Benefits of meeting in a D-group
Jesus Discipled in a Group. Christ modeled this for us by selecting His group from the men within His circle of influence and pouring His life into 12 men.
Models Accountability. We cannot be successful without authentic accountability in our lives. Meeting in groups not only models this, but more often, these groups will continue holding each other accountable for many years. We all need people who love us enough to speak the truth in our lives. "Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17
Multiple Perspectives. The group allows you to view and discuss a topic from multiple perspectives. Not everyone can be reached with the same story or example. A group helps us realize that we are not alone in our individual struggles.
Recruiting a D-Group
Pray First: If you’re unsure who to invest in, start with prayer. You’ll be surprised how God brings the right people into your path.
Circle of Influence: Start with people you know. The best groups start with established relationships. Look around, and you will be surprised at who is already in your circle of influence.
Size of Group - The ideal group size is 5-7 individuals. There can always be more or less. This size group, however, is large enough to facilitate good discussions and not too big, so everyone gets a chance to participate.
Ask One-on-One: This is a significant decision for most people. Don't ask them in front of others. They may be embarrassed and say yes initially, but drop out because they weren't truly committed. It has to be their decision.
Establish Expectations: Make sure you find a time and a place where you can regularly meet without distractions. Also, be sure you’re clearly laying out what you expect the members of your group to bring to the table (literally and figuratively) week by week.
d-Group Meeting Agenda
Fellowship: We always start with fellowship. It helps the group shift gears—from the stress and distractions of everyday life to a time focused on God and each other.
Open in Prayer: This is the official beginning of our time. We always want to start and end with prayer to align our focus to God, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Scripture Memory: If this fits your group’s needs, make this a priority from the very beginning. Set the bar high and encourage your group to rise to the challenge. There is no magic formula, but we always like everyone to participate if this is included in your group.
Bible Reading: The Bible Reading Tract is adaptable to meet your group’s needs. There are five reading assignments per week. Some groups prioritize all five, while others simply focus on the “weekly highlight” passage. Regardless, make sure that everyone stays on track with the reading plan.
Application Journal: Each person is expected to complete two journal entries per week (while doing daily Bible readings). They can use the Full Count Journal or the Full Count App. Pro Tip: Have your group open their journals to the relevant pages so they can hold each other accountable. The main goal is to create the habit of applying what we learn in God's Word.
Group Discussion: Journal entries will guide your group discussion each week. When it’s time to begin, ask someone to share their journal application from the week’s reading. As they share, encourage the group to engage—ask follow-up questions, add insights, or share if others journaled from the same passage.
Accountability: As the group gets to know each other better, start to model accountability. By the end of the year, one of our goals is for each person to be in an accountable relationship.
Group Prayer: Prayer needs to be a priority, but it may take all year to get them comfortable praying in a group. You can start the year by personally leading prayer and slowly move toward group prayer.
“Before coming to d-Group, I had struggled with sobriety. After starting to attend my school baseball team’s d-group, it has not only made sobriety easier, it has surrounded me with godly men and led me to grow in my relationship with christ.”
Current high school d-group student