How Are Discipleship Groups Different Than Small Groups?

In this post, we’re giving you an inside key idea from Movement-Ready Church. Plus a free resource to help you put it into practice right away.

What is a discipleship group?

A discipleship group (D-group for short) is a microsized group (usually three to five people) that meets for a season of spiritual training, to then multiply out to make disciples where they live, work, and play.

Why are discipleship groups important?

One of the most common reasons why churches don’t have a disciple-making culture is because of what we call the equipping myth (taught in chapter 8 in Movement-Ready Church), the fatal assumption that teaching equals training. Churches are great at teaching their people content but are often poor at training their people in disciple-making skills.

For your pathway to be effective in developing disciple-makers, you must bust the equipping myth and create places where the multiplication cycle is happening; where disciple-making skills are modeled, explained, applied, and developed.

Discipleship groups become your church’s multiplication vehicle in your strategy. It is your primary vehicle for developing disciple-making leaders in your church.

How are discipleship groups different from small groups?

Church staffs and congregations commonly perceive D-groups as being just another form of Sunday school or a small group. They often have “a group is a group is a group” mentality. But while D-groups share the word “group” with these other ministries of the church, they are different.

The first and most important difference is that small groups and Sunday schools are “box” ministries, and D-groups are “circle” ministries (taught in chapter 5 of Movement-Ready Church). Box ministries focus on engagement; circle ministries focus on empowerment. These are two totally different priorities.

These are just a handful of differences between a D-Group and a small group or Sunday school. They complement; they don’t compete. The two groups together allow you both to engage new people and to empower disciple-makers.

Start the Journey Early

Movement-Ready Church was born out of years walking with pastors, navigating real challenges, and watching God spark real movement. My prayer is that it gives you more than strategy; it gives you clarity, unity, and courage to lead with faithfulness, not pressure.

When you pre-order, you’ll unlock bonus tools to help you lead not just read:

• 11 teaching videos with Robby and me

• 3 assessments to evaluate your church’s clarity, culture, and alignment

• A visual overview to guide team conversations

These resources are only available before the book launches on March 3. If you’re ready to take the first step toward a movement-ready culture, pre-order today.