Cultivating A Life For God

Multiplying Disciples Through Peer 2 Peer Groups

Material for this manual has been taken from Cultivating A Life For God by Neil Cole. This material has been re-worked to fit the desired needs of Charles City Mosaic.

Peer 2 Peer System:

The Peer 2 Peer system is an adaptation of Neil Cole's Cultivating A Life For God. Peer 2 Peer is a simple and reproducible system of Discipleship. The aim of Peer 2 Peer is to grow in the knowledge of God, in confession of sins, community, praying for non-believers and building one another up in our areas of weakness. This simple system gives the common believer the tools to do the uncommon work of creating disciples, and allows for reproduction and multiplication of new groups made up of new believers who want to become disciples of Jesus. A Peer 2 Peer group is made up of two to three people, of the same gender, who meet weekly for accountability in growth and development. A group should not grow beyond three. If a fourth person is added, then we would consider that group Pregnant, and should begin the process of creating a second group. To begin the process of creating this second group, allow the group of four to meet for three to four gatherings and then split into two groups made of two. There is no curriculum needed for these groups. A simple book mark is given to each person with the questions needed and a place to list the people you will be praying for. The Peer 2 Peer system is made up of 3 steps (4 if used along with the Personal Renewal Plan): Step One: Confession of sins, Step Two: Bible reading, Step Three: Prayer for the unbeliever(s), Step Four: Encouragement in our Personal Renewal Plans. A new disciple of Jesus should stick to the first, three steps for at least 8 gatherings before they begin working on their PRP. After the PRP is completed you may add in the fourth step.

Confession of Sin:
The first phase of the gathering is a time of confession. You may use the book mark questions to help guide you. Use this time to pray for one another and to help guide one another in growing in obedience to the Lord. Remember this is to be a safe place, and these confessions should not be spoken of outside of these gatherings. Only in the case of physical harm may you share these confessions, and you must first tell the person that you will need to share this. Confession of sins to one another helps in many areas of our struggle with putting to death the old way of living, and moving on to living in the way of Jesus. Confession of sin frees us! When we are willing to confess a sin(s) in our lives we are rejecting that life style and agreeing with God that it needs to be done away with. Coming into a place of agreement with God is always the first step to defeating sin. Confession to another disciple we trust places us

into accountability and helps us through correct peer pressure to say no to our sinful desires and yes to the way of Jesus. And, third, confession is also helpful to those who are listening. Too often we put on masks and fronts to hide the sin(s) that hinder our growth in the way of Jesus. When we share our confession, we enable the other(s) to be honest and open about their struggles. Now we have entered into a joint effort where the Holy Spirit can begin to breathe life into the dark places of our hearts. (1 John 1:9)

Bible Reading:
The Bible is the most powerful tool God has given us to know Him and to be changed by Him. Too often we neglect the power of the Word of God, believing it is for the professionals to know and then to tell us. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. It is our responsibility to know God through His Word and to know ourselves through His Word. Jesus tells us that the Word of God is the seed to new life. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard;......As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. (Luke 8:11-15 ESV) The goal of this phase is to read large portions of the Word repetitive and in context. We recommend 25 to 30 chapters a week. The idea is to allow the Word of God to be firmly planted into the heart and mind of each person. When we come together we ask one another if we have completed our weekly reading. Many times one or both people will not have finished the weekly reading. This is ok the idea is push our reading and stretch our ability to read as well as allowing time for us to go over and over these portions of scripture until it sinks in deep, and the Holy Spirit is able to teach us. We desire to be changed by the Word, and to be people of the Word. If the book of the Bible is smaller than 25-30 chapters then read it two or three times in the week trying to make it equal to 25- 30 chapters. If the book is larger, like Genesis, then split up into segments of 25 chapters. You may choose to read a section of Scripture, like Psalm 19, seven times during the week. Or Mathew 5-7, the Sermon on the mount. There is no set pattern, only that you read large volumes and repeat it until everyone has completed the reading in a weeks time. It is here that the Bible will begin to come to life as you read these large portions and then discuss what God is speaking to you concerning what you read. Share with one another what God is saying to you personally, how God is using the Word to change your life and etc. You cannot imagine the power that will be released by this kind of reading. Having all two or three people reading the same portions of Scripture over and over and then allowing God to speak through each one to the other(s).

Prayer for the unbeliever(s):

Each member of your Peer 2 Peer group is to share the names of two people God has placed on your heart who need to come to a place where they make Jesus Lord of their lives. You will list these names on your book mark. When you come together weekly the third phase is to pray for each person listed. Imagine the power you are releasing! Not only are you praying for your friends/family but now, one or two others are as well. The book mark is to be placed in your Bible. Each day that you sit down to read, you can then pray for one person on that list. Below is a simple prayer pattern along with the scriptures that teach us to pray this way for those who do not know Jesus as Lord. With this system, the person(s) who is listed for strategic prayer is prayed for two or three times by two or three different people each week. 1. I pray, Lord, that You draw____ to Yourself. (John 6:44)

2. I pray that _____ seeks to know You (Acts 17:27) 3. I pray that ______ hears and believes the Word of God (1 Thess 2:13) 4. I ask You to prevent Satan from blinding ______ to the truth (2 Cor 4:4, 2 Tim 2:25-26) 5. Holy Spirit, I ask You to convict _____ of his/her sin and reveal his/her need for Christ's redemption. 6. I ask that You send someone to share the Gospel with____ Matt 9:37-38 7. I also ask that you give me (and or my fellow disciple) the opportunity, the courage, and the right words to share the truth with _____(Col 4:3-6, Eph 6:19-20) 8. Lord, I pray that ____ turns from his/her sin (Acts 17:30-31, 1 Thess 1:9-10) 9. Lord, I pray that ___ will confess Christ as Lord of his/her life, take root and grow in his/her faith, and bear much fruit for your glory. (Rom 10:9-10, Col 2:6-7, Luke 8:15) 10. Lord, I pray ____ will confess Christ as Lord of his/her life. (John 1:12, 5:24) It is a group effort in bringing these souls before the throne of grace. When we see a new soul born into the Kingdom, we all rejoice, having played a significant role in the process. Those who come to faith as a result of these prayers can form the next group, and multiplication can occur naturally and in a manner that causes the whole group to rejoice. Please understand these are simply patterns. You do not have to pray these word for word. These are only a helpful guide in helping you pray for unbelievers.

Let's Summarize:
1. P2Ps meet once a week for approximately an hour. 2. P2Ps are groups of two or three (adding a fourth person is the beginning of the second group and multiplication is imminent). 3. The groups are not mixed genders. 4. There is no curriculum, workbook, or training involved. 5. There is no leader needed in the group. 6. Only three or four tasks are to be accomplished. 1. Confession of sin(s) 2. Scripture is read repetitively, in context, and in community. Each week a new person can pick the book or section of Scripture to be read. 3. Souls are prayed for strategically, specifically and continuously. 4. If PRP has been completed by all members, encourage one another to build up the areas of weakness.