Discipleship Meeting Agenda: A Simple Template That Works

Walking into your first few discipleship meetings can feel awkward. What do you actually talk about for an hour? How do you balance Bible study with real-life conversation? Should you follow a strict schedule or go with the flow?

After hundreds of discipleship meetings across different contexts—from coffee shops to kitchen tables—I've learned that the best discipleship meeting agenda is simple, flexible, and repeatable. You don't need a complicated framework. You need a rhythm that creates space for God's Word, honest conversation, and genuine relationship.

This article gives you a proven discipleship meeting agenda template you can start using this week.

Why You Need a Discipleship Meeting Agenda

Before we dive into the template, let's address a common objection: "Shouldn't discipleship be organic and Spirit-led? Won't a structured agenda make it feel rigid?"

Here's the truth: structure doesn't kill spontaneity—it creates space for it.

Without a basic framework, your meetings drift. You talk about surface-level stuff, run out of time for Scripture, or let one person dominate the conversation. A simple agenda gives you guard rails that keep the conversation moving toward spiritual growth while remaining flexible enough to follow the Spirit's leading.

Think of it like a worship service. Most churches follow a basic order—singing, teaching, prayer—but within that structure, there's plenty of room for the unexpected. Your discipleship meetings work the same way.

The Core Discipleship Meeting Agenda (60 Minutes)

This template works for weekly one-on-one meetings. Adjust the time blocks based on your schedule, but keep the basic flow.

Check-In (10 minutes)

Start with genuine connection. This isn't small talk—it's building the relational foundation that makes discipleship work.

Key questions:

• "How's your heart this week?"
• "What's been hard? What's been good?"
• "How can I pray for you before we dive in?"

Notice these questions go deeper than "How are you?" You're inviting the person into honest reflection. Don't rush this section. Sometimes the most important discipleship happens when someone finally admits they're struggling.

Review & Accountability (15 minutes)

Discipleship without follow-through is just Bible study. This section creates momentum.

What to cover:

• Last week's action step: Did you do it? What happened?
• Scripture memory: Recite the verse you're working on
• Prayer requests from last time: How did God answer?
• Spiritual habits: How was Bible reading this week? Prayer?

Keep this encouraging, not interrogational. You're not grading their performance—you're celebrating progress and troubleshooting obstacles. If they didn't do something, ask "What got in the way?" not "Why didn't you do it?"

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Bible Study (25 minutes)

This is the anchor. Everything else supports this: opening God's Word together and letting Him speak.

Two effective approaches:

Option 1: Curriculum-Based Study

Work through a discipleship curriculum or book of the Bible together. Read the passage out loud, discuss the provided questions, and apply it to real life.

Option 2: Discovery Bible Study

Read a passage (usually a Gospel story) and ask three questions:

1. What does this teach us about God?
2. What does this teach us about people?
3. How should we respond?

The key is letting Scripture drive the conversation. Don't just talk about the Bible—read it together and respond to what it actually says. When questions arise, look up related passages instead of relying on your opinion.

Application & Next Steps (8 minutes)

Bible study without application is just information transfer. This section turns insight into action.

Ask:

• "What's one thing God is calling you to do based on what we studied?"
• "What would it look like to obey this passage this week?"
• "What's one verse we should memorize from this passage?"

Help them land on something concrete and measurable. "I'll be more patient" is too vague. "I'll pause and pray before responding to my teenager when they talk back" is actionable.

Prayer (2 minutes)

Close by praying together. Keep it simple—thank God for what you learned, ask for help with the action steps, and pray for the specific needs that came up.

Consider alternating who prays each week. New believers need practice praying out loud in a safe environment.

Adapting the Agenda for Different Contexts

The core template works across contexts, but here are specific adjustments for different discipleship relationships.

For New Believers (First 3 Months)

New Christians need more time on foundations and less assumption of biblical literacy.

Adjustments:

• Extend Check-In to 15 minutes: They're processing a lot of life change
• Add "Questions About Following Jesus" (5 minutes): Create space for basic questions without shame
• Simplify Bible Study (20 minutes): Stick to Gospel stories and key doctrines. Use discovery questions, not theological deep dives
• Focus Application on Spiritual Habits: Help them establish daily Bible reading and prayer before tackling complex obedience issues

Sample curricula: Start with the Gospel of John or a "First Steps" discipleship book that covers assurance, baptism, church, Bible reading, and prayer.

For Mature Believers

Seasoned Christians need less scaffolding and more challenge.

Adjustments:

• Shorten Check-In (5 minutes): They can get to the point faster
• Deepen Accountability (20 minutes): Ask harder questions about character, ministry, marriage, parenting. Address sin patterns directly
• Increase Bible Study (30 minutes): Tackle difficult books (Romans, Hebrews) or controversial topics. Expect them to come prepared with observations
• Ministry Focus: Include discussion of how they're discipling others or serving the church

Sample curricula: Work through systematic theology, spiritual leadership books, or in-depth Bible book studies with cross-referencing and word studies.

For Recovery or Crisis Discipleship

When someone is walking through addiction recovery, grief, or major life crisis, the agenda needs flexibility.

Adjustments:

• Flexible Check-In (15-20 minutes): Crisis doesn't fit a clock. Give space to process
• Adapt Accountability: Focus on sobriety, healthy coping, and crisis-specific action steps alongside spiritual growth
• Shorter Bible Study (15 minutes): Choose passages that speak to their immediate need—Psalms of lament, promises of God's presence, stories of redemption
• Extended Prayer (5-10 minutes): Pray together multiple times throughout the meeting

The goal is still spiritual growth, but you're meeting them in the valley, not expecting them to climb mountains right now.

For Parent-Child Discipleship

Discipling your own kids requires a different tone and approach.

Adjustments:

• Age-Appropriate Language: Use concrete examples and simpler questions for younger kids
• Shorter Meetings (20-30 minutes): Match their attention span
• Interactive Bible Study: Use story Bibles, act out passages, draw pictures
• Reward Systems: Consider small incentives for Scripture memory (especially under age 10)
• Grace for Wiggles: They're learning. Don't expect adult focus

Remember: consistency matters more than perfection. A 20-minute meeting every week beats an hour-long meeting that happens sporadically.

Common Discipleship Meeting Agenda Mistakes

Even with a good template, here are pitfalls to avoid.

Mistake 1: Skipping Accountability

You're busy, they're busy, so you jump straight to the Bible study. But without accountability, there's no connection between meetings. Discipleship becomes weekly information dumps instead of life transformation.

Fix: Protect the accountability time. Even five minutes of "Did you do what you said you'd do?" creates momentum.

Mistake 2: Letting One Person Dominate

Either you talk the whole time (turning it into a lecture) or they talk the whole time (turning it into therapy). Discipleship is a conversation.

Fix: Count how many questions you ask versus how many statements you make. Aim for a 3:1 ratio. Ask, listen, ask follow-up questions, then teach.

Mistake 3: Never Addressing Sin

You keep it comfortable and surface-level, avoiding hard conversations about sin patterns, broken relationships, or character issues.

Fix: Remember Hebrews 3:13—we need to "exhort one another every day... that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Love speaks truth. If you see a pattern, ask about it gently but directly.

Mistake 4: Ignoring the Clock

You get deep into conversation and realize you've spent 45 minutes on check-in with no time for Scripture.

Fix: Set a timer on your phone (silent vibration). When it goes off, transition: "This is really important—let's come back to it after we read Scripture together."

Sample Discipleship Meeting Agenda in Action

Here's what this template looks like with actual conversation snippets.

Check-In (10 min)

• *"How's your heart this week?"*
• *"Man, honestly, I'm frustrated. Work has been crazy and I snapped at my wife twice."*
• *"Thanks for being honest. We'll come back to that. Anything else on your heart?"*

Review & Accountability (15 min)

• *"Last week you said you'd pray with your wife three mornings this week. How'd it go?"*
• *"We did it Monday and Tuesday, but then I forgot."*
• *"What got in the way?"*
• *"I think I'm just not in the habit yet. I need a reminder."*
• *"What if you put your Bible on the coffee maker so you see it first thing?"*
• *"That could work. I'll try it."*

Bible Study (25 min)

• *"Let's read Ephesians 4:25-32 together. [Reads] What stands out to you?"*
• *"Verse 26—'Be angry and do not sin.' I didn't know you could be angry without sinning."*
• *"Right? What do you think Paul means?"*
• *[Discussion continues, connecting to his frustration at work and home]*

Application (8 min)

• *"Based on what we read, what's one thing you want to work on this week?"*
• *"I need to deal with anger faster. Like verse 26 says, don't let the sun go down on it."*
• *"What would that look like practically?"*
• *"When I get frustrated at work, I'll take a walk and pray instead of bottling it up until I get home."*

Prayer (2 min)

• Pray for marriage, wisdom at work, and power to handle anger biblically.

Total time: 60 minutes. Simple, focused, and life-giving.

What to Do When the Agenda Doesn't Work

Some weeks, your discipleship meeting agenda falls apart. Someone shares devastating news five minutes in, or the Holy Spirit clearly leads you down a different path.

That's okay. The agenda serves you—you don't serve the agenda.

When you need to scrap the plan, do these two things:

1. Acknowledge it: "I know we usually follow our format, but it seems like God wants us to focus on this today."
2. Reschedule the missed content: "Let's pick up the Bible study next week where we left off."

Discipleship is about forming people into Christlikeness, not completing a checklist. Trust the Spirit's leading while maintaining enough structure to prevent drift.

Start Using This Discipleship Meeting Agenda This Week

You don't need permission to start. Print this template, share it with the person you're discipling, and try it at your next meeting.

After a few weeks, evaluate together:

• What's working well?
• What feels forced or awkward?
• Do we need more time for any section?
• Are we seeing spiritual growth?

Adjust as needed. The best discipleship meeting agenda is one you'll actually use consistently.

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