CORE DISCIPLESHIP
DOUG MORREL
CORE Discipleship is a faith-based, Christian organization. Our mission is to help
you make disciples of Jesus. We provide a simple and reproducible discipleship
process based on Jesus’ “inner circle” or “core” comprised of Peter, James, and
John.
Introduction
This Guide presents the 3-Strand Core Discipleship process in general and more specifically, the
third strand in this process we call Core discipleship.
This guide may help you see discipleship in a whole new light. Relax and enter God’s Kingdom
rest as you prepare to not only begin the process of intentional, relational, horizontal and verti
cal discipleship, but as you become part of something exciting, fresh and wonderfully bold.
Testimonials
“The “three-strand” church is a world-changing church. While there has been volumes of books
written on corporate worship and small group ministry, comparatively very little has been put
in print regarding Core Groups. Doug Morrell fills in the gap with the Core Group Workbook. It
is a “hands on” book that will allow the third missing strand of the church to gain much needed
momentum. Use this book as a field guide, not a theology textbook. Commit yourself to be a doer
of the word and never look back. Make way for the “three-strand” church!”
Dr. Phillip Hearn
Founder & Former Senior Pastor, New River
Purpose
This guide provides a broad overview of the Core Discipleship process and the Core
Discipleship workbook. The workbook is a very practical and useful resource that
serves as a 1-year curriculum containing the basic essential elements needed to help
mature believers into obedient, loving and fruitful disciples. The Core training workbook
is based upon a 3-Strand Church Discipleship Process (Ecc. 4:12). The first strand of a
healthy church is a dynamic corporate worship gathering based on fellowship, worship,
discipleship, ministry and evangelism. The second strand is made up of various small
groups flowing out of the church. The third strand is made up of Core discipleship
groups where the discipleship process is accelerated through close, safe, confidential
relationships and is able to multiply itself through many spiritual generations. Core
Groups go beyond small groups and accountability groups in that they are morethan a
social gathering or a cursory overview of a devotional book or reading. Core Groups
are designed with growth, mutual accountability, outreach, and spiritual maturity as
each member’s goals.
We believe that we are seeing these results because we are not following Jesus' process
for making disciples.
• Jesus modeled His discipleship process
• Jesus spent time with His disciples (based on just an 8-hour day over 3 years would equal
8,760 hours of discipleship training invested in His disciples)
• Jesus used a show, tell, release and supervise discipleship model where Scripture was not just
academic (hearing), but vocational (doing)
• Jesus sent them out in groups and within those groups there were more mature believers with
younger believers
The cost of discipleship is great; the cost of not discipling is greater.
The Benefits of Making Disciples As Jesus Did
• Obedience to His Great Commission -- you will be able to honestly say, "Yes, I am being dis
cipled and I am making disciples as Jesus both commanded and demonstrated."
• Will make you and those you disciple more like Jesus.
• Will grow you in the faith more than anything you have ever done.
• Will develop something in the lives of those you disciple that otherwise would never take place.
• Will create deep, lifelong relationships with those you disciple.
• Will bring God's Word to the forefront of your life and ministry.
• Will equip you and those you disciple to live for Christ.
• Will produce godly fruit.
• Will produce an eternal impact for God's Kingdom
Relational Evidence for 3-Strand Discipleship
There is relational evidence that God created you to crave relationships and community:
• God wants you to seek a relationship with Him (Acts 17:24-27)
• God wants you to have relationships with others (Genesis 2:18)
• God reveals His emotions to you (Ephesians 4:30; Zephaniah 3:17)
• God intervenes when you can’t communicate (Romans 8:26-27)
There is also blessing that comes from community:
• Strength for storms of life (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
• Wisdom for making good decisions (Proverbs 15:22)
• Confidentiality and accountability for spiritual health (Proverbs 27:17)
• There is strength, reliability and assurance in community (Proverbs 18:24)
3-Strand Core Discipleship Overview
Jesus' 3-strand discipleship: Crowd, Cell, and Core
The most effective manner to train and equip people for any skill is by providing
effective models and opportunities to practice the skill itself. Jesus used a show, tell,
release, and supervise discipleship training process. Jesus ministered to the
multitudes (crowd), the 12 (cell), and the inner circle of 3 (Core). After calling the
disciples, He took them along with Him, teaching and healing the sick as He went.
Then, after He thought they had seen and learned enough to try for themselves, He
commissioned, empowered, instructed, and sent them out to do the same things in
small groups. This discipleship process should be no different for those desiring to
bring others into a complete understanding and walk in Christ-likeness.
Strand 1: Crowd
Size: 50+people; typically Sunday or weekend service(s); large gathering of people for
corporate worship
Purpose: To bring about a change in knowledge
Focus: Celebration - worship
Wesley's society or crowd group included those in a geographical area, much like a
typical, congregational meeting in today’s church. These large groups of people met
once a week to pray, sing, study scripture, and to watch over one another in love.
However, as is true of today's corporate church gathering, there was little or no
provision made at this level for personal response or feedback.
Strand 2: Cell
Size: 5-16 people
Purpose: To bring about behavioral change; conduct
Focus: Community - fellowship
Wesley's class or cell group was the most basic group structure of the society. The class was composed of 12-20 members,
both sexes, mixed by age, social standing and spiritual readiness, under the direction of a trained leader. It was not a gathering
for academic learning. They met weekly in the evening for mutual confession of sin and accountability for growing in holiness.
This group provided the structure to more closely inspect the condition of the flock, to help them through trials and temptations,
and to bring further understanding in practical terms to the messages they had heard preached in the public society meeting.
Strand 3: Core
Size: 3 or 4 people
Purpose: To bring about a change of direction, heart and
position; knowledge, character and conduct
Focus: Commitment - discipleship
Wesley's band or "Core" was made up of 4 members, all the same sex, age, and
marital status. This was a voluntary group of people who professed a clear Christian
commitment, who desired to grow in love, holiness, and purity of motive. The
environment was one of ruthless honesty and frank openness.
Three Strands Within the Great Commission
From Matthew 28:19-20 we learn:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age."
The Great Commission has three participles: “go”, “baptizing” and “teaching” and
one impera tive verb, a command: “make disciples.” The main idea is to make
disciples. The participles tell us how to do that: we make disciples by going,
baptizing, and teaching. So the goal of a Core Discipleship Group is to make
disciples, teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded.
What is a disciple?
A disciple is a born-again believer who has decided that following Christ takes priority over
everything else in life. Jesus didn’t say being a disciple would be easy. He told His followers
that they would have to deny them selves and take up their own crosses to follow Him. He
empha sized the fact that He would have to be first in their lives when He said, “If anyone
comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and
brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26).
Jesus is speaking to you and to me. Being a disciple and making disciples is a direct command
from our Lord Jesus and the responsibility of every born-again believer.
We are to commit our lives to Jesus Christ and be willing to do whatever
Jesus tells us so that His kingdom will be built according to His plan. That’s
discipleship.
Core Discipleship Groups
Core purposes to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission by
focusing on the third-strand of the Great Commission: “Teach them to observe all that
I commanded you” (Mth.28:20). We accomplish this purpose as we build lifelong
relationships in the context of safe and confidential Core Groups - groups of no more
than four disciples, men with men and women with women. Core Groups are not
accountability groups or smaller, small groups. Under the supervision of a local
church, Core Groups develop students and adults who commit their lives to Jesus
Christ and are willing to follow Him as presented in the pages of God’s Word. From
the very beginning, Core members are held accountable to begin praying for two to
come to Christ and for someone they are called to disciple. The “handshake” of Core
is fivefold:
1. Love
The first foundational value of a Core Group is the pursuit of the Great
Commandment - vertical relationship with God and our horizontal
relationship with others (Mth. 22:37-40).
2. Christ-likeness
The second foundational value is the pursuit of Christ-likeness as we
observe the Great Commission (Mth. 28:19,20). It is our desire to be
genuinely conformed to the character of Jesus. We believe God’s vision for
man is to make us in the image of Christ (Gen. 1:26; Rom. 8:29). We
believe that all spiritual progress is the result of God’s grace. We believe
that humility is the pathway to Christ-likeness. In seeking to truly become
like Christ, we remember His command to, “Learn of Me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart” (Mth. 11:29).
3. Devoted
The third foundational value of Core is a commitment to the four
fundamental devotions of the church as recorded in Acts 2:42: devoted to
God’s Word, fellowship, communion, and prayer. It is learning to be a doer
of the Word.
4. Equipped
A Core Group outfits the saints for the work of ministry - the privilege and
enterprise of each member of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-16).
5. Faithful
A Core Group follows Jesus’ pattern for discipleship and which Paul
presented in 2 Timothy 2:2: “And the things that you have heard from
me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be
able to teach others also.
The Purpose of a Core Group
1. To provide for close interpersonal fellowship and interaction between disciples so that committed relationships can be developed - to
know Him and make Him known!
2. To promote unity and bonding as a family, providing a place where disciples can feel that hey are a part of the body of Christ.
3. To help meet the needs of believers on every level, i.e. spiritual, social, intellectual, and physical. This involves praying and caring
for each other, sharing with each other and ministering to one another.
4. To provide pastoral care so that they can receive special personal attention, encouragement, instruction, edification, exhortation,
admonishing, etc.
5. To disciple disciples to a point where they will in turn be able to disciple others. This involves teaching the basic truths and principles
of the Word of God and maintaining accountability.
6. To create a safe, relaxed, spiritual environment for disciples to grow in God and His Word without fear of rejection or condemnation.
7. To encourage disciples to become doers of the Word and be used of the Lord so that they may be a blessing and testimony to the
local church.
8. To provide an opportunity for individual expression in worship and ministry.
9. To be a tool of evangelism in your local neighborhood; reaching out to people on a con
tinual basis in order to lead them to Jesus.
10. To provide a line of communication - networking all levels of leadership together.
Core Discipleship Groups follow the Master’s plan for
discipleship by imparting life, not just teaching about life
- it is spiritual parenting. It is showing, telling, supervising
and releasing disciples to make disciples who can then
repeat the process once more. It is both an adventure of
a lifetime and a lifetime of adventure.
