4 Reasons to use Triads in Discipleship

Have you heard of triads? They’re small groups of three people who meet regularly to support, encourage, and keep each other accountable.

In Dave Logan’s book, “Tribal Leadership”, he suggests that triads can be a valuable tool for creating the type of collaborative, high-performing teams that are necessary for success in today’s fast-paced business environment.

The most valuable relationships aren’t made of two people, they’re made of three. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says,

Although an assailant may overpower one person, two can withstand him. Moreover, a three-stranded cord is not quickly broken.

 A third person will always stabilize and grow the relationship between the other two. It’s called a triad, and the more you create, the stronger your discipleship culture.

In discipleship, triads can be an amazing tool for spiritual growth, mentoring, and leadership development.

Let me tell you a few ways in which triads can be used in your discipleship efforts:

1. Accountability

One of the best things about triads is that they provide accountability. Each member of the group can hold the others accountable for their spiritual growth, adherence to biblical principles, and progress in experiencing their personal transformation. This can be a game-changer in keeping us moving forward and engaged in our discipleship journey.

2. Mentorship

Second, in a triad each member can serve as a mentor to the others. More experienced Christians can guide and teach those who are newer to the faith, but new Christians can also provide feedback, experience, and zeal to the others. This can be an amazing way to share knowledge, experience, and wisdom and to help younger believers grow in their faith.

3. Leadership development

Triads can also be used to develop new disciple-makers within a church community. By providing a space for individuals to test their conversations, see leadership modeled, and develop their own leadership skills, triads can identify potential leaders and provide them with the support and training they need to grow. This can be especially useful for smaller churches or ministries that may not have formal leadership training programs.

4. Trusting Relationships

Finally, triads can be used to deepen discipleship relationships between individuals. By meeting regularly to discuss spiritual matters, pray together, and offer support, members of a triad can grow closer to one another and to God. This can be an amazing way to foster community within a church or ministry and to help individuals grow in their faith together.

So, how?

How can you do this? Think about the current disciple relationships you have… just invite a third person to ride along with you. Could be another disciple at the same level as the other, or someone you’re wanting to train to disciple others.

You can also commission your disciple-makers to use the 2×2 method, like Jesus used in his sending of disciples. Just one person added to that pair makes a triad!

So, what do you think?

Triads can be instrumental in Discipleship by providing accountability, mentorship, leadership development, and deeper relationships within a church. By implementing this model, a discipleship culture can be established that helps individuals grow in their faith, develop into disciple-makers, and become more committed to their discipleship journey.