If you’ve ever felt like Bible studies produce more knowledge than transformation, you’re not alone. Faith grows best when it’s practiced together in everyday life, not just discussed in a classroom. In this article, you’ll discover how outdoor discipleship helps faith take root, hear stories of ordinary people who started thriving groups, and learn how you can do the same. Want the practical step-by-step training? Join our free 3-part webinar, How to Start an Outdoor Discipleship Group (Even If You’ve Never Led One).
Maybe you’ve been in a Bible study before.
Maybe you’ve been in a small group, a Sunday school class, a men’s breakfast — and you walked away feeling like something was still missing. Not because the content was bad. Not because the teacher wasn’t prepared. But because, somehow, knowing more didn’t seem to change much about how you actually lived.
If that sounds familiar, I want you to know something important: that’s not a you problem. That’s a design problem.
The Gap Between Knowing and Living
For much of church history, our primary discipleship model has looked something like this: gather people, teach them from the Bible, send them back into the world.
And that model has produced a lot of educated, inspired Christians. People who know their theology, who can trace the narrative arc of Scripture, who can articulate the difference between justification and sanctification, who can discern the activity of God in the world.
But somewhere along the way, some have noticed a gap. A gap between what we know and how we actually live. This gap shows up between the faith we profess on Sunday and the life we return to on Monday.
We tend to respond to that gap by doing more of the same thing. More teaching. Better curriculum. Longer series. Deeper content.
Here’s what I’ve learned after years of working with people who wanted their faith to mean something in their everyday life: the gap doesn’t close with more information. It closes with integrated practices that root faith into everyday life.
Formation Requires More Than Information
This isn’t a new idea. It’s ancient, actually. The earliest disciples weren’t following Jesus in a classroom. They were invited into a way of life. They walked roads, shared meals, witnessed miracles, asked questions, made mistakes, and slowly—over time, through shared experience—were formed into a community that looked and acted a lot more like Jesus.
What actually helps us encounter the grace of God is when we partner with God to practice our faith together. In real life. With other real people.
Not a perfectly prepared lesson. Not the magic curriculum. Not a church brand with a good logo. Shared experience. Honest conversation. Showing up for each other consistently over time.
When we put our faith into practice around a table, on a trail, or in a garden, our spiritual formation can actually take root.
What Changes When You Move to Outdoor Discipleship
There’s something specific that happens when you move discipleship outside. Creation has a way of doing what four walls can’t.
Maynard led a Bible study in a church classroom for years. Everyone was bored. He was bored. He cared about those kids, but something wasn’t connecting.
Then one day he took them on a hike. He shared his love for Jesus in the context of creation. The students’ faith was shaped by the weight of the mountains, the smallness of being human, and the adventure of being alive. Something woke up in them. Kids came alive in their faith in a way they never had inside four walls. That trip became an annual tradition. Dozens of kids gave their lives to Jesus over the years. Many still consider Maynard one of their most important mentors.
He didn’t just change the message. He changed the setting.
There’s something about shared physical experience in the wonder of creation that lowers people’s defenses and opens them up to awe. To wonder. To honesty. To each other. Conversations happen outdoors that would never happen in a classroom. Spiritual questions surface that people didn’t know they had.
That’s not because it’s a program. That’s just what happens when you’re out in creation together with people who are leaning into their faith.
You Don’t Have to Be an Expert to Start
Forming an outdoor discipleship group like this doesn’t happen by accident. It’s really a miracle of the Holy Spirit any time a follower of Jesus decides to partner with God in gathering disciples. But unfortunately, most people stop before they begin because they assume that leading something like this requires expertise they don’t have.
A seminary degreeCharismatic leadershipYears of experienceThe perfect time of yearA fully formed plan
Do you think the disciples were qualified to start churches in the first century? They were mostly tax collectors and fishermen. But Jesus called them and they simply responded.
Kristen is amazing, but she didn’t have a fully formed plan when she started her first group. She also almost didn’t start at all. Only four people signed up, and she wasn’t sure that was worth it. She nearly cancelled.
But she showed up anyway. For ten weeks, a handful of people shared meals together, tended a community garden, opened scripture, and prayed for each other. By the end, they weren’t just a group. They were a community. Turns out four people was exactly enough.
The people who lead the best outdoor discipleship groups aren’t the ones who have all the answers. They’re the ones who are willing to gather a few people and figure it out together.
That’s who this is for. People who aren’t sure they’re qualified, but who are willing to try.
What Outdoor Discipleship Looks Like
Imagine being part of a community that eats together around a table. That opens up scripture together. That talks honestly about hopes, questions, and doubts. That gets together with neighbors for fun and purposeful outdoor activities. That puts kids securely at the center.
And you don’t have to be the expert. You don’t have to be the only leader.
That’s a picture of faith becoming visible in everyday life. Not a program. Not a class. A community of people practicing their faith together, in the rhythms of real life.
That’s what we’re teaching people how to create.
A Free Training to Help You Get Started
This August, we’re running a free three-part webinar series called How to Start an Outdoor Discipleship Group (Even If You’ve Never Led One).
Over three sessions — August 4th, 5th, and 6th at 12pm ET — we’ll walk you through the ideas above in detail, and more importantly, we’ll give you the practical tools to actually start.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Session 1 (Aug 4): Why discipleship isn’t forming people the way we think — and what actually helps faith take root in everyday life.
- Session 2 (Aug 5): What happens when you move discipleship outdoors — and what shared experience makes possible that information alone can’t.
- Session 3 (Aug 6): How to co-lead a group like this even if you’ve never led anything before — including how to find a co-leader, gather your first few people, and keep it simple enough to actually sustain.
Each session is 45 minutes, with time for questions. If you can’t make it live, the replay will be available on your personal Tend dashboard.
This is free. There’s no catch. We just believe the world needs more people willing to try something simple like this — and we want to give you everything you need to take that next step.
[Reserve Your Spot — It’s Free]
You don’t need a perfect plan. You don’t need to feel ready. You just need to be willing to gather a few people and try something together.
I’ll see you on August 4th.I’ll see you on August 4th.
