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The Right Way: Designing Discipleship That Actually Works

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THE MINISTRY MBA

10 Practical Courses to
Lead a Thriving Church

Have You Ever Tried to Put Together IKEA Furniture Without the Instructions?

You know the drill—tons of parts, no clear guide, and a whole lot of frustration. Sometimes you figure it out, but it takes twice as long. Other times, you’re left with extra screws (and a chair that wobbles).

Now, imagine that same experience in your church’s discipleship efforts. You may have the Right Person, the Right Message, and even the Right Time—but without the Right Way, your efforts won’t hold up.

We need to get all 5 Rights, well…right.

Discipleship isn’t just about what you offer. The “Right Way” ensures your message is accessible, engaging, and impactful for the person on the other side of our efforts.

As A Reminder: The 5 Rights of Personalized Discipleship

The 5 Rights Framework ensures every program serves people missionally and effectively by starting with the person, not the church. It’s invaluable for designing discipleship pathways.

The 5 Rights Framework

  1. The Right Person: Understand who you’re trying to reach. Are they seekers? New believers? Lifelong disciples?
  2. The Right Message: What truth do they need to hear, and how can you make it resonate?
  3. The Right Time: Are you meeting them at a moment when they’re open to growth or change?
  4. The Right Way: Is your delivery method accessible, engaging, and culturally relevant? Should it be digital, in person, in a group, or one-on-one?
  5. The Right Next Step: What clear action can they take to deepen their faith? Every step should lead to this final point.

When you use this framework, your programs become steps toward a goal—not the end goal. They inspire discipleship rather than simply filling slots on a calendar.

Why the Right Way Matters

People are more distracted, skeptical, and selective than ever before. The delivery of your discipleship efforts needs to cut through the noise and connect with them personally.

But what worked 10 years ago might not work today. Heck, it feels like what worked 10 days ago might not work any longer.

The Wrong Way Looks Like This:

  • Overloading people with information without a clear next step.
  • Offering programs that require more time than people can realistically give.
  • Ignoring cultural shifts in how people learn and connect.
  • Ignoring the person on the other side of our efforts.
  • Attempting to use digital channels for what’s best done in person. Trying to force people to attend in person what should be done digitally.

The Right Way aligns your discipleship delivery with your audience’s needs, preferences, and circumstances.

How to Discover the Right Way

We must get the right way right, which begins with the person. Here are three tips to make the way right:

1. Meet People Where They Are

Consider their stage of life, faith, availability, and preferences. Are you asking too much too soon? Would digital options make participation easier?

2. Remove Barriers

What’s preventing engagement? For Seekers, it might be fear of judgment. For busy families, scheduling conflicts are often common. Identify obstacles and address them head-on.

3. Adapt to Changing Times

Culture evolves, and so should your approach. While small groups may work for one generation, younger audiences might prefer mentorship or short-term studies. Stay flexible. There isn’t a “right” way for everyone, but there is a right way for each one.

Practical Ways to Deliver Discipleship Right

Let’s get a little more practical:

1. Leverage Technology

In today’s digital age, technology is non-negotiable. Offer livestreams, on-demand content, or mobile apps to engage people wherever they are.

Example: A Student might benefit from a Bible app reading plan with daily reminders. (NOTE: You can read about Seekers, Students, Shapers, and Stewards HERE).

NOTE: Don’t allow the digital options to overwhelm you. Pick a few things and do them well. The better your strategy, the easier and more productive your execution. 

2. Foster Personal Connections

Programs don’t disciple people—relationships do. Ensure every effort has a relational component, whether it’s small group discussions, mentoring, or one-on-one meetings.

Example: A Shaper may thrive in a mentorship relationship where they can process their faith journey in depth.

3. Diversify Your Formats

Not everyone learns the same way. Provide a mix of teaching methods: in-person gatherings, video content, group discussions, and self-paced materials.

Example: A Steward might appreciate advanced theological training through an online course alongside serving opportunities.

4. Simplify the Process

Keep next steps clear and manageable. Avoid overwhelming people with too many options or commitments.

Example: For a Seeker, an invitation to “come back next Sunday” is simpler (and less intimidating) than signing up for a six-week class. Eventually, though, an incremental step like an Alpha Small Group will be the right step in the process.

A Practical Example: Reimagining a Volunteer Onboarding Program

Let’s say you want to inspire Shapers to start serving. Here’s how you can use the Right Way to redesign your volunteer onboarding process:

  1. Meet Them Where They Are: Offer flexible training times or online resources for those with tight schedules.
  2. Remove Barriers: Make the process easy to navigate. Streamline your sign-up system and remove unnecessary steps.
  3. Leverage Relationships: Pair new volunteers with experienced ones for hands-on mentoring.
  4. Adapt to Culture: Use storytelling or short videos to inspire and communicate the “why” behind serving.

The result? People are more likely to say yes—and stick with it.

The Win: Delivering Discipleship with Purpose

The Right Way bridges the gap between intention and transformation. It ensures that your efforts are not just well-meaning but also well-executed.

When you align your methods with your audience, you remove obstacles, inspire engagement, and create pathways for lasting growth.

Call to Action:

✅ Download the 5 Rights Assessment Worksheet to evaluate your discipleship messages: DOWNLOAD HERE.

✅ Contact me for consulting or workshops to help your church increase your discipleship effectiveness.

✅ Ready to transform your discipleship pathway? Learn more about our Discipleship Accelerator and our NEW DISCIPLESHIP ASSESSMENT TOOL.

** NOTE: I have dozens of churches scheduled to measure discipleship in their churches in Q1 2025. I have room for a few more. Let me know if you want more information on our custom discipleship measurement process.

One More Thing…

You’re probably aware of our Church Accelerator Community. All our Partners have unlimited access to our resource section, full of courses, frameworks, supporting documents, and our new Custom AI tools (Sermon Outline Creator, Sermon Evaluator, Small Group Question Writer, and more).

Partnership starts at ONLY $49, which gets you about $5,000 in resources. Don’t wait. Become a partner today.

Check out the Strategic Partner and Community Partner options if you’d like personalized coaching for you, a staff member, or your church. I limit the number of these options to maximize my investment in each church and pastor. Let me know if you are interested.

Leading With You,
Dr. Gavin Adams

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