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Equipping Made Easy (And Free)

Aug 30, 2020 · 5 min

All believers are called to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:19), and church leaders in particular are supposed to “equip the saints” (Ephesians 4:12). We are to help those under our care to grow in knowledge and maturity (Ephesians 4:13-14; Hebrews 5:11-14).

For a variety of reasons, we are seeing increased interest in online courses as a means for discipleship and education. People are hungry for the connection and community they can get from a group setting, but they still want a format that gives them flexibility in terms of how and when they meet.

Because of this, we have made our Online Equipping Courses available for other churches to use. Over 6-8 weeks, we provide you with a plug-and-play resource to help your leaders effectively and efficiently disciple people into a greater understanding of God’s Word. Best of all, these courses are free.

How Does It Work?

People go through our Online Equipping Courses in groups we call cohorts, which you facilitate and assign leaders to moderate. Everything your church needs is provided: teaching, discussion questions, supplemental resources, and assessment quizzes. Participants can interact with each other, ask questions, and discuss the coursework completely within the online learning system. All they need is a computer and an email address.

Courses start on an assigned date, with new content automatically unlocking as the class progresses. The system even sends automatic email reminders when participants miss a step or fall behind.

Benefits of Online Equipping Courses

If you are wondering whether you should offer these Online Equipping Courses at your church, here are four reasons why they are beneficial:

  1. Online Equipping Courses save you time and effort. They allow you to focus on discipling people instead of endlessly working to create curriculum, manage platforms, edit videos, print handouts, or set up rooms every week. Our Online Equipping Courses require zero financial investment and very little investment of time on your part, freeing you up to invest in and disciple people.
  2. Online Equipping Courses provide a flexible schedule. In the busyness of daily life, most people only have a few small windows each week for learning. In-person classes that meet at fixed times quickly become impossible for stay-at-home parents, those who travel for work, or those whose work schedules fall outside the normal nine-to-five. Online Equipping Courses help remedy this by letting participants determine when they want to learn. Is your only available hour from 5-6 AM? Or perhaps your only break during the day is 15 minutes at lunch? When classes are self-paced and online, learning is still an option for everyone.
  3. Online Equipping Courses make excellent invitations. In-person Bible studies or equipping classes can be intimating environments for new Christians. For some people, just showing up on a Sunday morning can be an overwhelming experience. Online Equipping Courses provide an invitation to discipleship, and one that occurs outside the typical weekend service or Sunday school format. The accessible curriculum and online discussion give participants a lot of information while letting them explore the faith and ask questions.
  4. Online Equipping Courses let small groups study together. With Online Equipping Courses, all you have to do is place people into groups and provide moderation. That means you can give existing small groups an opportunity to learn together online. The system will keep people up to date on assignments, let you email the group with updates, and track participant progress along the way.

What Online Equipping Courses are Being Offered?

With cohorts starting routinely throughout the year, we are making two of our Online Equipping Courses, Following Jesus and Cover to Cover, available for you and your church to utilize. Both classes include updated video teaching, renovated coursework, and an increased emphasis on discussion.

  • Cover to Cover: The Story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation – This course guides participants through the entire Bible and provides an understanding of the structure, timeline, and major themes of Scripture. If you are interested in learning about the biblical narrative, or have ever found your Bible overwhelming, this course is for you. (Roughly 1-2 hours of work weekly.)
  • Following Jesus: Foundations of Christian Discipleship – This course will help participants understand the foundations of Christian discipleship. Participants will gain a deeper knowledge of the Christian life and a clear way forward to grow in their relationship with Jesus. If you are interested in learning more about a theology of discipleship or find yourself often exhausted by trying to live the Christian life, this course is for you. (Roughly 2-3 hours of work weekly.)

New Ways to Learn About Jesus

Giving people options for online learning ultimately presents people with new ways to learn about Jesus and grow in their relationship with Him. It lets people take steps in their faith on their own time, even during seasons of life where getting to in-person can be difficult or impossible.

If you are interested in running Online Equipping Courses at your church, check out all the details and apply to start the process.