Discipling a church is hard. Because the road is long and full of pitfalls, you should never try to make the journey alone. And yet, so many church leaders have had to figure out discipleship alone, because churches and leaders weren’t communicating with each other about it. Seeing this struggle motivated Mike Johnson to create DiscipleOn, an online learning community for church leaders. It’s a safe space for people to share their frustrations, insights, and resources as a community while learning from seasoned discipleship leaders. Meeting online makes it easier for busy schedules and allows you to learn from people all over the country without having to travel.
Julia Johnson, who recently joined Ascending Leaders’ team of discipleship coaches, has participated in four seasons of DiscipleOn (each season is 5 months). After hearing about Mike Johnson through a fellow church staff member, she enrolled in all three of Mike’s DiscipleForward courses. This whet her appetite for joining a DiscipleOn community. Now Julia is in her fourth season of DiscipleOn, and below she shares why she has stayed with it.
“My experience in the DiscipleForward classes was so valuable that I wanted to join DiscipleOn, which would help me continue focusing on the theological and practical aspects of disciple-making. I knew participating in such a diverse group would challenge me to think differently as the other members and I learned from one another. I’m in my fourth season of DiscipleOn, and once it finishes, I will not hesitate to reach out to those I’ve spent time with and learned from.
I love that the group is small enough (up to 10 people) that you can hear from everyone, and our discussions are engaging and honest every time. The expert webinars take the experience to an even higher level as we hear directly from people who are passionate about disciple-making. They share rich insight with us.
Participating in DiscipleOn has totally changed the language I use when discussing spiritual growth and disciple-making. I have a much more robust understanding of the stages of spiritual growth and am able to communicate them more clearly to our staff and leaders. DiscipleOn influences the books I’m reading and gives me access to amazing resources from the other participating churches.”
If you’re interested in DiscipleOn, you can look here. The next 5-month season of DiscipleOn starts up in August, but early bird registration closes June 15! Many like Julia have found that DiscipleOn provides the community and guidance they needed for discipling others, and we know it will bless you, too!
Julia Johnson is a Small Groups Director at Grace Fellowship UMC in Katy, TX. She and her husband Dan and have been married 17 years. Dan is a former youth pastor and has a Christian counseling practice. Julia has been the Small Groups Director at Grace Fellowship for 9 ½ years where she equips, trains, and resources over 100 small groups. Prior to that, she had a 27-year sales career in the mortgage insurance industry. She was raised in Tulsa, OK and received a journalism/public relations degree from Oklahoma State University.
