CONNECTION

The connection phase is a time for the discipler and disciple to get to know one another, learn about one another's spiritual journeys, and form the basis of a discipleship relationship.

Share your testimony with each other! We want discipleship to be a place where you can be honest about where you are in your life/spiritual journey and grow together. We can only do that if we know where we come from.

Desired Outcomes:

Share your journey of coming to Christ with each other. Make sure to incorporate the Gospel into your testimony, so that in the future when sharing with non-believers, it is clear how they, too, can place their faith in Christ. 

Guiding Questions:

• • Why do you think it is important to be able to communicate our personal story of how we came to Christ?

  • Have you ever shared your testimony with someone who doesn’t know Christ? If not, what holds you back?

Go through the following resource together.

Resource:

• • What is a Christian testimony

If you have time, go over some of these practical steps. If not, go over them on your own this week to chat about when you meet next.

Practical Steps:

• • Share your testimony with a friend outside of Cru!

  • Think through and write down your thoughts on:

    1. What things/topics do you think might be important to include when sharing your story of faith with someone?

    2. What was your life like before Christ?

    3. How did you decide to place your faith in Christ? (include a presentation of the Gospel message)

    4. What is your life like after Christ? How He has been transforming you in certain areas of your life?

  • Practice sharing testimonies with a friend! (Time each other, aim for 3-5 min max)

  • After sharing with a friend, pray, and then share your testimony with someone who isn’t yet a believer before the next time you meet for discipleship! It could be a roommate, co-worker, family member, etc. You might say something like this, “My mentor and I want to grow in being able to share our journey of faith with others. Would you mind if I shared mine with you and got your feedback?”

Additional Resources:

• • Preparing Your Personal Testimony

  • Weakness Testimony

  • 10 tips for sharing your testimony

Our call to being a disciple starts with our personal relationship with Christ, which is founded in prayer and spending time in His Word. Our heart is to be consistent in these, that we would grow not only in our knowledge of God, but also in our affection for Him. 

Desired Outcomes:

To understand the beauty and importance of meeting with the Lord by studying His Word and spending time in prayer. If these practices are not already part of your spiritual life, think through how to incorporate them in a way that works for them. 

Guiding Questions:

• • What has been your experience reading the Bible? 

  • What have you found challenging? What have you enjoyed?

  • If reading the Bible on a consistent basis is hard for you, what do you think prevents you from doing so?

Choose one of the following resources, based on your current level of Spiritual rhythms.

Resources: 

• • Beginner: Personal Devotion- Bible study and Quiet Time 

    • This is a helpful resource for a newer believer. It is a thorough explanation / process on how to spend time in the Word. As a discipler, use your discretion to figure out if you want to discuss all of it or choose only sections to cover. 

  • Intermediate: Quick Lesson on How to Study the Bible

    • This is a quick lesson on how to study a passage of Scripture by exploring what the text says, connecting it to today’s world (interpretation), and then applying it to your own life.

  • Experienced: More in depth lesson on studying the Bible

    • This article expands on the previous lesson, covering the ideas of observation, interpretation, connection, and the application of the Bible to our lives. Because of length, it might be helpful to have your disciple read it beforehand, and then you choose the highlights to discuss.

If you have time, go over some of these practical steps. If not, go over them on your own this week to chat about when you meet next.

Practical Steps: 

• • Talk about how many times you individually want to be in the Word this week and set up a time to check in with one another on how it’s going. Talk about what you read next time you meet!

  • Choose a book of the Bible to intentionally go through together or on your own, incorporating one of the methods of how to study the Bible in the articles above. 

  • Find a study plan on the Bible App and commit to it, talking through what you’re learning during your discipleship times. 

We live the Christian life in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we walk with God, His Spirit transforms us more and more into the image of Christ. We want to live lives dependent on the Spirit, and not on our own strength. 

Desired Outcomes:

To understand the difference between what it means to be indwelt vs filled with the Spirit, and how and when each occurs in a Christian’s life. 

That we would seek to be filled with the Spirit, and walk continually in His power .
Did you catch that?! As fully God, the Spirit is a He, not an "it." 😉)  

Guiding Questions:

• • Which words would you use to describe your current experience as a Christian? 

    • Do you desire for more? How so?

  • What is your understanding of the Holy Spirit and His role in the life of a believer?

  • How would you describe the difference between being indwelt and filled with the Spirit?

    • (See Ephesians 1:13-14, and Ephesians 5:18)

Go through the following resource together.

Resource:

• • “Satisfied?"

    • Option 1: (Best Option): Download the GodTools app if you haven’t already, and walk through the “Satisfied” tool together.

    • Option 2: (Quick Option): Click here to go through the Satisfied? tool using a digital pdf.

If you have time, go over some of these practical steps. If not, go over them on your own this week to chat about when you meet next.

Practical Steps: 

• • Practice Spiritual Breathing  a couple times this week and keep track of those times. Share with your discipler the next time you meet.

  • After reading this lesson, take time to consider if there is there something you need to bring before God and ask for His power to help you change.

Additional Resources:

• • Life in the Spirit

  • Chocolate Milk Analogy (video)

  • How to confess and "breathe spiritually"

Part of the call to discipleship is to share our faith with others. Cru’s vision is that every student and faculty would know someone who truly follows Jesus. We have the privilege of participating in that vision by sharing with people we connect with every day! 

Desired Outcomes:

To grow in our understanding of God’s heart for those who aren’t in a relationship with Him.

To grow in compassion toward our friends and family who don't yet know Christ and seek to share with them.

Guiding Questions:

• • What has stopped you from sharing your faith in the past? 

    • Is it a lack of empathy for people who don’t know Jesus,  a fear that you’re going to come on too strong, or maybe something else?

  • What gets you excited about sharing your faith?

Go through the following resources together.

Resources: 

• • Read and discuss the following Bible Passages:

    • Matthew 9:35-39

      • What do you notice about what Jesus did, said and felt in this passage? 

      • In reading this, and seeing Jesus' response to the crowds, how would you describe the state of your own heart in this moment toward those apart from Christ?

    • Luke 15:1-10, 19:10

      • What do you think Jesus wanted to convey by telling these parables?

      • What does this teach us about God’s heart for the lost?

      • How should this impact the way we see non-believers and share our faith?

If you have time, go over some of these practical steps. If not, go over them on your own this week to chat about when you meet next.

Practical Steps: 

• • Come up with your “My 5” List
    choose 5 non-believers (could be classmates, co-workers, family members) in your life, and pray for them this week. 

    • Pray that the Lord would lead them to Himself.

    • Pray for opportunities to share your personal testimony with them (from lesson 1.1). 

    • Pray for them to be open to hearing what your life in Christ is like and how it’s different from a worldly life.

  • Ask one of the people from your “My 5” list if they would be open to hearing your story of faith and then give you feedback. 

    • It’s always good to be upfront and honest, so you may say that you have been working with a spiritual mentor on communicating your testimony in a way that makes sense. You could ask them for their thoughts (i.e. things that could be communicated more clearly, or things they have questions about). This may open an ongoing conversation about faith!

Additional Resources:

• • Developing a Heart for the Lost

Cru has created a wide range of contextualized resources to help us share our faith. We don’t always need a tool to talk about Jesus, but these are helpful to get us into intentional, spiritual conversations. This lesson will introduce some of these tools briefly. Take this time to figure out which tools you are interested in learning more about and trying in the future with your discipler.

Desired Outcomes:

To become familiar with Gospel-sharing tools and know how to use them to have a meaningful conversation.

Briefly discuss each of the following tools. There will be plenty of time in future lessons to dive into each tool in more detail.

Resources: 

• • Soularium (Learn more in Lesson 2.6)

    • Video Intro

    • This tool enables us to engage in meaningful conversations about life and God, which allows us to explore the spiritual lives of those around us. 

  • Knowing God Personally (KGP)

    • The KGP comes in hard copy or can be accessed digitally. Feel free to ask your staff team for copies, as we have them on hand. This is the main tool we use when walking someone through the Gospel.

      • Mobile Version

  • GodTools

    • This Cru app has several helpful resources on it, from 

    • Download the app from the App Store and walk through the app together! 

    • We encourage you to walk through the “Knowing God Personally” lesson to see how it flows and works! 

  • Perspective Cards (Learn more in Lesson 3.6)

    • Video training

    • This tool facilitates a conversation about someone’s worldview, or what they believe and why. It’s helpful to know where someone is coming from before sharing the Gospel with them. 

Practical Steps:

• • Spend some time role-playing with one another using either Soularium or Perspective cards. Then go and initiate a conversation or two on campus, or have your disciple invite one of their friends to lunch to get their input using one of the tools. Make sure to spend time debriefing. What did you learn from your conversations?

  • Helpful information for initiating a conversation on campus:

    • You might start by saying, “Hi, do you have a few minutes to help us with something? My name is ________, and this is my friend,  ____________. We are a part of Cru, a campus ministry that seeks to come alongside students in their spiritual journey. It’s a welcoming place for anyone from every spiritual background, but many who come are followers of Jesus.”

    • We have a photo project called “Soularium” with 50 images we use to ask about someone’s thoughts about life and spirituality. You simply choose a photo or two in response to the question. It’s actually quite fun. Would you be up for giving us your thoughts?