Why GO
From one reader recommending Greg Ogden's strategy as a movement for making disciples of all nations.
Jesus had a big enough vision to think small.
That sentence is the entire argument of this workbook [Discipleship Essentials], and it runs against the instinct of most churches. The instinct is to scale. Bigger groups, broader reach, more people in the room.
This book moves the opposite direction. It builds discipleship in groups of 3-4, because that is what Jesus actually did with the twelve. Intimacy over volume. Building people over building buildings. The church means people, living and breathing life together, not church buildings.
Depth over width. Life rubbing against life.
The structure follows that choice. Each week includes a core truth in question and answer form, a memory verse, an inductive Bible study, a reading on the theme, and questions that draw out principles. It is built to be used rather than read. This edition [2019] adds a new leader's guide, which makes it easier for someone to facilitate without prior training.
Numbers talk
The numbers are already strong.
- 1,220 ratings at 4.8 stars
- 300,000+ copies sold
A church leader searching for a discipleship process sees strong numbers. Testimonies are on YouTube and the Global Discipleship Initiative website. Thinking small is the way to expand influence is the way to distinguish this from the many other discipleship workbooks.
Author Trust Profile
The author, Dr. Greg Ogden, has over 40 years in pastoral ministry, served as executive pastor of discipleship at a major church, and taught at Fuller Seminary. This immediate context connects this workbook to the wider body of work that supports it, now translated into over 35 languages. Is the ideal reader for this workbook a church leader?
No, not necessarily. It is written for any Christian who wants a repeatable process for making disciples rather than another program. Discipleship is not for nominal Christians. Discipleship is not for Christian users. As a repeatable process of multiplying disciples, you will find a joy in building relationships as you continue to fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20.
Disciplemaking is a lifestyle. Discipleship is not a class with a program. It is not one that is "one and done." If you're not dead, you're not done!
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ who has been asked to disciple someone and needs a structure, this is for you. Are you a small group leader working with a triad? That's what we call a MicroGroup. Are you a pastor building a discipleship culture and looking for a resource your people can actually use and apply to build relational discipleship? Start a MicroGroup of your own. Are you someone who has tried larger group models and found the growth shallow? You will never know the difference until you experience a Microgroup yourself.
Do you have to have a seminary degree to lead a MicroGroup? No! The design of the curriculum is like Peter the uneducated fisherman who followed Jesus and taught others by his example. The methodology behind Discipleship Essentials is like an internship. Read a sample here. Are you uneducated? You qualify. Learn together. Encourage each other. Shift leadership mindsets.
Take the survey found in the Appendix of Go Micro. Find out where you are. Examine your church culture. Look at the results. Check the roots and the fruit of your labor.
Greg Ogden
Greg Ogden
Greg Ogden
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