Organic Disciplemaking
Getting A Vision Questionnaires
By Jessica Lowery
Introduction:
The following worksheets
give support to a disciple-maker by offering suggestions on how to get
a vision for someone. The first two sections are designed to help us
pray for vision. The last three sections are questionnaires designed
to be answered by the disciple maker thus increasing their vision.
Part One: Focused
Prayer
It's good to have
a weekly time for focused prayer. For example, every Sunday at 12:00
noon I will pray for at least a half an hour about all the different
people I would like to serve. This sheet of paper is simply a way to
keep our minds on track. First, we make a list in the far left column
of all the people we mean to pray for. Secondly, we reflect in prayer
about any positive or negative observations we have had recently. Third,
we ask God if any of our thoughts would be good to bring up with the
person at this time.
Person |
Positives |
Negatives |
Is
there anything to bring up now? |
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Part Two: In-depth
Prayer
Every 6 months or so,
it's a good idea to do a more big-picture prayer evaluation. It
would be nice if these prayerful reflections were saved and could be
accessed. You can do one of these prayer evaluations for yourself, your
family, or your friends. If you are discipling someone, this type exercise
could be completely revitalizing to your vision. Prayerfully analyze
how the one you're praying for has grown in the past 6 months.
Have there been victories in the areas of character, relationships, equipping,
or ministry? Share your insights to reinforce vision.
Character = Has he overcome bad
habits? Has she begun new good habits? Is he demonstrating more fruit
of the Spirit?
Relationships = Does she have
a healthy amount of friends? Has he been trying to meet new people? Are
her relational habits healthier than before?
Equipping = What has he learned?
What has she been reading/studying? Has he been sharing new knowledge
with others?
Ministry =
Has she been serving others? Does he have a burden to develop a personal
ministry? Does she share their faith?
Person |
Character |
Relation-ships |
Equipping |
Ministry |
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Part Three: Follow-up Questionnaire
Introduction: This questionnaire
can be filled out for anyone who is trying to evangelize, establish,
or pre-disciple someone. In order to get vision, we need to understand
where this person is coming from. If you are discipling someone, you
could give this worksheet to them in order to help them in their attempts
to reach out to friends. You could talk about the questions together
and challenge them to learn more about their friends.
What is his/her worldview?
[If not Christian] = Why not? Does he/she believe
in a Creator God? What are their possible problems with God? What is
their life story? How could their past play into their view of God?
What important role could they play if they went
for God? What are altruistic tendencies or natural gifts do they have?
[If Christian] = Can they remember a point in
their life when they asked Christ into their lives? Do they believe they
are a part of God's Body, going to spend eternity with God? Do
they understand that their sins are forgiven, they have a new position
before God, and they are eternally secure?
Do they understand the importance of evangelism;
are they reaching out to family and friends?
What possible roadblocks exist between them and
walking with God? How might Satan try to take them out?
What important role can/do they play in the Body?
What serving tendencies or spiritual gifts can you see them having?
Part Four: Disciple-Making
Questionnaire
This is a worksheet is
meant to be filled out once per person preferably at the beginning of
a new relationship. Keep it, so that in 6 months or a year you can refer
back and see the growth that has occurred. If you fill out the sheet
privately and are unable to answer a question, ask your friend what the
answer is. In this way you will become better acquainted with their spirituality.
Another option is filling out the questionnaire with your friend. My
suggestion if you choose to do this, is that you give the sheet to them
after a period of time (6 months to a year) to show them how they've
grown.
Have they made the second
decision: to become a disciple, to be committed to spiritual growth,
and to give their life up to the leadership of God?
Part 1 – The
means of growth
The Bible:
Do they read the word?
Do they understand its importance?
Do they talk about what they're learning
in it?
Do they know how to properly interpret it?
Are they studying the Bible with anyone?
If this area is a weakness,
what do you plan to do about it right now (if anything)? If this area
is a strength, how can you encourage them?
Prayer
Do they pray privately?
Do they pray publicly?
Do they understand the
importance of prayer?
Do they pray for others
and for themselves?
If this area is a weakness,
what do you plan to do about it right now (if anything)? If this area
is a strength, how can you encourage them?
Fellowship
Are they involved in fellowship – to
what degree?
Are they initiating spiritual
input at meetings (i.e. sharing, praying, spiritual conversations, serving)?
Are they tactful and sensitive
to non-Christians at meetings? Do they meet and talk to new people at
meetings?
Do they understand that
they have an important impact – that their absence would be damaging?
If this area is a weakness,
what do you plan to do about it right now (if anything)? If this area
is a strength, how can you encourage them?
Suffering/ Discipline
of the Holy Spirit
Do they expect suffering
and dry times in their faith?
Do they understand how
to respond to suffering and how it can be used for the good in their
lives?
What sinful response to
suffering are they the most likely to indulge in (i.e. blaming, shutting
people out, depression, outbursts of anger, etc.)
If this area is a weakness,
what do you plan to do about it right now (if anything)? If this area
is a strength, how can you encourage them?
Ministry/Serving love
Do they reach out to friends
and family?
What help can you offer
with evangelism (i.e. giving them salvation verses to use,
going with them to meet their friends, asking them about their testimony,
etc.)?
Do they have a vision
for disciple-making?
Is there someone they
could begin discipling?
What help can you offer
with disciple-making?
In which ways are they
gifted?
Do they use their abilities
to serve?
Are they able to teach
others?
Do they have a vision
for servant leadership?
Do they give financially
and take Christian classes?
What would hold them back
from leadership?
What help can you offer
with leadership?
Part 2 – Character/
Relationships
Character
How does past damage play
in to their lives?
What is their attitude
about sin or weaknesses in their lives (are they too hard on themselves,
defensive, self-righteous, etc.)?
Are there any serious
sin problems that need to be addressed (i.e. sexual immorality, addiction,
factious, swindling, excessive laziness, excessive greed, etc.)?
We all have a number of
sin areas we struggle with; What other sin areas are present that you
are aware of (i.e. anger, dishonesty, bitterness, infantilism, over-
independence, arrogance, gossip, legalism, grace-abusing, lack of loving
action, etc.)?
Relationships
Do they have a problem
with authorities?
What important relationships
are they in and are they healthy?
What new relationships
are they forming, and how is it going?
What possible roadblocks
exist in their relationships (i.e. are they open? Are they abrasive?
Etc.)?
Are they lonely?
Do they understand that
it's more important to focus on how we love than how we are loved?
Part 3 – Strategy
Look over your answers
and write down what the big picture is in one or two sentences.
Which things can you encourage
them on right now?
Which problem area needs
to be addressed first, and how do you plan to address it?
What are some ideas about
what you could study together?
What things can you wait
to bring up with them? Pray about these things and take note when God
answers the prayers.
How can they reach their
full potential? List practical action steps and ideas of how you can
help.
When will you back off,
allowing them to have less influence and more independence? What things
would you like to see first? When would your “job be done” as
a discipler?
If possible, check your
assessment with a trustworthy fellow worker/leader. What are your agreements/
disagreements?
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