One of our greatest realizations as we developed our model for House to House, was that when someone became a believer in Jesus they would stop interacting with their friends and grow an entirely new set of friends within the church. We realized that by doing this, people were cutting off their former friends from the opportunity to hear God’s truth through this new believer. So when this happens, one person becomes God’s disciple, but we left behind their entire community! 

We see this often happening with the attraction model of church. If the goal is for people to go and bring new people to the church to hear from a Pastor about God… eventually you are going to need a building big enough to house everyone. And a church attractive enough to keep people there! 

We, at House to House, have different goals. Our goal is to spread God’s word INTO new GROUPS of people! When someone gathers their friends and family to learn about God together, they can do all of the things the bible calls us to do as a church. Church just happens, not in a building, but when people are meeting in houses, under trees, in businesses and anywhere people naturally gather. Then those people will want to share about their experience with other people in other parts of their lives and they will be able to go and replicate this simple model of church with other groups of friends and communities. These new groups of friends and communities will want to share what they are doing and they will want to go and create this simple church with more communities.

So while people are embracing relationships they already have, God’s message is moving IN. 

When we started this journey of trying to make disciples in Uganda, I had so much fear. What if they only believe false teachings? What if I don’t lead them onto the right path? How will they know God, and how to follow him, if I don’t show them every step? CLEARLY, I need to guide them!!! Man was I wrong. I was afraid and more importantly I didn’t trust that God could do it without MY help. (Yikes!) Fortunately, God worked in my heart as we started this venture in 2016 and we started our own house church in our home, in Gulu, using the Discovery Bible Study Method (DBS). DBS is an amazing tool that helped me get out of the way and give authority over to God where it belongs. It’s beauty is its simplicity to allow the bible and Holy Spirit to speak to the individual participating. It was a refining year in my spiritual life and I learned that I had to dial my enthusiasm to teach way back. What I want to teach, might not be what that person needs to hear! But scripture and Holy Spirit ALWAYS speak right to the heart where I can’t.

So for those of you interested in a method that might help you get out of your own way and create discipling relationships that are life giving and pointed directly at our loving God, then you might want to give this a try! Below is the DBS method we’ve written out for Ugandans.

Discovery Bible Study Method Steps

UP


1. Vision: State simply and clearly your reasons for meeting together: “We want to learn how to Love God, Love one another and Love the Lost together”


2. Thankfulness: What are you thankful to God for right now? (go around in circle and allow/encourage each person to answer)


3. Needs: What is the greatest need in your life right now? (go around in a circle and allow/encourage each person to answer)


4. Pray for each other's needs (either together out loud or separate depending on the culture)

IN


Reporting:

1. What was last week’s story?
 (someone gives a summary in their own words)

2. How did you do obeying what you said you would obey? (go around in circle and answer)

3. Who did you share it with? (go around in circle and answer)


4. Did you pray for 1 person in our group?

Bible:


1. Bible: Read the passage, reread at least 1 more time


2. What does the passage say about God? (all people answer)

3. What does the passage say about People? (all people answer)  

OUT

1. Obedience: How will I obey what I am hearing from God in this passage? (go around in a circle and answer)


2. Sharing: With whom will I share what God is doing in my life? (go around in circle and answer)

3. Prayer: Commit to praying for 1 person in this group at least once this week. Pray for their obedience step and the person they will share with. (each person designates who they will share with)

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