The Discipleship Mandate

It is the responsibility of every Christian and every Church to be engaged in discipleship. This is not an “accessory” which we can opt in or out of, it is a mandate given to the apostles at Christ’s ascension, and to us by derivation (Matthew 28:19-20).
 
To that end, time is spent  every week developing a specific discipleship series for our church. The introduction and lessons are included below for your edification. The present study is based upon Peter’s first epistle, and new lessons will be uploaded as they become available. 
 
This material is not  copyright and distribution is encouraged. 
 

Discipleship at Mt. Cathedral

Mount Cathedral Community Baptist Church takes the command to make and mature disciples very seriously. Gospel Groups are one of the ways that we can effectively minister to one another within our local church, and grow through the study of God’s Word in small group settings.
 
Gospel Groups are small numbers of Christians who meet together regularly for prayer, reading and discussing the Scriptures, and to encourage one another. Although these groups are organised, and the discussion material is provided, the format, meeting times, and location is left to the participants.
 

Pastor Daniel Kriss is responsible for writing the materials which include: a specific theme, a Bible passage to study, a verse to memorise, and discussion questions to answer. Each group is given a new lesson fortnightly. Every study includes a place to write any difficult questions that cannot be answered during the lesson. These should then be forwarded to Pastor Daniel Kriss as soon as possible.

The hope is that each Gospel Group will meet at least once a fortnight for an hour to take part in this small group discipleship program. Generally a mature Christian is partnered with a more recent believer(s) so that general questions can be answered during the Bible study.
 
The groups are divided into male and female, and usually consist of 3-5 individuals. One person is responsible to lead the study initially, but in time other participants should be encouraged to lead lessons. Group rotations will occur at some point so that there is opportunity for diversity and the building of new relationships.
 
Each Bible study is self-explanatory and does not require preparation on the part of the facilitator. The format is simple, organised, and concise. The material is written at a high school level, and teenagers are encouraged to take part in this program.
 
May these Gospel Groups be used of God to nurture, support, and encourage you in the pursuit of holiness.