How to Start G12 in Your Church

The following Steps are common among those who have Transitioned into the G12 Discipleship System.  Some of the steps are interchangeable, while others are simultaneous.

1.        A deep discontentment in the Senior/Lead Pastor’s heart regarding his ministry. There’s a deep and genuine longing to see MORE results.  G12 will not work with (1) Pastors who are content with where they currently are, (2) Pastors who do not want to disturb the status quo no matter how bad the status quo may look like, (3) Pastors who know it all.  One cannot fill an already full cup.

2.       Attend a G12 Conference (there are different levels of conference: Local , Regional, National and International).  Catch the Vision. Better still, let the Vision catch you! 

A person who has caught the vision is the one holding the vision. When things get rough he can always put the vision down and move on with something that is less difficult and demanding.

A person who has been caught by the vision cannot simply put the vision down since it is the Vision that holds him.

3.       Attend an Encounter (preferably an Encounter for Pastors). There are regular encounters in G12 Churches here and abroad.

4.      Immerse yourself in the G12 System of Discipleship. That is, study everything you can about G12.  You have to be convinced that G12 has very strong Biblical basis and that it is what you want to implement in your church. Better, study the Discipleship style of Jesus.  Questions you ought to ask: Why did Jesus choose 12?  Why did the 11 immediately replaced Judas to complete the 12? Study the Great Commission with NEW SET OF EYES: The Great Commission is NOT EVANGELISM, but DISCIPLESHIP!

a.       Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”

1)       It is Jesus’ church

2)      It is Jesus who builds his church

3)      If we want to build the church, we must build it Jesus’ way.

4)      If we build Jesus’ Church Jesus’ Way, then the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

5)      However, if we build Jesus’ Church OUR WAY, then the gates of hell WILL PREVAIL AGAINST IT!

b.      How does Jesus Build His Church?

1)       We need a blueprint to build something.

2)      The blueprint of Jesus for His Church is spelled out in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19,20)

3)      Jesus’ Blueprint for His Church:  (a)  Go, and MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations (b) BAPTIZING them and (c) TEACHING THEM TO OBEY everything I have commanded you.  That’s HOW Jesus wants to build His church!

c.       Jesus is our PATTERN, our MODEL. We follow His example. We are HIS disciples.

5.       Slowly introduce the Discipleship Idea to your church leadership and, eventually, to the different sections of your church (men, women, young professionals, young adults, youth).  Preach a series on DISCIPLESHIP (its requirements, its necessity in the Church of Jesus, that going to church once a week is NOT discipleship, etc.).  Note: Do not use the term G12 since this could prove to be a stumbling block for some.  Just use the more Biblical term: Discipleship.

Things to avoid:

               (a)    Too much too soon

               (b)   Too less too late

6.      Begin to pray and select 12 men from your congregation.  Meet with them once a week. Discuss the idea of having the Discipleship of Jesus in your church.  You must have a clear understanding and covenant between you and the men you have chosen. 

Jesus’ strategy

                a.       Select the 12

                b.      Form the 12

                c.       Send the 12

7.       Start the BASICs with the men you have chosen.  Without the BASIC Christians will BESICK. And that’s exactly why a lot of churches are Unhealthy.

The Basics in G12 are as follows:

                a.       Reading of the Bible daily

                b.      Praying daily

                c.       Journaling of Daily Devotions daily

                d.      Church Attendance weekly

                e.      Cell Attendance weekly

                f.        Inviting people to church weekly

  

  These are to be monitored regularly UNTIL they become a true habit among the 12 you have       chosen.

8.      Share the vision with your wife. G12 will not work without the pastor’s wife. Remember: the wife will handle all the women in the church (while you will handle all the men).  Let your wife pray for and select her 12 from the congregation also.

9.      Start Pre-Encounter (8 weeks) with the disciples you have chosen.

10.    After they have finished the Pre-Encounter let them go through the ENCOUNTER.  The Encounter is a powerful weekend Retreat that begins on Friday night and continues the whole day the following day, Saturday.  The Encounter has between 14-21 Topics focused on the Cross of Christ.

11.     After the Encounter, follow-up with Post-Encounter (10 weeks).  Post-Encounter, which has 10 lessons, aims at maintaining the experience of the disciple during the Encounter.

12.    After the Post-Encounter, start the School of Leaders (SOL).  School of Leaders has three levels: SOL 1 (Doctrines, 10 weeks), SOL 2 (Cell Group, 10 weeks) and SOL 3 (Leadership, 10 weeks).

The impact of G12 Discipleship IS NOT in the Teaching Manuals but in the TRANSFORMATION that happens in the lives of the disciples because of the following factors:

a.       Weekly mentoring (guiding) and monitoring (checking) with discipler.

b.      The Daily Devotional. This is one of G12’s strongest points. All disciples are required to Journal their Daily Devotions.  Members’ spirituality is raised to a whole new level.

c.       PEPSOL, a training track that does not only inform the mind but also provides opportunities to practice what was learned.  You cannot graduate PEPSOL unless you have opened and maintained your own cell group.  So, in a G12 church it’s about growing cells.

d.      Soul-winning.  G12 is very strong in soul-winning. The vision of G12 is WIN SOULS and MAKE DISCIPLES.  Every disciple is challenged to bring people to church or to win them to Christ themselves. That’s one of the reasons why G12 church grow – evangelism is back!

13.    When your disciples reach SOL 2, have them start their own cell groups of 12 members per group.  They either (a) choose from the rest of the congregation or (b) win them from outside the church.  Letter (a) should happen if all the people in your church is to be discipled. By the way, Discipleship is NOT optional.  “Go and make disciples” is NOT an option. Discipleship is the ONLY WAY to build the Church of Christ.  Letter (b) is what happens when all the people inside the church his already in a cell group.

PEPSOL can be finished in 12 months.  In other words, every 12 months you produce cell group leaders.  What you are actually doing is PROMOTING the people in your church up the ladder of fruitfulness.  You move people from one level to the next in a seamless process.  See chart below:

We must understand that it was not only PASTORS who are called to be fruitful but ALL BELIEVERS.  All of us will face God and give an accounting of our life INDIVIDUALLY.  Remember the Parable of the Talents.

14.    You help your disciples help their disciples go through the same process.   

The G12 Discipleship Strategy:

WIN à ASSIMILATE à TRAIN à SEND

Connect them to Christ à Connect them to the Church à Connect them to the Cell – Connect them to the Christless

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Written by Pastor Norman S. Lao
Lead Pastor, The Journey World Harvest Church
Email: pastor_nsl@yahoo.com