourage believing groups to worship the Lord through song, reading psalms or saying a prayer. Leave worship out with pre-believing groups!
• Each one sharing one need in his life is a springboard for prayer. Prayer in the group works as follows! Remember keep the process strong! When everyone has shared their prayer request we pray for one another in the group by each praying for no more than 30 seconds and one thought only. That way everyone's need is getting prayed for in a short time. If the group is large break up into smaller groups.
• Each one reviewing the one thing they learned last week in the Bible study is a basis for Biblical accountability. D-Groups encourage obedience based on self—discovery in God’s Word.

Bible

This part of the D-Group meeting is about discovering God and His will for our lives!

• The facilitator does not teach. His/her job is to ask questions and let the group go on a discovery journey to find the answers for themselves in God’s Word.
• The discovery process is easy and the pattern is essential: read, restate, reflect, then report one thing they got from the passage. The Holy Spirit is the teacher!
• Asking at random one person to tell the passage in their own words makes the group pay good attention while it's being read!

Commit

This part of the meeting is about putting into practice what has been learned. It's about obedience to the Word and sharing what we've learned with others who don't know Jesus.

• Allowing each person to share with the group the truth they have learned is practice for when they share it with friends and family who does not know Jesus
• Remember to ask “How are you going to apply this truth you have discovered in your life this week?
• Remember to ask “Who will you share it with?”
• Caring for the needs of the community around is a core part of what the group does. This gets the group caring for their community even before they become believers! (Usually persons of peace will carry the needs of the community on their hearts already.)
• Once the group are believers they may also actively pray for specific people in their family to come to faith in Christ.

By Floyd McClung (used by permission)
All Nations

For more resources relating to discipleship and church planting visit Floyd's homepage: www.floydandsally.org/