1. Why Disciple?
2. Who Are We?
3. Is There Any Financial Cost to You?
4. Can Lessons Be Used and/or Copied?
1. Why Disciple?
To help a believer through the transition from the habit of daily living in “self-reliance” to the habit of daily living in “God-reliance”. In other words, to make the transition from “leaning on one’s own understanding” to “trusting in the Lord with all one’s heart and in all ways acknowledging Him”.
(See graphic above for #1-4.)
#1. Represents the “unsaved” period of time (spiritually dead to God) in the person’s life, from physical birth to spiritual birth. During this period “self-reliance” becomes a habit of everyday living, a way of life.
#2. Represents the “Evangelism” stage, culminating in the event of salvation, at which time the person passes from being spiritually dead to being spiritually alive to God.
#3. Represents the “Spiritual Parenting” stage, i.e. the critical formative period of time in which the Christian needs to be “spiritually parented” (discipled) through the first steps of learning to increasingly live in daily reliance on the Holy Spirit.
#4. Represents the process of “sanctification”, i.e. having been discipled, the believer now has a basic understanding of the Master-servant relationship and the need to follow the Holy Spirit, so as to continue being led and transformed by Him. ANTICIPATED RESULT OF DISCIPLESHIP = SPIRITUAL MATURITY, FRUITFULNESS and SPIRITUAL REPRODUCTION
TOP
2. Who Are We?
Art & Toni Barkley became Christians in 1961 in Salt Lake
City, Utah. In 1964 they entered the New Tribes Mission "Boot Camp"
training. Then in 1970 they, along with their two sons, ages 5 &
7, traveled to Bolivia, So. America to serve as missionaries to jungle
tribes. They continued serving with New
Tribes Mission in Bolivia until 1989, when the Lord changed
the direction of their ministry. He arranged for Art to spend the next
7-1/2 years as an associate pastor at Reno Christian Fellowship in Reno,
Nevada. During that period, God took Art through a learning experience
in the area of discipleship. In March of 1999, Art resigned his position
at Reno Christian Fellowship in order to focus his attention on promoting
discipleship concepts and the training of disciplers in Reno, Bolivia
and wherever God would lead them. Art & Toni continue to live in
Reno, where Toni serves as the Hispanic Coordinator at the Reno-Sparks
Crisis Pregnancy Center.
Adam Barkley grew up in Bolivia, So. America, where his parents (Art and Toni) served with New Tribes Mission (NTM). Adam graduated from the NTM school (Tambo) in 1981, then attended the NTM Bible Institute in Waukesha, WI. After serving in the Marine Corps., he moved to Reno. He served at Reno Christian Fellowship as a Sunday school teacher and Director for the AWANA children’s program. Adam met his wife Danna, and after marrying in 1996, they began serving at Grace Community Church in Reno, where they both taught Sunday school, served on the drama and marriage ministry, and Adam taught a home fellowship Bible study on discipleship. Working closely with his father through the discipleship materials, God fulfilled Adam’s desire to teach others through full-time ministry. Adam, Danna, and their three children now live in Gardnerville, NV. Adam is Senior Pastor at the First Baptist Church of Minden and Gardnerville. Danna serves as co-director of education, Sunday school teacher, and works full time as a 6th grade teacher.
Jerry Cole became a Christian in 1976 at the age of 19. He attended the Arizona College of the Bible in Phoenix, Arizona, where he received a degree in Bible and Theology. While in Phoenix Jerry also served as an intern at a Mennonite Brethren Church. In 1992, Jerry married Susan Love Troppmann. Between 1991-1994 he was a Youth and Children's Pastor at Grace Community Church in Reno. Jerry was also on staff with Young Life in Reno (1997-2001), and had been involved with Young Life as a volunteer in Reno for almost 20 years. In 2002, he was appointed by the Conservative Baptist Association to plant a new church in west Reno. Jerry is currently the pastor of this new church, “The Journey Church”, designed to reach the next generation for Christ (20 to 30 year olds). Jerry plans to use the DTI discipleship materials in the discipleship program in the new church.
Evan Gannon ..........................
Paul Harry became a Christian in 1950 at the age of nine. He attended Westmont College then Fuller Theological Seminary. He and his wife Bonnie were married while he was enrolled in seminary. Following that he pursued an internship in Christian camping at Forest Home Christian Conference Center in southern California. He has since been a youth director in two churches and has served on the staff of Young Life as an Area Director in Santa Maria, California. Both Paul and Bonnie have taught Bible classes at Reno Christian Fellowship and served on the local volunteer committee for Young Life in Reno, Nevada. They are presently living in Fallbrook, California and Bonnie is currently doing administrative work for Coffee Break ministry at Riverview Evangelical Free church. Paul is teaching a DTI class for potential disciplers. While still in high school Paul was discipled using Navigators material and he thinks that it was a major influence in his walk with Christ. He and his wife Bonnie are very concerned that many Christians today are not benefiting from the type of Biblical mentoring offered by DTI (Discipler Training Int’l).
Tim McCown ..........................
Frank and Jeannette Meitz decided when they married in 1995 that their relationship would include God. As a preacher’s kid, Jeannette had accepted the Lord early in her life. Frank was raised Catholic, yet did not understand salvation and a personal relationship with the Lord until they spent the first four years of their marriage participating in, and then leading, a Bible Study. Their experiences also included several short-term mission trips. In 2004 the Lord led Frank and Jeannette to begin attending Reno Christian Fellowship in Reno, Nevada. A few months later they started attending Art and Toni Barkley’s Sunday Discipler Training class. The Holy Spirit gave them ideas of how to assist the DTI ministry, such as developing a user-friendly CD-ROM (that people worldwide request from the DTI Internet website). In 2006 they attended the “Perspectives” Missions class, which highlighted for them the importance of “spiritual parenting” new believers. After participating in the first DTI “Train The Trainers” workshop in Ensenada, Mexico, Frank clearly heard the Lord telling him to join Art as a full-time volunteer. He resigned from his 24-year position as a Technology Trainer, and on January 1, 2007, began serving as Director of Operations and spearheading the “Train the Trainers” branch of the DTI ministry.
Doug & Sharlene Neddenriep met in 1989 at the Reno Christian Fellowship Singles’ Adult Sunday School. A little over a year later, in June of 1990, they were married at Reno Christian Fellowship, blending their two families, Sharlene’s two sons, Victor and Michael with Doug’s two daughters, Lizanne and Kristie and son Kurt into one family. Doug became a Christian at age 38. Sharlene became a Christian at age 40. They have remained active, as a couple and individually, in many Reno Christian Fellowship ministries. Doug and Sharlene share a passion for helping others grow in their Christian experience. Sharlene presently serves on the Women’s Ministries board representing the EWE (Evangelizing Women Everywhere) ministry. Doug is associated with the newly developing Men’s Ministries and is working specifically with the new RAMS (Ready and Able Men in Service) ministry, focusing on a one-on-one Bible study and training which is designed to help Christian men become spiritual leaders of their families and to grow to maturity and fruitfulness in Christ. Doug also serves as a Deacon at Reno Christian Fellowship.
Walter "Bud" West is a native Nevadan, born and raised
in Reno. He attended the University of Nevada, Reno, and graduated with
a degree in Civil Engineering. Bud became a believer in Christ in the
early 90's. His walk with God was greatly impacted in 1997 during a
short-term mission trip to Papua New Guinea, where within the first
hours of the trip, God showed Bud that his life was not completely yielded
to Him. Jesus became not only his Savior, but Lord of his life. Bud
is married and has two children, both of whom are home schooled, a full
time job for his wife Jody. He and Jody attend Reno-Sparks Calvary
Chapel, where over the years, they have served in Children's
and Mission's ministries. After serving on the Mission's Committee for
5 years, God changed Bud’s direction in ministry by giving him
a desire to impact others somehow on a more personal level. His seeking
for direction was rewarded with being reacquainted with Art Barkley,
who Bud had met years earlier on a volleyball court. As Art discipled
Bud, his desire was kindled to disciple others. Bud is involved in discipling
other believers with the goal of producing spiritual adults who will
in turn invest their lives in others. Bud is currently employed as a
professional engineer.
TOP
3. Is There Any Financial Cost to You?
Well, the truth of the moment is, NO.
TOP
4. Can Lessons Be Used and/or Copied?
Anyone is free to reproduce this material and distribute it, but it may not be altered or sold under any circumstances without the author's consent.
TOP
