discipleship plans

Disciples make disciples

Being a follower of Jesus Christ is not a component or part of our life. It defines our life. Being a disciple and making disciples is an all-of-life activity.

Personal discipleship plan

Discipleship includes consistently seeking:

  • To encourage people toward the grace of Jesus.
  • To encourage people to grow in Jesus.
  • Encouragement from others to become more like Jesus.

Being a disciple is not a second-stage of Christianity. Followers of Jesus make disciples. There is only obedience and disobedience. As Christians committed to pursuing discipleship, our desire should be to intentionally grow together as disciples of Jesus Christ. To better determine how to grow, we must first be honest about our current reality. We must ask the questions, “What type of disciple am I today?” and, “How can I grow as a disciple?”

The tools below will help us identify areas of strength and growth and are oriented around 3 categories:

  • Character: The overall qualities and characteristics that define us. The credibility of the gospel depends on the character of the Christian community (Matthew 5:13-16 and John 13:35).  

  • Competence: This category focuses on various aspects of knowledge and skill. As disciples, we desire to grow in Biblical knowledge and skill of the the purposes of evangelism and building up others (2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Peter 3:15).  

  • Compatibility: This category has to do with the vision, values, and mission of our church. Being a disciple means taking ownership of our mission.

Next Steps

To build your Personal Discipleship Plan, complete all four steps below. If you have any questions or need assistance contact us.

  • Download and/or print the Goal Sheet. Having this tool available will help you reflect on your Inventory and set goals for how you would like to grow as a disciple.
  • Plan for approximately 30 minutes to take the Inventory, reflect, and set your goals.
see goal sheet
  • Open the online Personal Discipleship Plan (PDP) Inventory by clicking on the green “PDP Inventory” button below.
  • The inventory can be completed right on your computer screen by clicking in the appropriate circle for each statement or question and clicking SUBMIT when you are done.
  • Be sure to PRINT your inventory BEFORE submitting. Having the copy will assist you in writing your goals and also be a useful tool to measure your growth when you reassess yourself in the future.
  • Please note that all submissions are entirely anonymous. As a church, we are collecting the anonymous responses to help us gain understanding in how we can move forward in discipleship at Briarcliff.
pdp inventory

After you have printed and submitted the online PDP Inventory, use your responses to complete your personal goal sheet.

The third page of the Goal Sheet provides examples to assist you.

Refer to your Goal Sheet often to help keep you focused on growing as a disciple.

After you have completed your inventory and written your goals for the year, return to this page and refer to the helpful resources below.

In coordination with the inventory, the resources are oriented around the same three categories.

The resources in each category are listed under separate tabs. To view the resources in each category, click on the tab headings; Character, Competence, and Compatibility.

"Christians feed on Scripture. Holy Scripture nurtures the holy community as food nurtures the human body. Christians don't simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love, cups of cold water, missions into all the world, healing and evangelism and justice in Jesus' name, hands raised in adoration of the Father, feet washed in company with the Son."

Eugene H. Peterson. Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading

Discipleship Journal

Our prayer for one another at Briarcliff Church is that we may experience the joy purposed by God that comes from pursuing Jesus with others. As a tangible gift of encouragement, we invite you to utilize your discipleship journal in the following ways:

The Bible promises transformation like nothing else in our world. Isaiah 55 tells us that God’s word is where we find promise, nourishment and transformation. The joy and peace of our Lord awaits us.

With such a promise, let us never forsake encouraging one another to interact with and discuss God’s word. Open the front cover of your journal and write three questions to lead you in interaction with your daily Bible reading:

  1. What does this passage tell you about the character and nature of God?
  2. What does this passage tell you about yourself?
  3. What questions do you have about this passage?

Additional resources for studying the Bible:

Resources

The overall qualities and characteristics that define us. The credibility of the gospel depends on the character of the Christian community (Matthew 5:13-16 and John 13:35).

Confident Humility

 The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness

 Leadership as an Identity

Faithfulness

 What is Faith? 

 What is Faith? (Hebrews 11)

Holiness

 The Pursuit of Holiness

 The Hole in our Holiness

 Counterfeit Gods

 Note to Self

 The Fruitful Life

 Justification

Intimacy

 Intimacy With the Almighty

 Life Together

Joy

 Can I Have Joy in My Life?

 Chara – “Joy”

 The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness

 Surprised by Joy

 The Fruitful Life

Leadership

 Leadership as an Identity

 The Making of a Leader

 Be a Motivational Leader

 Be the Leader you Were Meant to Be

 Building Leaders

 Developing the Leader Within You

 Spiritual Leadership

Love

 Ahavah – “Love”

 Agape – “Love”

 You Are What You Love

 You Are What You Love

 The Fruitful Life

Peace

 Crazy Busy

 Margin

 Shalom – “Peace”

 A Small Book About a Big Problem

 The Fruitful Life

Self-control

 What is Repentance?

 A Small Book About a Big Problem

 The Fruitful Life

 Sin and The Fall

Truthfulness

 Lies we Believe

 Must One Choose Between Truth and Tolerance?

 Can We Know the Truth?

This category focuses on various aspects of knowledge and skill. As disciples, we desire to grow in Biblical knowledge and skill for the purposes of evangelism and building up others (2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Peter 3:15).

Advent Devotionals

 Come Let Us Adore Him

 Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus

 The Dawning of Indescribable Joy

 God Is in The Manger

 From Heaven

Bible (self/others)

 Living by the Book

 ESV Study Bible

 How to Read the Bible for all it’s Worth

 Grasping God’s Word

 According to Plan

  Days to Understanding the Bible

 Bible Savvy

 Tools for Studying the Bible

 Read Scripture App

 Gospel Centered Life

 8 Questions to Help You Understand and Apply the Bible

 Biblical Themes

 The Gospel and Scripture: How to Read the Bible

 What is the Gospel?

Devotional Life

 The Mockingbird Devotional

 A Godward Life

 New Morning Mercies

 The Songs of Jesus

 The Daily Liturgy

 The Gospel and Scripture: How to Read the Bible

 The New City Catechism

Discipleship

 The Cost of Discipleship

 Long Obedience in the Same Direction

 Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands

 You Are What You Love

 You Are What You Love

 What is the Gospel?

Evangelism

 Marks of the Messenger

 BLESS

 Out of the Salt Shaker Into the World

 Our Guilty Silence

 The Case for Christ

Growing

 Surprised by Joy

 The Holy Spirit

 Justification

 Christ’s Redemption

 The Gospel and Scripture: How to Read the Bible

Listening

 Shema – “Listen”

Marriage

 The Meaning of Marriage

 What Did You Expect

 Gospel-Centered Marriage

Parenting:

Parent Cue App

Prayer

 Of Prayer

 A Praying Life

 A Simple Way to Pray

 Prayer

 Praying the Bible

Relational

 When People are Big and God is Small

 Life Together

 Relationships: A Mess Worth Making

 How People Change

Scripture Memory

 Fighter Verses: memorize Bible

Theology (personal/others)

 The Gospel as Center

 Christian Beliefs

 The Cross of Christ

 Knowing God

 Knowledge of the Holy

 Law & Gospel: Theology for Sinners (and Saints)

 What is Doctrine?

 Who is the Holy Spirit?

 What is the Lord’s Supper?

 What is Baptism?

 Biblical Themes

 The Kingdom of God

 Baptism & The Lord’s Supper

 The Restoration of All Things

 The Holy Spirit

 Justification

 Christ’s Redemption

 Sin and The Fall

 What is the Gospel?

 The New City Catechism

Truth-Speaking

 Lies we Believe

 Must One Choose Between Truth and Tolerance?

Work as Worship

 Kingdom Calling

 Work Matters

 Flourishing Culture

This category has to do with the vision, values, and mission of our church. Being a disciple means taking ownership of our communal mission.

Community

 What is the Church?

 What is Christian Unity?

 Life Together

 The Church: God’s New People

Discipleship

 The Cost of Discipleship

 Long Obedience in the Same Direction

 Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands

 You Are What You Love (book)

 You Are What You Love

 What is the Gospel?

Giving

 Why We Give

Gospel Change

 What is Repentance? 

 Gospel Centered Life

 How People Change

 What is the Gospel?

Mission

 Briarcliff Church Mission

 Briarcliff Church Beliefs

 The Mission of the Church

 What is the Mission of the Church?

Serving

 Serving at Briarcliff Church

 Discover Your Design

Theology

 Briarcliff Church Mission

 Briarcliff Church Beliefs

 The Gospel as Center

 Christian Beliefs

 The Cross of Christ

 Knowing God

 Knowledge of the Holy

 Law & Gospel: Theology for Sinners (and Saints)

 What is Doctrine?

 Who is the Holy Spirit?

 What is the Lord’s Supper?

 What is Baptism?

 Biblical Themes

 The Kingdom of God

 Baptism & The Lord’s Supper

 The Restoration of All Things

 The Holy Spirit

 Justification

 Christ’s Redemption

 Sin and The Fall

 What is the Gospel?

 The New City Catechism

Vision

 Briarcliff Church Mission

 Briarcliff Church Beliefs