7 Super Simple Tricks to Help a Discovery Group Multiply

Imagine you had an elephant, but you wanted a whole heard of pachyderms. You might find another elephant of the opposite gender, and leave it alone with the first in an enclosure big enough for both of them. Ensure they have plenty to eat, come back in two years, and what might you expect to find? Another elephant, right?

Now imagine doing the same thing, but with rabbits.

In just two years, you can expect to find enough bunnies to open your own petting zoo! That’s because rabbits are great at multiplying. They reach maturity quickly and have multiple babies who will soon have babies of their own.

When we make disciples we want them to multiply like rabbits! But what happens if they feel a bit more like an elephant? Taking years but never reaching the point of multiplication? By the end of this article, you’ll have X tricks up your sleeve to jumpstart the multiplication process with ease.

1. Ask accountability questions!

If you don’t hold people accountable to multiply, how will they ever do it?

That’s why, whenever you meet to read the Bible with a group of seekers, it’s not only important to ask them to share what they’ve learned with someone else, but to ask them if they actually did it!

But this doesn’t have to be confrontational. Far from it. Simply asking “how did it go?” in reference to their commitment from the previous week is enough accountability for most people. It’s so important, we’ve even baked it into the Waha app.

If you use Waha do conduct a Discovery Bible Study (DBS) simply follow along and the app itself will ensure that you never forget to ask an accountability question about the previous week’s commitments.

2. Be Consistent.

Some people complain that even when they ask the accountability question, their group doesn’t multiply. But you can actually tell by the way this complaint is phrased that there’s still a problem…

Even when they ask the question?

There is a subtle implication here that the accountability question is not being asked very often! In order for the accountability question to work, it needs to be asked at every single meeting. But, in our experience, it is one of the most commonly skipped part of the DBS.

People need to have a clear expectation that if they say they are going to do something, the group will expect them to do it. Otherwise, a culture of complacency is built into the group, and its relationship with Jesus.

3.  Cast Vision Constantly.

People are forgetful. That’s why God tells the Israelites to remember all He’s done for them so often in the Old Testament. But, people also have a hard time accomplishing something if they don’t know why they’re doing it.

So tell them why they need to multiply, and remind them of it often!

There are many ways this can be done. Are the people you are meeting with motivated by their own personal growth? Explain to them that if they don’t obey his command to make disciples, they will be like a person who built their house on a sandy foundation. (Matt 7:24-27) Are they a seeker who is motivated to just discover who Jesus is, and they’re unsure how they feel about Him? Explain to them that he sends us to others just as the Father has sent Him, (John 20:21) so it’s actually pretty hard to get to know Him unless you share His truth and love with others.

4.  Go Two by Two.

In Luke 10, Jesus sends his disciples out two by two. There are a lot of reasons for this.

• It’s built-in accountability.
• It’s an opportunity to model how to share.
• It provides an opportunity to talk about how it went afterwards.
• You can learn from one another.

But most of all, it’s just nice to know you’re not alone. So, if your group isn’t multiplying, it might just need a personal touch. Try to go out with some of the members and help them share. Or, pair them up and encourage them to go together.

5. Pray like Crazy.

Jesus said if we ask for anything in His name, He would provide. So let’s not make the mistake of forgetting to pray for our groups to multiply. It might seem like a given, but for a lot of really godly disciple makers, it can be hard to remember prayer. We might forget about its importance while focusing on matters like strategy. But the best strategies and tools in the world will never start a disciple making movement without prayer!

6. Raise up an Evangelist or an Apostle in the Group

Many times members of a discovery group might start showing signs that they are gifted as an evangelist or an apostle early on. You might notice that they are easier to motivate when it comes to multiplying, or they take initiative in the group’s outward focus. If you identify anyone like that, why not have them help out? Ask them to trouble shoot during discovery group meetings or send them along with other group members to help and support them. It will also lay a great groundwork for them to become future leaders, as well!

7. Consider Moving On.

Ultimately, we cannot make a group multiply. So, if they have been meeting for many months or years and still have not begun to make disciples, it might be best to let them loose. Don’t worry, though; you’re in good company. Both Jesus himself and Paul suffered ministry failures when they discovered that some people ultimately just weren’t hungry.

On the bright side, groups like this have a way of circling back around. Sometimes a few faithful people come out of a dying group wanting to be part of a team starting new groups Other times, the groups might go their own way and will come back hungrier for Jesus than ever.

Conclusion

By now, you should be feeling more equipped to get those rabbits multiplying. But if all this sounds a little foreign to you, perhaps you might want to begin learning about disciple making on our YouVersion plan. Or, you might be looking for some partners in the Gospel to hit the ground running with. If that’s the case, check out the Waha Disciple Making Course today!

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