To live as a disciple of Jesus is to love and serve God and other people. It’s focused on our vertical relationship with God, and our horizontal relationships with others, while pursuing God’s mission to share the Good News.

Global Disciple Training, or GDT, is the heart of the Global Disciples approach to equip people to reach their nations. To help churches around the world develop their people as disciple-makers, we asked, “What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus who makes Him known—to be a global disciple who makes new disciples?”  

The answer came in a set of foundational principles for living as a Christ-like disciple who makes disciples and represents Jesus to a watching world. Scripture-based and field-tested in real life by people within many cultural settings, these are our Essential Components:  

In every training, the Holy Spirit uses these components to change lives, deepen or revive relationships with Jesus, bring healing and forgiveness to marriages and families, and much more.  

“The lesson on Holy Spirit Empowerment changed me. Before that, I directed my own life and ignored His presence. Not anymore!” – Disciple-maker, Cameroon.

A Global Disciple Training (GDT) program starts with a Program Director. A Director is selected by their church cluster and trained by Global Disciples staff in the essential components, how to equip others, and to develop a training plan. He or she then launches a GDT with 12-15 participants, training one or more groups a year.  

For every day focused on teaching, two days are spent in outreach. If a GDT in Uganda trains for a month at their church, the new disciple-makers then have two months of practical outreach. This involves praying for people, sharing the Good News of Jesus, providing compassionate help, and doing whatever God directs to open doors and lead people to faith in Christ. We see miracles happen, bodies healed, spiritual bonds broken, families and communities transformed, and new churches planted. 

“I thank Global Disciples so much for sharing this vision with us so we can equip our people!” – Program Director, Uganda.

This biblical, adaptable model has a thirty-year track record for effectively multiplying disciples, planting churches, changing lives, and equip people to reach their nations. God continues to use GDT for His glory and to advance His Kingdom.