What we're learning about training

Michelle and I have been out training around the UK. It’s early days but we’re learning something about the process.

I’m far less focused now on getting through as much material as possible. Early on I’m doing less on movement principles and more on getting people started in connecting and sharing with people far from God. When someone implements, then it’s time to add some of the principles to help them move forward.

So the Following and Fishing material is still our key resource, but how we roll it out has changed.

Here’s my current thinking…

1. First training: Connecting and sharing

• Praying for needs. We teach people to connect with people far from God by praying for needs. If it’s someone they know, they connect and listen for an opportunity. If they are looking for a person of peace outside of their relationships they meet someone and ask, “If God could do a miracle in your life, what would it be? Can I pray for you?”
• Are you near for far? Coming out of the prayer they ask, “Right now are you near or far from God?” The person shares and they ask, “Would you like to be near (or nearer) to God?”
• Share a story or two. They share the story in 2-3 minutes of how they were far from God and came near to him. And/or they share a story from Jesus’ life of someone who was far from God and came near to him such as the woman who wept (Luke 7:36-50).
• Invite. They see if the person would like to meet again and discuss more stories of people who came near to God through Jesus. If possible. they meet in or near the person’s home. They ask if the person knows anyone else who would be interested.
• Practice. We practice, practice, practice these skills in the training. If possible we send people out for an hour over lunch to find someone to pray for and share with. Then come back and report.

This first training can run from Friday night to after lunch on Saturday. Or it could be three weekly sessions.

2. Second training: Report in, practice, and new skills

In the weeks after the first training it’s not unusual to hear stories of people sharing, meeting for Discovery Bible Study and leading people to Christ.

We meet back in 4-6 weeks. 

• Report in. What have people done? How have they seen God at work? Where are they stuck?
• Practice. Practice the skills we learned in the first training.
• New skills: How to lead someone to Christ and how to disciple a new believer using the Seven Commands of Christ.
• Go out. Definitely go out over lunch and share with someone far from God.
• Set new goals.

In the second training we may at times run two tracks — one for new people and one for those who have done the first training.

3. Third training: Building a team, applying movement principles

The whole time we’re looking for people who get it, who do something and can learn to train others.

• Between trainings we stay in touch as much as possible with those who are implementing. We want to form an ongoing team of people who are both implementing and training others. We’re helping them learn and apply movement principles to their work in the field.
• Repeat the process. Report in, practice skills we’ve learned, add new skills, set new goals.
• Train trainers. Now our priority is to equip effective practitioners to train others.

What’s next? Plenty of ideas but we haven’t got that far yet.

UPDATE: Some encouraging and wise words from Yoda Bill….

Excellent. As Mike Shipman said a few days ago, “Train, filter, coach and release.”

By training he means give a few simple things to do and make every one practice practice and practice some more. Only give a few things to do each session and have multiple sessions in which you introduce new things to practice.

By filter he assumes that many who attend the traings will not implement. Continue to train over and over by practicing over and over those who begin to implement.

Now for the revelation — Postmodern Brits are just like rural and urban Chinese, they ponder principles but they implement training.