Key #3 DMM Breakthrough Growth: Train Don’t Teach

Do you long to see greater multiplication through your discipleship training?  Are you tired of only seeing a few new disciples each year? Though this is a work of God’s Spirit, there are some key principles we can pay attention to that bring about breakthroughs.

The last two blogs gave the first two keys; Key #1: Praying With Faith and Key #2: Perseverance. In this article, we will discuss a third key.

How you train disciples greatly impacts whether or not they multiply. If you want those you are training to be disciples to also make disciples, an important change needs to happen in how you train. You need to shift from being a teacher to becoming a trainer.

Are you a Trainer or Teacher?

I was speaking in a training program some years ago, and realized how big of a shift God has brought in me over the past years. What I do when I am invited into a classroom full of people wanting to learn and grow has dramatically changed.  I’m still speaking about the same topics, but my mindset and method is very different!

Don’t Choose Easy- Choose Fruitful

I find teaching is easier than training. But it yields far less fruit. The goal of teaching is to impart information or knowledge. If you are an experienced or gifted teacher this comes naturally. Teaching is a wonderful, gift of the Holy Spirit. It definitely has it’s place! However, without training, you won’t get multiplication.

Honestly, it’s quite easy to feel good about myself when I teach.  If I make a good presentation and everyone likes it, responds well, and gets excited, then I feel it was a success. 

But as I started to aim at the multiplication of disciples and new movements as my goal, I began to realize that teaching was not as effective in producing disciple-makers. When I looked deeply at the fruitfulness on the ground of my teaching, I realized I needed to change.  Since my goal is making disciples who make disciples, that means I need to do things differently.

Trainers Are Different From Teachers

• Trainers are practitioners. They do what they are training people to do.
• Trainers demonstrate and model both in the classroom and in the field.
• Trainers are learners themselves, not experts, though they are probably some steps ahead of the trainees.
• Trainers follow-up and check on how things get applied after the classroom period is over.
• A trainer’s goal is not only to pass on knowledge but primarily to develop skills.
• Trainers are careful to keep their training style simple enough that everyone they train can pass on the same material to others immediately.
• Success for a trainer is when the student/trainee can do what they taught AND train others to do the same.

Jesus Trained His Disciples

When I look at Jesus, I see him on only teaching, but also training his disciples.  There were certainly times when He also taught them and passed on knowledge.  But the majority of the time He modeled in the field with them, giving them assignments, and then getting a report. Afterwards, He would train them again and send them again.

Train, report, discuss, send. Train, report, discuss, send. It was a cycle He practiced with them.

I believe we will see many more disciples who make disciples from our “training programs” and seminars if we stop teaching so much, and train more.

Let’s pause to evaluate.

Do you tend to be more of a trainer or a teacher? What discipleship training approach have you used?

What one change will you make next time you speak, to train rather than only pass on information?

Share your action step with one other person and ask them to hold you accountable. Let me know what you will change in the comments below as well.