You might be asking, “What is the 7 week experiment?“ It is a 7 week series built around Acts 2:42-47 where it was clear the early church was about building disciples to care and love for each other with a wonderful side effect— “people were being saved!” Simply put, it is a ministry curriculum tool to help move young people through a discipleship process with an end game in mind of reaching out to their friends with the powerful Gospel message of Jesus Christ.As leaders you will have the wonderful opportunity of leading students through this 7 week process in hopes of helping them see the power of having a strong rooted discipleship foundation while understanding the great need for reaching out to their friends. In a word— “Disciplevangelism” The plan is simple:
1. Cast Vision! Before you even start this seven week process get other leaders and volunteers on board so they can understand and begin praying. Get the students excited about the plan and the outreach event they will help to create.
2. Set a game plan to move students through the 7 week experiment with a group lesson each week leading into the weeks’ theme. (Group lessons are provided for you in this booklet.)
3. Help the students develop an outreach event for their friends that will be held at the end of the seven week experiment. (This should be announced and the planning needs to begin at the beginning of the seven week plan)
4. Make sure each student has a devotional booklet for each week. Books should only be handed out at the beginning of each week as needed. Book 1 for week 1, Book 2 for week 2, etc...
5. Make sure you have enough help to succeed. If you have more than 8 students in your group find other adult leaders to commit to helping with the seven week experiment. Good rule to keep—8 is enough for one adult to handle.
6. Follow-Up with core students at the end of the program to get their feedback.
7. Follow-Up with new students who attended the outreach event and especially students who claim to have made a decision to follow Jesus.
