Discipleship study meetings consist of people who get together to discuss God’s word and get spiritual nourishment. A study meeting typically involves two or more people. As a discipleship leader, one needs to learn how these study meetings can be effectively facilitated. It is also crucial for a study meeting leader to help come up with objectives and aid the group in realizing these objectives. For discipleship to be successful, a leader must always be prepared. When preparing to be a leader, they can ensure success by writing down admirable qualities of effective leaders and incorporating them into their leadership style. It is an essential aspect of preparation to engage in self-reflection and ensure that one is equipped to lead others.
A successful discipleship meeting should also have a leader who seeks to facilitate but does not dominate the group members. The leader should allow opinions from all group members to be heard equally. There should be the creation of space by the leader, which allows people to contribute to conversations and be heard. People within and outside the group should also feel welcomed by the leader and not feel intimidated about joining or contributing to conversations. The successful leader also corrects the members when wrong and is honest with them.
A vital strength of a successful leader in discipleship meetings is prayer. A prayerful leader is successful as they welcome God’s presence in the meeting. Having someone open meetings with prayer is a strength of a leader, and at the end of meetings, leaders can pray for the group members’ specific needs. Another key strength is effective communication skills that ensure that the message is clear to all group members. A successful leader will engage the group members and keep them interested throughout the meeting’s duration.
Listening skills and teamwork also make a leader successful because when one listens to the opinions or needs of the group members, solutions to problems can be found and the members also feel appreciated. Teamwork is another strength that ensures the success of a discipleship group because people within the group work together to achieve the common objectives of the group. Confidence is a strength because the people within the group are more inclined to listen and follow a confident leader. Self-control serves to be a vital strength of a successful leader because they can appropriately deal with different situations.
A significant weakness in a discipleship leader is seen if they fail to have goals and objectives for the group. This will make the members not have an aim that they will strive to achieve, rendering the group ineffective. Another weakness is seen when a leader in the group lacks integrity and therefore fails to be an excellent example to members of the discipleship study meeting. Not providing feedback to group members is a weakness because members’ progress on various functions of the group cannot be monitored. Therefore, the lack of feedback means that members within the group do not know where they are wrong and can therefore not make adjustments or improvements.
Some challenges may arise in discipleship meetings, like the challenges faced in involving remote group members who may not be physically present. Other challenges arise when there is a noisy environment, resulting in disruptions and poor communication. Another challenge is late attendance or lack of participation from group members. Having no agenda or having an inadequately sized room is another probable challenge experienced by the discipleship group members.