Paying it Forward
A Model for Generational Discipleship in a One-on-One Context

Written by Ray Willis

Kind of sounds like a title for a doctoral dissertation. You know, when someone has to write a culminating paper for an academic degree and needs a long, drawn-out title to make it sound important. Yeah, that’ll work just fine.
Generational discipleship is, however, a very easy and, yep, biblical model that allows each of us to carry out the Great Commission of making disciples of all peoples. But how?

Well, let me first define what I mean by generational discipleship in a one-on-one context. In short, it simply means that once someone has been discipled, they are challenged to disciple someone else using the very method used to disciple them. I know what you’re thinking: How can someone who’s just been discipled begin a discipling relationship with someone else?! Good question. The answer: Disciplers use the First Steps Discipleship Workbook to facilitate the discipleship relationship, but just as important, they relate the material using stories and illustrations from their lives and model the discipleship process to the disciple. The modeling of the relationship works hand in glove with the workbook to inspire and challenge the disciple to actualize the Great Commission simply by praying for the very person that God wants them to disciple. More often than not, God leads them to disciple someone in their sphere of influence.

If discipleship (read also Great Commission) is only to be done by the specially-trained few, wouldn’t Jesus have been explicit about that? Rather, He commanded that “...As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21 NIV). That command or ministry model is for each of us. None are excluded.

To illustrate my point, let me share a story about how First Steps has worked in prison populations here in Ohio. At Marion Correctional Institution, 25 inmates were trained and commissioned to disciple using the First Steps Discipleship Workbook. None of those inmates were seminary-trained, highly educated or skilled in ministry, yet those 25 inmates took the Great Commission seriously and began discipling others. Within six months, they had over 100 in discipling relationships. Within a year, over 200. Three years later, there were too many to count. How did they do it? They discipled the way they were discipled. Simple, huh?!