what is a training group?

Crazy salvations have been happening here in the X. We are praying like never before and people are getting saved left and right. The busyness now becomes trying to plug people into training groups as well as getting our friends who are in the family to share. One of the hardest things in following Him is to obey the Great Command. In it, He calls those who follow Him to go and make disciples. But disciples cannot be made if no one obeys the first part. This first part, perhaps for many is the hardest, is an essential part of the walk with God.

In the past, perhaps you have heard a lot from me about training groups and perhaps you are curious what it actually is and what I actually do in it. Well, in a training group, for the most part, I ask my friends to take out two hours each week. We start the training group with care where we genuinely ask how each other is doing to get to know one another more. Then we have worship. There are many different ways that happen, maybe sing to MP3, reading Psalms, prophetic art / word, and many others. This is followed by accountability. Perhaps this is the part where most of us in the States would not know quite as much about. In this time, we talk about the goals that we set last week and talk about whether we achieved it or not and how did it go. There is no shame in this time, but rather identifying whether we are doing what we say we would do and obeying what we have learned in the Scripture. More than that, enabling the individual next week to succeed in his / her goals.

Five miniutes of vision casting: Vision casting is more than just encouragement for the group and giving the group a sense of direction where it is going (where there is no vision people perish). Rather it is a time to share with the group where they could be or how high they could attain in their relationship with God. Sometimes, it could even be a leader sharing a short message that encourages and changes of heart or behaviors. Then 45 min. of message, in it, depending on how far the training group have been meeting, one of the two things will happen. The first is lesson, there are total of 9 lessons, where the basic foundations of Christian life are taught and practiced. OR if the group have already completed the 9 lessons, then the group choose a book of the Biblenor a certain topic and study it for a time. During this time, the group together will read the passage, ask what is the Scripture saying? What is it saying to me? What is something in it that I can obey today? And who can I share with of what I have learned today?

Here is another perhaps we in the States are not as familiar with and that is a time of practice. In fact, we devote 40-45min. to this part, because we want to encourage and equip them to do what the word says. For example, if in a current training group, we have been learning about praying or sharing the Gospel, the new several practice time may look like demonstrating and then practice, or when it comes to sharing, breaking into smaller parts. Practicing sharing the personal testimony, practice sharing the Gospel, and giving feedback on how to do better. Then the beautiful part is that sending them out and watch them walk out and empowered to do what the Word had taught them to do. Practice time is a vital part of a training group because it not only equip them to obey the Scripture, but it also helps them to know what to do when they have their own disciples and start their own training groups.

Last but not least, setting goals, this part an individual sets goals how he / she can be closer to Jesus, maybe people they want to share the Gospel with, or even regarding prayers and reading of the Word. Then we end with prayer asking God to help us fulfill our goals and do what we have learned this week. That concludes our training group. There are basically seven parts to a training group and in it, we encourage everyone to learn and obey with us. As we walk out in obedience and pray, I believe that God will start a church planting movement, more people will come to believe, and more mature believers will go out and do the same thing.

This coming month, please continue to be part of my ministry through prayers. Please pray that as more and more training groups are happening that more and more people would grow closer to Jesus and more people would walk from darkness into the light of eternity. Thank you and it’s awesome to have you as part my team.