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C.A.L.L. Discovery Group Format

A Simple, Reproducible Format for Small Groups and Discipleship Units

Discovery Bible Study • Role Of The Facilitator • Options for Discovery Group Ministry Time • Reproducing Disciples Training

PDF: Discovery Bible Study Guide (Rojas) – Use this guide to lead or facilitate a Discovery Bible Study.
WEBPAGE: How to Facilitate the DBS of a Discovery Group

Healthy discipleship grows through intentional relationships, clear direction, and simple practices people can use with others.

The C.A.L.L. Discovery Group Format gives each meeting four recognizable movements:

Celebrate → Accountability → Learn It → Live It

The format is consistent without being rigid. The questions, activities, and Bible passages may change, but the overall pattern remains the same. After a few meetings, group members should be able to recognize the flow, understand its purpose, and begin using it themselves.

Why Use a Consistent Format?

It keeps the main purposes of discipleship in view - Without a clear structure, meetings can easily become unplanned or overly dependent on the facilitator. C.A.L.L. helps the group regularly make space for relationships and honest reflection. It also keeps God’s Word and faithful action at the center.
It involves everyone - This is not a meeting where one person does all the talking/leading. Everyone is invited to share and reflect. Together, group members apply Scripture and support one another. The facilitator is not the destination. The facilitator is another apprentice of Jesus who helps the group learn together.
It shows people how discipleship works - People should not leave thinking, "That was meaningful, but I have no idea how it was put together." The pattern should be clear enough that group members begin to see both what discipleship includes and how a discipleship meeting can be structured. A recognizable pattern makes the approach easier to remember, reproduce, and pass on to others.

Make the Structure Visible

Simply using the format is not enough. Group members need to understand it. Explain the four movements. Name the transitions from time to time. Help people see why each part matters and how it fits into the whole. The goal is not to make the meeting feel mechanical. It is to remove unnecessary mystery so the format can be understood and reproduced.

People Learn to Facilitate by Facilitating

Watching helps, but people learn to lead by doing. Different group members should take turns facilitating parts of the meeting. One person may lead the celebration time. Another may guide the Bible study discussion. Someone else may lead the accountability questions or closing prayer. They should also have access to the full meeting plan so they can see how their part fits into the larger design.

Grow Responsibility Over Time

The gap between participant and facilitator can feel large. It is bridged by gradually giving people real responsibility. Someone may begin by asking one question or opening in prayer. Later, they may facilitate one section. In time, they can help plan and lead the whole meeting. This is how leaders are formed: through practice, support, and increasing responsibility.

Using Discovery Bible Study

The Learn It section will often include a Discovery Bible Study (DBS). DBS works well with people at many stages of faith, including those who are exploring Christianity. It helps participants discover what a passage reveals about God and people, discuss it together, and respond in obedience. Facilitators can use the Discovery Bible Study Sets webpage to choose individual passages or a series of passages to explore over several weeks.

Designed for Multiplication

C.A.L.L. is more than a meeting outline. It is a simple pathway for forming people who can disciple others. Its simplicity makes it memorable. Its consistency makes it recognizable. Shared facilitation makes it reproducible. Over time, group members can carry this same rhythm into another home, workplace, neighborhood, or small group.

Our Goal

Be with Jesus • Become Like Jesus • Live as He Lived

The purpose of the C.A.L.L. format is not simply to organize a meeting. It is to help people grow as apprentices of Jesus. Each gathering creates space to enjoy His presence, encourage one another, learn from His Word, and put His teaching into practice. As these rhythms are repeated over time, they help form disciples who increasingly be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and live as He lived. Because the format is simple and reproducible, it also equips those disciples to help others do the same.

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