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As disciples of Christ, who are obeying His command to go and make disciples of all nations, we want every experience in life to draw us closer to God. This includes ministering to others; as when we present or facilitate a course for others’ spiritual development.

Benjamin Franklin said that “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” None of us want to fail, especially when we are making disciples, so how can we prepare well?

The process of preparation should draw you closer to God. That’s what being a disciple is all about; spending time with and learning from Jesus. Often preparing for a course can lead to us being weary and burdened. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mat. 11:28-30 NIV). While it is clear from the context of this passage that Christ is referring to much more than preparing to teach or facilitate a course, this is not excluded as it can weary and burdened us. So, even course preparation can be easy and light when done as a disciple of Christ. Sure there’s work to be done, but it’s done in dependence on God.

So what are some practical steps to take as you prepare?

First, pray!

Only God can change the hearts of people, and prayer is your most powerful tool. As the facilitator of your group, this is your logical starting place.

Pray that God would show you what specific need to address by bringing to mind conversations you’ve had with people which could give insight into their most pressing need – that place where they need God to teach them how to depend on and obey Him. You can also ask for wisdom as you observe the context in which you live. Once you’ve identified the need, you want to link a resource that meets that need. There are many great resources available from a variety of Christian organisations. Find the one that would best minister to the group you are dealing with. If you choose to use a Walk Thru the Bible resource, we have staff on hand who can help identify which course would best meet the need you’ve identified. You can speak to them by phoning 011 782 4222.

Pray also about who you can involve in the course logistics. You don’t have to do all the work alone. In fact, it will probably be far more effective if you can involve others and train them up in how to facilitate their own courses in time. Pray too about who you will invite to the course.

Next, organise. Ask those one or two people, who you’ve considered in prayer, to share the leadership load by helping you plan, promote the series, distribute materials etc.

Prepare yourself to facilitate the course by working through the content yourself first. Watch the DVD sessions using your own workbook and making relevant notes in the Leaders’ Guide. In effect you want to teach yourself the course just as if you were one of the attendees. This will help you to be aware of all the areas that need to be stressed. It is also a way to expose yourself to the material and allow God to transform your heart. 

Order the course workbooks. Before starting the course, make sure that each participant has their own copy of the course workbook. You may want to have extra copies on hand to accommodate any late additions to your group. Walk Thru the Bible’s courses are designed to be highly interactive, and the course workbook is essential for integrating the principles into daily life. It is also a great reference resource once the course is finished, helping those who attended to continue renewing their minds in this area. If your sponsoring organisation is not underwriting the cost of the materials, then consider structuring your class so that the course workbook is part of the registration fee for the course.

Encourage attendance. Walk Thru the Bible has promotional material on the Resource CD, which is included in the DVD kit, such as posters and bulletin inserts to help you announce this series and encourage your participants to attend. The best advert for the course remains your testimony of how God changed your heart.

Prepare to lead the sessions. The Leaders’ Guide has guidelines for each session, discussion questions, and tips. You can print out the session you need for each week and keep it with you during the group time, to help you lead each session with confidence. As you prepare for the session think through the group of people who will be attending. Customise the discussion questions to be especially relevant to that group of people, praying for wisdom as you do so.

A very experienced WorldTeach couple, Tony and Michelle van Tonder, put a comprehensive document together of what they do in preparation for each course they lead. It’s no surprise that their main steps form the acrostic PREPARE. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with “PREPARE” in the subject line and we’ll email you the document.

If you prepare well, especially if prayer saturates your preperation, the course is bound to go well.