Our 14-Step Basic Discipleship Process

One of the keys to making disciples of Muslims is to have a process to help Muslims who want to learn more about Jesus to come to Him. In our ministry, we use a 14-step path. This blog post aims to give a straightforward outline of this process. I hope this will become very easy for you to follow and utilize if you need a method for your ministry to Muslims. 

So, here are our 14 steps. Many of these steps have links that you can click on to gain more information:

1. The Gospel (Click here for how we share the gospel with Muslims)
2. The Unique Birth of Isa – Matthew 1:18-25 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching) (Click here for an overview of the Five Unique Things that are steps 2-6)
3. The Unique Miracles of Isa – Matthew 9:1-8 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
4. The Unique Teaching of Isa – Matthew 7:24-27 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
5. The Unique Sacrifice of Isa – Matthew 27:32-54 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
6. The Empty Tomb of Isa – Matthew 28:1-10 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
7. Command #1 – Repent and Believe – Luke 19:1-10 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching – please note that this transcript uses Luke 7:36-50, while we usually use Luke 19:1-10 in our work)
8. Command #2 – Take Baptism – Acts 8:26-38 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
9. Command #3 – Pray – Matthew 6:5-15 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
10. Command #4 – Study the Word – Matthew 4:1-11 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
11. Command #5 – Go and Make Disciples – John 4:4-42 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
12. Command #6 – Love – Luke 10:25-37 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
13. Command #7 – Lord’s Supper – Luke 22:7-20 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
14. Command #8 – Give – Mark 12:41-44 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)

In general, here is how we use these 14 steps. 

• For the gospel (step 1), we proclaim the gospel as often as we can, looking for people who are open to learning more. We call these people “yellow lights” (Click here for more information).
• For the rest of the steps (steps 2-14), we use either inductive Bible study or storying, depending on how literate the person is we are teaching. If they can read the Injeel Shareef for themselves, we open up the Injeel Shareef with them. We ask them to read it and discuss the passage using the inductive questions below. If they cannot read, then we story the passage to them, meaning that we tell the story to them until they can memorize it. Then, after they memorize the story and can repeat it back to us, we ask the same inductive questions. 
• We use only one inductive question for the Five Unique Things teachings, “What does this passage teach us about Jesus (Isa)?”
• When we teach the Five Unique Things, we ask learners often, “Are you ready to become a follower of Jesus (Isa)?”
• We usually transition from the Five Unique Things studies to the Eight Commands by telling learners that the first five studies were about learning who Jesus is, and the next eight teach us what it means to be His disciple. Many learners want to learn more about what it means to follow before they are willing to make that decision.
• When we teach the Eight Commands of Christ, we use four inductive questions:
  • (1) What does this passage teach us about God?
  • (2) What does this passage teach us about people?
  • (3) What should we do after studying this passage?
  • (4) What shouldn’t we do after studying this passage?
• The Eight Commands are meant to be obeyed rather than only learned. Therefore, planning for obedience at the end of each teaching is essential when teaching the Eight Commands. Then, begin the next meeting by discussing whether they remember the previous lesson and how they obeyed it. Some learners will want to keep learning but be willing to follow a particular step once they learn more. Move forward with those learners, but keep asking them whether they are ready to obey those past lessons.

It is impossible to lay out an entire discipleship plan in a single blog post! But I hope this simple process might help you learn more about making disciples of Muslims in your work! 

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Here are a few more blog posts on No Cousins Left about Making Disciples:

• Three Responses to the Gospel: Red, Yellow, and Green Lights. When we sow the seed, we evaluate what kind of response that we receive: red, yellow, or green. We need to be prepared to show Jesus appropriately to each kind of response. See how we do it here. https://nocousinsleft.com/2021/10/04/three-responses-to-the-gospel-red-yellow-and-green-lights/
• Helping MBBs go Public as Followers of Jesus. An essential step for MBBs is to stand up for Jesus. However, these steps are filled with difficulty. See in this section how we are working to help MBBs stand publicly for Jesus. https://nocousinsleft.com/2021/09/25/helping-mbbs-go-public-as-followers-of-jesus/
• Discipling MBBs through Persecution. In Muslim ministry, it is inevitable that your MBB friends and disciples will face persecution for their faith in Jesus. Learn hear how we try to help our MBB friends during persecution. https://nocousinsleft.com/2021/10/27/discipling-mbbs-through-persecution/
• How Should MBBs Relate to Islam and Culture. Read my method of encouraging MBBs to love their God-given culture while rejecting Islam. https://nocousinsleft.com/2022/10/08/how-should-mbbs-relate-to-islam-and-culture/
• The Person of Christ. Understanding the dual nature of Jesus as both fully God and fully man is vital for MBBs. As MBBs come to understand the Person of Christ, they are empowered to leave Islam. Here is a Bible study that one of my teammates developed on this subject for MBBs. https://nocousinsleft.com/2022/11/30/the-person-of-christ/