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Real Life Discipleship
The Real Life Discipleship training manual provides unique guidance and insight to pastors, church leaders, and their disciples as they work to create an effective discipleship program. With a thorough, results-oriented process that can be applied in other contexts and cultures, this manual explains the necessary components of disciple-making so that every church member can play a part in reaching others for Christ. A great leader’s resource, it shows you how to cultivate new leaders for the future and equip them to make disciples.
This manual includes these teaching tools:
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Activities and questions that teach an effective, Christlike approach to discipleship
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Training on how to identify, recruit, and develop gifted leaders from within your church fellowship
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An explanation of the role of personal relationships in making disciples
The Real Life Discipleship book explains what should happen in the life of every Christian and in every small group so that the church becomes an army of believers dedicated to seeing the world saved. With the overriding goal to train disciples who know how to make more disciples, this book offers proven tools and strategies from Real Life Ministries, one of America’s fastest-growing churches. Discover what the Bible says about true and effective discipleship with these strategies and practices.
The Real Life Discipleship Training Manual Coaching Series
Equipping Leaders to Make Disciples who Make Disciples
Take your discipleship journey to the next level with the Real Life Discipleship Coaching Videos, led by co-author Bill Krause.
Designed to accompany The Real Life Discipleship Training Manual, these videos are your personal coaching sessions, providing insights and practical tips to help you lead with confidence and clarity.
Bill brings years of experience and wisdom to these short, engaging videos, guiding leaders through the heart of discipleship. With his relatable stories and actionable advice, you’ll gain deeper understanding, avoid common pitfalls, and maximize the transformative potential of this material.
Whether you’re leading a small group, mentoring one-on-one, or navigating your own spiritual growth, these coaching videos ensure you’re not on this journey alone. Learn how to create a relational environment, align your group with Jesus’ methods, and build disciples who are ready to make disciples.
Don’t just teach content—lead a movement. These coaching videos are the perfect companion to your discipleship journey. Join Bill Krause and experience real, lasting change in how you disciple others. Ready to get started? Let’s walk this path together!
Introduction
In this introduction video – Bill lays out the overall vision of the Real Life Discipleship Workbook, and how you as a leader can be equipped to lead your group to discover the real meaning of discipleship, and become disciple-making disciples.
Week One
In this session, Bill unpacks what “winning” truly looks like for the church—not budgets, staff size, or even mission trips, but obedience to Jesus’ call in the Great Commission: Go and make disciples. Through this compelling teaching, you’ll explore how the church can move from passive gatherings to active, life-changing disciple-making.
Download Week One Study Notes Here:
week two
In Week Two of the Real Life Discipleship Coaching Video Series, co-author Bill Krause explores the power of having a shared, biblical definition of a disciple. Drawing from his personal journey and experiences, Bill emphasizes how a clear definition of discipleship based on Matthew 4:19 provides focus and intentionality for personal growth and group leadership. This week’s insights will help you assess your own discipleship journey and guide others more effectively.
week three
In Week 3 of the coaching series, we explore the process of spiritual growth and the importance of intentional discipleship. Without guidance, many believers remain stagnant in their faith or even regress. This session introduces a spiritual growth chart as a tool to help individuals and leaders assess and encourage progress in their discipleship journey.
week four
In this week’s coaching session, we explore the three essential keys to successful discipleship. Just as a journey requires a driver, a vehicle, and a map, biblical discipleship requires an intentional leader, a relational environment, and a reproducible process. Without these three components, discipleship efforts can become ineffective, leading to stagnation rather than multiplication.
Week five
In this week’s session, we focus on how to be an intentional leader. True biblical leadership is not about power, position, or prestige—it is about serving others, guiding them, and creating an environment where disciples can grow. Jesus modeled this kind of leadership by being intentional in His relationships, teaching, and disciple-making process.
Week Six
In this week’s session, we take a closer look at the relational environment—a critical component of disciple-making. Discipleship cannot happen in isolation; it requires deep, meaningful relationships where people feel known, affirmed, and challenged to grow. Jesus modeled this type of relational discipleship, and leaders must be intentional in creating an environment where transformation can happen.
week seven
In this week’s session, we focus on the reproducible process of discipleship. A truly effective discipleship process must be simple enough for anyone to use but deep enough to last a lifetime. Jesus modeled a process that was repeatable, relational, and transformative, allowing disciples to mature and then disciple others.
week eight
This week’s session focuses on sharing the Gospel with those who are spiritually dead. While many people already have experience with personal evangelism, this session provides a simple, reproducible plan for sharing Christ effectively. However, the emphasis is not on learning more tools but on actually using them—evangelism happens through action, not just knowledge.
Download Week Eight Study Notes HERE
week nine
This week’s session focuses on spiritual childhood—a critical stage where new believers need guidance, connection, and relational discipleship to continue growing in their faith. Many Christians remain stuck in this stage, lacking deep relationships with God and others. A key role of a disciple-maker is to act as a spiritual parent, helping children grow into maturity.
week ten
This week’s session focuses on spiritual young adulthood, a critical stage in discipleship where believers move from self-focus to serving others. Spiritual young adults are eager to engage in ministry, often saying, “Give me the keys, Dad—I’m ready to serve!” However, they still need coaching, guidance, and encouragement to ensure their growth is nurtured and not stifled.
Week eleven
This week’s session focuses on spiritual parenthood, the stage where believers fully embrace the mission of making disciples who make disciples. However, a key challenge at this stage is the temptation to “retire” from ministry, believing that past achievements are enough. True spiritual parents never stop investing in others—they continue discipling, evangelizing, and leading others until the very end of their lives.
week twelve
In this final session of the Real Life Discipleship Training Manual, we focus on Bible storytelling as a powerful discipleship tool. Bible storytelling is not just a method—it is an ancient practice that engages people at all levels of faith, making Scripture memorable, interactive, and transformative. This week emphasizes how storytelling can level the playing field in discipleship, encourage participation, and develop leaders.