How to Disciple Someone: A Simple, Biblical Plan
The Everyday Evangelism Path · Step 12 of 15
Jesus did not tell us to make converts. He told us to make disciples. And yet many Christians who would gladly share their faith have no idea what to do once someone actually wants to follow Jesus. Discipleship sounds like something for pastors and programmes. It isn't. It is simpler, and far more personal, than most of us think.
What discipleship actually is
A disciple is a learner and follower. In Jesus' day, a disciple did not just attend lectures; they followed their teacher, watched how he lived, and learned to live the same way. Discipling someone means walking with them as they learn to follow Jesus: knowing Him, obeying Him and becoming like Him.
That is why the Great Commission's central command is "make disciples", with "teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). If you want to understand the bigger picture first, read what is the Great Commission?
Information fills notebooks. Discipleship changes lives, one act of obedience at a time.
How Jesus did it
Jesus taught crowds, but He invested most deeply in a few. He "appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach" (Mark 3:14). Notice the order: first with Him, then sent out. And within the twelve, He spent even more time with three: Peter, James and John.
His method was life-on-life: eating together, travelling together, answering questions, correcting mistakes, praying, and then sending them out to practise what they had seen (Luke 10:1). Discipleship was never just a class. It was a relationship with a direction.
A simple weekly rhythm
You do not need a curriculum to start. A simple, repeatable rhythm works with almost anyone, from a brand-new believer to someone who has been in church for years:
1. Look back (10 minutes)
Start by asking: How did it go with obeying what we read last week? Who did you share it with? What are you thankful for? This one habit turns Bible reading into a life.
2. Read a short passage (20 minutes)
Read a few verses aloud, ideally from a gospel. Then ask simple questions:
- What does this passage say? (Retell it in your own words.)
- What does it show us about God?
- What does it show us about people, and about us?
3. Look forward (15 minutes)
Each person answers two questions: How will I obey this this week? Be specific. Who will I share this with? As James puts it, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22).
4. Pray (15 minutes)
Share real needs and pray for each other, briefly and honestly. Pray too for the people each of you is trying to reach, by name. Our guide on how to pray for someone can help a newer believer get comfortable praying out loud.
Who to disciple
Start with one to three people. Good places to look:
- Someone who just said yes to Jesus. The first weeks matter enormously. See Someone Said Yes. Now What? for the very first steps.
- A newer believer in your church who keeps asking questions.
- A friend who wants to grow but has never had anyone walk with them.
Look for hunger rather than maturity. The best person to disciple is usually the one who keeps showing up.
What makes discipleship work
- Consistency over intensity. An hour a week for twelve weeks beats a weekend retreat that is never repeated.
- Obedience over information. Measure growth by changed lives, not by how much someone knows.
- Honesty. Admit what you do not know, and share your own struggles. Disciples learn from how you follow Jesus, including when you fail.
- Point to Jesus, not to yourself. Your goal is for them to depend on Him, the Bible and His church, not on you.
- Connect them to a church. Discipleship happens in community. Help them belong to a local church and take the step of baptism.
The goal: disciples who make disciples
Paul wrote to Timothy: "The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others" (2 Timothy 2:2). That is four generations in one verse: Paul, Timothy, reliable people, and others.
So from the beginning, expect the person you disciple to disciple someone else. When they are ready, encourage them to start the same simple rhythm with a friend. That is how one conversation becomes a movement, and it is why we are praying for 100 multiplying outreach groups around the world.
Start this week
Pray about one to three names. Invite one person to meet for an hour next week. Read Mark 1 together, ask the questions above, decide how you will each obey it, and pray. That is discipleship, and you can start it now. If you would like your whole church trained to make disciples, we would love to come and help.
All for God's glory.
Step by Step
How to disciple someone with a simple weekly rhythm
- Choose one to three people. Pray, then invite one to three people who are hungry to grow, often someone you recently led to Christ or a newer believer in your church (Mark 3:13-14).
- Meet weekly at a set time. Agree on a regular time and place for about an hour, and keep it for a season, such as twelve weeks.
- Read a short Bible passage together. Read a few verses aloud, starting with a gospel such as Mark or John, and ask: What does this say? What does it show us about God? About people?
- Decide how you will obey. Each person names one specific way they will obey what they read this week, and who they will share it with (James 1:22).
- Pray for each other. Share real needs, pray together briefly, and pray for the people each of you is trying to reach.
- Check in and multiply. Start the next meeting by asking how it went with obeying and sharing. Over time, encourage each person to begin meeting with someone else (2 Timothy 2:2).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to disciple someone?
To disciple someone is to walk alongside them as they learn to follow Jesus: reading the Bible together, helping them obey what they learn, praying together, and modelling a life of faith, so that they grow to maturity and can help others do the same.
Do I need to be a Bible expert to disciple someone?
No. You need to be a little further along and willing to learn together. Reading Scripture with simple questions, being honest about what you don't know, and pointing the person to Jesus rather than to yourself is enough to start.
How long does discipleship take?
Following Jesus is lifelong, but an intentional discipleship relationship often runs for a season, such as twelve weeks to a year, with the aim that the person begins discipling someone else.
What should we study first?
Start with one of the gospels, such as Mark or John, so the focus is on Jesus Himself: what He said, what He did, and how to follow Him.