Discipleship and Mentoring in the G12 System

The Lord God works through His people by first starting with a vision of His plan and purposes. Where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18). But with the God given vision we can win the lost, raise up a mighty church, take a city and see Jesus’ gospel spread through the entire earth. The G12 model has a firm system of discipleship and mentoring which means that every person from top to bottom is accountable to his over-shepherd in matters great and small, both religious and secular.

Jesus Christ started by finding 12 people that He could disciple to become world-changers. He did this by praying all night before choosing His twelve. Then, he mentored and molded them over the next three years, making them into a powerful team. Later, in the book of Acts, the apostles also were choosing and mentoring their twelve also. The principal of twelve is dynamic and explosive yet simple to understand and easy to be implemented.

The G12 system as we have seen is based around the number twelve. Also highly structured, it aims at reproducing its cells by making every member a leader who is tasked with producing his own cell of twelve. Here all staff no matter what their position lead a cell and at the same time mentor other cell leaders or disciples. Each cell member is being trained to form his or her own cell of twelve by making recruits from friends and family but at the same time each person is still being mentored by his or her own cell leader. Members therefore are expected both to lead and to attend different cell groups. Every new believer goes through discipleship training to equip him or her to become a new cell leader.

Thus discipleship and mentoring are factors in the success of adopting the G12 system. The senior pastor disciples the assistant pastors, the assistant pastors disciple the area leaders, the area leaders disciple the cell leaders, and the cell leaders disciple the cell members and so on. Every activity and belief as well as personal relationships and the details of life is funneled through the discipleship pyramid.

Cell Your Life!

Our bodies and every living creature consist of millions and millions of cells working in unity. The reality is we cannot live without them. Within each cell is carried the DNA, the genetic coding of life itself. With our bodies, we can reach out and touch the world around us. Or else, we would be disembodied spirits, unable to influence and impact our world. Naturally, cells will seek to multiply themselves, reproducing after their own kind, or transitioning to fulfill different functions according to hormonal influences. What is real of the physical body is true of the body of Christ, the Church.

We see the origins of the church began with Jesus calling the 12 to Him. His Master plan was to make a small intimate fellowship of disciples around Him, pouring His life - His "DNA" - into them. It was in this small "Life Cell" meeting that Jesus built relationship with them, taught and trained them, imparted authority and power, and sent them out to minister and witness. "Then He selected twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach and to have power to heal sicknesses and cast out demons" (Mark 3:14-15). Later, the Holy Spirit would replicate the same kind of ministry in the lives of subsequent believers.

The DNA of Jesus has been successfully reproduced from Christ's "twelve" to this burgeoning new church in Acts (Acts 4:13). They knew how to build their lives upon the Word of God. They knew how to make close fellowship with each other so that no one is in need. Throughout the history of the Church, whenever the Holy Spirit needed to move in revival power, the phenomena of Life Cells was used as the structure to convey His healing works. A main example is the ministry of John Wesley and his "classes" for believers. In more recent history, over the last thirty years, we see those churches throughout the world who are experiencing explosive growth are Life Cell Churches.

The Importance of Prayer in the G12 System

In Matthew 9:37-38 it is said there that "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest,” Doing G12 system without prayer is useless. Prayer is very important in the life of a Disciple. Without prayer it would be impossible for a Christian to do Discipleship. The absence of prayer in a Christian life will only result to a far less effective and far more vulnerable to the enemy. The reality is when you do Discipleship you need the blessing and support of the Lord. You need to be intimate with Him. When the Disciples pray, God will work.

When you share the good news you plant the seeds of the Gospel, but it is still the Lord God who causes the growth (1 Cor. 3:6-7). Through prayer and petition you ask God to give that growth. Through prayer you ask God to convict the unrepentant of their sin and by that awaken in them the need for salvation.

Jesus is very successful in making Disciples because He prayed frequently (Matt. 14:23; 26:36; Mark 6:46; Luke 5:16; John 17). Apostle Paul prayed (Rom. 1:9; Eph. 1:16). Stephen also prayed (Acts 7:55-60). God wants us to pray to Him and have an intimate relationship with Him (John 1:1-4). In prayer there is power against our enemy because there is a battle and our battle is not against flesh and blood but against powers and the spiritual forces of darkness (Eph. 6:12). Prayer is one of God's ordained means for you to do spiritual warfare, and winning souls is definitely a spiritual warfare.

In general, without prayer it is impossible for us to do the G12 model of Jesus Christ. We have to constantly and earnestly pray to God who has in control of everything. If we are faithful in our prayer life, establishing our generation is easy.

School of Leaders in the G12 System

Disciple making is a continuous process. It will not just end up in Post-Encounter stage. After the Post- Encounter, the student will now enter the School of Leaders. The School of Leaders prepares cell members to fulfill Christ's call upon their lives carefully preparing them for disciple making and cell leading. The topics in this school type gathering include foundational Christian doctrine. Students also will be taught in personal development, Christian life skills and cell leadership. Along with the Encounters, the School of Leadership gives complete and effective training in disciple making.

One of the reasons why a believer should undergo the School of Leaders is to prepare that believer to become an efficient cell leader with the ability to win lives for Christ. This trained leader now can duplicate the process and continue to disciple new believers until they become successful leaders. It is a course of uncomplicated teaching, orientated to practical things, which motivates people to learn themselves.

Basically the courses cover three primary areas of study and ministry activation. The number one area is building the foundations in Christ. This focuses on building a strong and meaningful foundation for your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ as well as a foundation for Christian living. It actually includes the doctrines of the Bible as well as seminars on the family and courtship.

Another is about cell group ministry. This focuses on preparing and training the believer in the fundamentals of leading a Cell Group as well as seminars on intercession, evangelism and service. After the Disciples knew how to lead a cell group they will be taught now on the leadership skills through the Government of 12. Essential leadership skills and anointing necessary to mentor leaders will now be imparted. This is necessary to multiply cell groups and build groups of 12. There is then deeper instruction in the process of Consolidation, the role of Holy Spirit in their lives and ministry, and counseling. This School of Leaders will usually last for three semesters of ten weeks each.

Post-Encounter in the G12 System

After experiencing a fresh, powerful and life-changing weekend with the Lord Jesus Christ, it comes as no surprise that the enemy of our souls, Satan, is not very happy! He will do his best to snatch back the newly freed people. That is why the G12 System designed a Post-Encounter sessions. This session is a ten-week course designed to establish basic biblical truths in the life of the new believers and to lay the foundation for a whole new lifestyle built upon God's Word and prayer. This is basically a follow-up class and is intended to help the participants continue to grow and solidify what God began in their lives at the Encounter God Retreat.

The main purpose of this Post-Encounter is to sustain the fire and also help people grow in their relationship with God and commit to coming alongside them as they learn more about themselves and God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Post-Encounter classes offer additional teachings, people committed to pray for you and to be available to you to help you walk out what God is showing and teaching you, and the opportunity to be able to go further with God on your spiritual journey.

Classes for Post-Encounter begin 1 or 2 weeks after the Encounter God Retreat. The School of Leaders Director will usually make the schedule for the Post-Encounter Classes. Some churches designed it every Wednesday evening others also depending on the availability of the majority. The class will normally consist of worship, lessons, small group discussion and group prayer. Some teachers of the Post-Encounter also will give exams to their students.

Encounter God in the G12 System

Encounter God Retreat provide the place, time and opportunity for a new believer to spend personal and devoted time with God that will help them move beyond their present Spiritual condition into a stronger and more intimate relationship with God. The main reason why a person should undergo an Encounter God Retreat is for that person to experience freedom that only Jesus Christ can give. This is the only way for that person to grow in Christ.

There are many benefits a person will get in encountering God. During the encounter the person will be healed physically and emotionally. Breakthroughs in their relationship with God and in other people also will happen after encountering God. Hurtful thought and behavioral patterns will be broken also. Wounded hearts will be restored and broken relationships will be mended. Most importantly, lives will be changed and transformed and will become a new creation.

During the encounter God retreat series of teachings are presented that will help the participants to establish and deepen their relationship with God. This will lead them through times of forgiveness and healing, and help them to let God take their hurts, wounds, fears, doubts, and burdens, and bring them to a place of freedom and restoration.

The teachings basically focused on God and what God can- and wants - to do in our lives. Time is provided so that each participant can interact with God on an individual basis. People truly experience God on an Encounter speaking with them, healing them, and delivering them from their pain, fears, and strongholds. Every participant who has attended an Encounter God Retreat has come away with a deeper knowledge of God and His love for them, and most have come away with dramatic stories of their encounter with Him.

Importance of the Number 12

The G12 system concept is based on the number twelve which is a significant number in the Bible. There are many Biblical proofs of using the number 12 in the G12 System. The model of 12 has always been in God's heart. The number 12 symbolizes government. During creation God established 12 months to govern each year; even days are governed by periods of 12 hours each. To govern the people of Israel, God established 12 tribes and King Solomon appointed 12 governors. In the book of Acts also it clear there that Judas was replaced by Matthias to complete the 12 Disciples. It is clear that the apostles chose one more to replace Judas and Matthias became number 12.

Jesus developed 12 men to build His church and His kingdom. The principle of 12 uses this same principle for the advancing of the church throughout the world. The desire of God and vision of his heart is to see Souls won and Believers being trained as multiplying Disciples. That is the vision of the Father. The only way we can accomplish this is by following the model of Jesus. To focus on 12 men, pour your heart and life into them to see them succeed in God's calling for their life. This is done by helping them come to wholeness and have their character shaped. So they can bare fruit for the Lord. That is the Principle of G12 System!

19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

The Ladder of Success in the G12 System

The G12 System for church growth has 4 stages of implementation called the Ladder of Success: Win, Consolidate, Disciple and Send. In the winning stage new believers are added to the church through personal evangelism, harvest event, weekend celebration church services, and monthly "net" meetings and other strategies to win souls for Jesus Christ. After you win the person the next step is to bring him to a weekend Encounter.

The second step is what we called as Consolidation. In this process new believers were consolidated and they were taught on the impact of their past sins, the importance of forgiving those who did them wrong for healing. There are three parts in the Consolidation process. Consolidation is when the new believer goes through the Pre-Encounter Bible studies, the Encounter weekend and the Post-Encounter.

After the Post Encounter the believer will now enter the Disciple Stage. In the Disciple stage the people will be taught on how to become a Leader. Topics in this stage are more about evangelism, courtship, abundant life, Family and many others. This is what we call as School of Leaders Level or SOL. This SOL is basically a class type session and will last for ten weeks. School of Leaders stage is composed of 3 levels namely: SOL 1, SOL 2 and SOL 3.

The last stage in the Ladder of Success is the Sending part. This is now the challenging part because the Disciples now will be sent out. The Disciple will duplicate the process and will establish his own cell and act as a cell leader also. The Disciple now begins to develop his twelve, taking them through each step of the process of the vision by winning them, consolidating them, discipline them, and eventually sending them.

Understanding the G12 System

G12 system was first imported from Colombia five years ago. It was shaped by Rev. Cesar Castellanos in the early 1990s, after a trip he took to South Korea (where Christians account for more than a fourth of the population). In Seoul, Mr. Castellanos met David Yonggi Cho, creator of the Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest worshippers in the world, now with more than eight hundred thousand members, meeting in a number of satellite locations. In the late 1960s, the growing number of his followers had forced Mr. Yonggi to reorganize his church. He divided it into geographical zones called cells, where attendants were encouraged to invite other friends, even non-Christians, to join cell meetings. These cells would then divide once they had reached a certain level of membership.

The G12 System is one of the foundational factors that have resulted in the exponential growth of the church. This process is very easy to do. A Pastor will just imitate Jesus Christ by choosing 12 people to be His disciples and taught them the way of the Lord. Each of those 12 disciples found 12 disciples and each of those disciples found 12 disciples and each of those 12 disciples and on and on until everyone was in a group.

The number twelve is the number of government in the Bible. Jesus set up His kingdom and government on the earth by using the same principle that God had used to establish Israel in the Old Testament. Just as Israel had 12 tribes, Jesus had 12 disciples. Using this model, Jesus intended to show us a pattern of how to disciple not only our local communities, but also the nations of the world.

The G12 system has several strict standards. In order to be part of the vision, you are expected to be devoted, attend your cell group once a week, go to retreats, go out to evangelize, go the Sunday morning service and also attend special meetings with your leader's leader. Each week is enclosed by these church things to do, as your social activities are contained within your cell group. Your week will be used up with these meetings to attend as they make you a more serious disciple