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After a few years of working with this concept, I have seen however, that it is necessary to “filter” for what I call the 3F people- the faithful, fruitful and focused. I like to call it “filtering up” rather than “filtering out”.

When you can identify who those 3F people are and give the majority of your time and energy to them, it leads to more fruit. I’ve walked through a process within my heart related to some of the feelings I had about this initially. I’ve searched the scriptures to find out if it is biblical and godly to do this or not. My conclusion over time is that filtering is vital, biblical, healthy and part of quality disciple making.

First, a brief description to make it clear what I’m talking about when I say “filtering.” Filtering needs to take place after you have trained a larger group of people in basic evangelism and church planting skills- be they local believers or full-time workers. After a short period of time (one to 3 months), it is necessary to evaluate who has put into action what they were trained to do. Who is really implementing? Who is showing significant interest to grow in this area? Who has acted like they were interested, but in reality done very little with the training they received? After evaluating this, you need to focus your attention on those who have been faithful, are beginning to be fruitful and have been focused on disciple making and the lost (at least to some degree). If you are selective in who you invite to the next training rather than generally inviting a whole new group, or inviting everyone who wants to come, the next training is more productive and worthwhile. As you continue to evaluate the 3Fs and give your time and energy to these people, you see greater impact happen.

I find it difficult to tell people they don’t qualify this time for a training because they didn’t focus enough on their goals and implementing what they learned last time. As difficult as it is, I also find that it is very helpful to do this. It raises the standard of the training. It sets boundaries on limited time and resources so that they go toward what has the best potential for fruit. It also significantly motivates people to prioritize putting into practice what they have learned rather than embracing a culture of learning without applying.

Is it biblical to do this? Absolutely. Building a norm (or culture) of application and obedience in the disciples we train is exactly what Jesus did with His. He spoke extensively about the importance of obedience and putting into practice what He taught. He wasn’t okay with head knowledge that didn’t lead to action! He said that those who loved Him also obeyed His words. The parable of the wise and foolish builder is one of the most obvious examples of this. It begins with the words,

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matt 7:24 NIV

Jesus expected people to put things into practice. He evaluated this in His disciples and held up a standard of total commitment to obedient discipleship.

What do you do with those who don’t qualify, who you have to say no to, and who feel bad or still want to come? What do you do to avoid a culture of performance orientation in the midst of this? These are real questions related to filtering. We don’t want to hurt anyone and we don’t want to make people feel that we love them more if they are more fruitful or perform well! These situations provide opportunities for discipleship conversations with people who are actually very loving and important. Lets not avoid those conversations any more than we avoid discipline with our children. Lets not say we love people but be unwilling to say no when they haven’t done what was expected. As we demonstrate “tough love” as well as “gentle love”- as we bring a gospel to them of both grace and truth together, we will be loving and serving them well. This kind of a situation gives me opportunity to demonstrate Kingdom values and principles to my disciples and trainees. I get a chance to help them understand that God’s love is not conditional on their performance- He loves them absolutely and fully no matter what they do! That, however, doesn’t mean He doesn’t expect and desire their obedience.

I’ve come to understand that by filtering, I am actually demonstrating the character of God to those I’m training.

If we want to make disciples who will be Kingdom leaders, who will make many disciples, let’s not be afraid of filtering. It’s a major key to seeing both individuals, and your DMM grow.

We must humbly and deliberately evaluate our tools, methods and schools in light of the results we desire.

This is truly important! Without evaluation we get stuck in old ways of doing things and patterns of behavior that don’t lead to fruit. We need to evaluate all that we do and make it a priority to take the time to regularly do this. We must be willing to look at what we do and then be willing to change if what we are doing isn’t working!

At the same time, we need to be careful not to change what we do too often or we lose the momentum that comes from repetition and consistency of approach. In the midst of evaluating, we must avoid the temptation to constantly change and tweak what we do. Doing this becomes confusing, especially for the grassroots people we are training.

When we have many different versions of a tool that are all slightly different, people can easily go back to their default of more traditional methods and tools because those are less confusing to them.

We need to balance evaluation and tweaking, with having consistent, clearly explained, and repeatedly used tools and methods. Sometimes the benefit of having the same tool is higher than the benefit of having a slightly better tool. Familiarity helps reduce stress. Constantly introducing new tools or remaking the tools we have causes stress and wastes a lot of valuable time when we have to retrain people we have already trained in one skill or with one tool. Having consistency also helps a lot when we are using various different trainers to train or when we are having people advance from one level to another.

One of the biggest keys I have found to moving things steadily forward toward movements and growth has been to keep the message and method clear, consistent and simple. Some years ago in our organization, we tried an options based approach. We had lots of options we offered people. Westerners and people who are highly educated appreciate and enjoy this. It affirms their freedom, individuality and ability to choose. It was an approach where we said, for example, “Here are 5 different ways you can present the gospel. Choose the one that is best for you and your context.” This works well for Westerners and well-educated people who have a more individualist world view. They like it even better when we say, “Create your own approach. You know your situation and context best.”

Experience has taught me that this options based, create your own approach simply doesn’t work well with grassroots indigenous people. In fact, it significantly hinders multiplication. It is much more fruitful to simply give only one option (even if it isn’t the absolutely best one that could ever be created). Then, train them how to use that particular approach or skill and use it well. Repeat, repeat, repeat until they can do it in their sleep…until it becomes natural for them and they can train others. This builds confidence, capacity and results in reproducibility. It reduces confusion and the energy drain that it takes to “choose” or “create.” It enables grassroots people and very new believers to immediately become effective and empowered.

Some people have wondered why I don’t welcome lots of outside speakers or CPM/DMM programs that bring similar principles but teach them in slightly different ways. Some people have even gotten quite angry with me about not welcoming them to come and teach or bring their program. It’s not that I haven’t tried this. I have. I have found, however, that these slightly different and new approaches that are not in sync and consistent with the things we are already training people in…they are just not that effective. It’s not because they aren’t good methods or trainings. It’s just that consistency, simplicity, and only training people in one main method with the same tools over and over builds the momentum that yields much more fruit.

We also have to be careful not to say something doesn’t work just because it didn’t work once in one context. Sometimes it just needs more repetition and more momentum to take off. It was like that with T4T for us. We find that people need to be trained in it, the same way, three times, before it really sinks in and they “get it.” But, repetition wins the game. And once they get it…wow! The fruit is quite amazing.

This creates a bit of a quandary and a dynamic tension. We need to evaluate regularly, faithfully and I would even say ruthlessly. We can’t have any “holy cows” in our methods, tools, etc. We can’t afford to be so loyal or committed to something that we won’t change it even though it’s not effectively yielding fruit. At the same time, let’s be careful about how (and how often) we evaluate and tweak so we keep a consistent and clear approach that is easily reproduced and isn’t confusing for grassroots people. They are the ones who will really cause the rapid multiplication we desire.

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”– Matt. 28:18-20 NIV

This verse speaks of actions we all can be involved in. It tells us to; 1) Go, 2) make disciples of all nations 3) baptize them and 4) teach them to obey.

Ying Kai and Steve Smith, authors of the book, T4T A Discipleship Re-Revolution, speak of how we are Trainers of Trainers. Ying uses the word trainer for a disciple maker. Do you see yourself as a Trainer of Trainers? For many years I saw myself as a teacher. What I didn’t see was that I was to train the people I taught until they could train others! Instead of seeing myself as a teacher, passing on knowledge and information, I began to see myself as a trainer and those who were learning from me as those who in turn would immediately train others. I am a Trainer of Trainers- A Disciple Maker.

I train one person to follow Jesus and obey His commands, they go and train another, who trains another. In this way the Kingdom multiplies and grows.

Making disciples of Jesus (trainers of trainers) is a crucial task not only for pastors, spiritual leaders and missionaries. This is the task of every believer. This is the task of everyone who is a disciple of Christ. As basic as it seems, why do so few get involved directly in disciple making? Why don’t we see ourselves as trainers of others?

We have settled for a model far short of what Jesus taught. Why? There are numerous answers to this question. We could blame anyone from Constantine to today’s clergy for not placing more emphasis on empowering local believers to do the work of the ministry. Blaming them would serve no real purpose, though sometimes it can be helpful to understanding the process that led us to the situation the church is in today.

Instead of analyzing the history or blaming various people, it is time for all who follow Christ to wake up to their identity and to their task. We are disciples. Disciples train other disciples. It’s natural. It’s normal. It requires no special skills or special qualifications. We just need to obey Jesus’ command, and begin to do it.

Who are you training to obey Christ? Who are they training? Are you a trainer of trainers? A disciple who makes disciples? If not, you can be! Embrace that identity today.