A New Tool For Online Discipleship

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gives His Church a mission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” The Church is to make discipleships and equip the saints (Ephesians 4:12-16). When the Church is living faithfully, this has always been its goal.

Unfortunately, in our modern world, a lot can get in the way of making disciples and teaching them about God’s Word. Between busy schedules, long commutes, and the general craziness of life, finding time to learn about God alongside other believers can be a challenge. Believers who are homebound, travel frequently, or who work odd hours often struggle to feel included in weekly Bible studies, classes, or discipleship groups.

On top of that, leaders who want to disciple everyone effectively can feel exhausted or burnt out even thinking about it. Getting everyone in the room at the same time can seem impossible, not to mention the difficulty of finding the time and resources to actually create or plan the content.

So, what exactly is the answer? How can churches reconcile the need for believers to learn alongside others with the seeming impossibility of catering to every schedule and preference?

At Watermark, we believe that theological education and discipleship are most effective when they occur side by side with the mission of the church. We also believe that leaders should be able to disciple their people effectively and efficiently without losing sleep over things like content creation. Learning more about God should be able to happen as a part of the normal rhythm of life, even when busy schedules seem to forbid it.

This is why we created Online Equipping Courses. We know that replicating all the benefits of an in-person class online requires much more than just a Zoom call. That’s why these courses are specially designed to help your leaders effectively and efficiently disciple others into a greater understanding of God's Word. Occurring over 6-8 weeks, they provide your church with a plug-and-play resource (including both content and relevant technology) to keep your members engaged and growing.

Each Online Equipping Course is a curated deep dive into a specific topic (like Following Jesus or Cover to Cover). Every week, participants will watch teaching content, take part in reading assignments, and get to interact with their group via online discussion questions. Leaders within your church moderate and run the courses. All the content is pre-created, you simply promote it within your community, invite your members, and then facilitate and encourage discussion.

For example, Following Jesus’s six lessons are designed to help your people better understand what it means to be a disciple to Jesus. Participants learn how narratives shape our lives, gain a deeper knowledge of the Christian life, and more fully understand the spiritual disciplines. The readings, teaching, quizzes, and discussion are all crafted with this in mind. Learners and leaders alike will leave their time in the course more in love with Jesus and more convinced of the “why” behind discipleship.

The unique format and online platform let participants learn on their own time, whether that be Monday mornings before work, or Thursdays at lunch. If you have members who cannot easily leave the house or can rarely make it up to the church during the week, Online Equipping Courses can help them feel poured into.

And did we mention these courses are currently free for you and your church to use?

Ultimately, Online Equipping Courses give people an opportunity to learn and give your leaders another tool for discipleship. While we create the content and host the platform, they remain your courses, for your church. So, if you are interested in seeing how Online Equipping Courses can help your church fill out an interest form and we will follow up with you.