SE Michigan FCA Outdoors Retreat: Making Disciples Who Make Disciples

Called to Make Disciples

Our first session began with the foundation of the entire weekend: Jesus calls us to make disciples.

Using Matthew 28:18–20, we talked about the reality that Jesus didn't simply call us to believe in Him. He called us to follow Him and help others follow Him.

The men were introduced to FCA's E3 discipleship method—Engage, Equip, and Empower—and challenged to begin thinking about people God has already placed in their lives whom they could disciple.

One question created especially meaningful conversation: Where is Jesus currently trying to grow you?

Before we can help another man follow Jesus, we have to be willing to examine where Jesus is asking us to follow Him more closely.

ENGAGE: Relationships That Matter

Our second session focused on Engage and 1 Thessalonians 2:8.

The central truth was: People usually don't care how much we know until they know how much we care.

We connected Engage with our ATV experience. Riding together requires paying attention, communicating, watching the person ahead of you, looking out for the person behind you, and adjusting when the terrain changes.

Discipleship works much the same way.

We challenged the men to ask meaningful questions, listen instead of immediately trying to fix something, share their own stories, and intentionally build relationships that can naturally lead toward conversations about Jesus.

We also wrestled with an important balance: Truth without relationship can feel like a transaction. Relationship without truth never points someone toward Jesus. Biblical discipleship brings both together.

EQUIP: Training With Purpose

Our third session moved to Equip, based on Ephesians 4:11–12.

We connected this part of E3 with target shooting. A shooter needs a target, proper fundamentals, repeated practice, correction, patience, focus, and consistency.

Shooting once doesn't make someone a great shooter.

In the same way, one Bible study doesn't make someone spiritually mature. Growth happens through intentional training over time.

The men practiced a simple four-question approach they can use when opening Scripture with another person:

What does this passage say?

What does this passage show us about Jesus?

What does this passage reveal about us?

What will you do because of what you learned?

We wanted the men to leave knowing that discipling another person doesn't require having all the answers.

You don't need a seminary degree to disciple someone. You need to be willing to open God's Word, ask good questions, listen to the Holy Spirit, and walk with another person.

EMPOWER: Releasing the Leader

Our final session focused on Empower and 2 Timothy 2:2.

The goal of discipleship isn't to make someone dependent on us. The goal is dependence on Jesus and multiplication through others.

Target shooting again gave us a powerful picture. Before pulling the trigger, a shooter must know the target and understand what lies beyond it.

The same is true in discipleship.

Our target isn't simply attendance. Our target isn't simply biblical knowledge. Our target is a disciple who follows Jesus and helps someone else follow Jesus.

That means moving beyond simply doing ministry ourselves to intentionally developing others.

We challenged the men with this principle:

Never do alone what you could do with someone you're developing.

The process is simple: I do, you watch. → I do, you help. → You do, I help. → You do, I watch.

Then we release and encourage that person to do the same with someone else.

That's multiplication.