TRT: Training Rural Trainers - Sugar Creek Baptist Church

� Small training group helping you repeat the process to become
a witness and trainer (fisher)
Obeying Jesus – Give them a pattern of discipleship
• Lesson 1: The Gospel
o Story – Summary story of Creation to Christ gospel message
o Application: daily quiet time.
• Lesson 2: New Birth
o Story – Prodigal Son
o Application: you are a new creation; deliverance from sinful habits.
• Lesson 3: Faith, Hope, Love
o Story – The Last Supper
o Application – Put your hope in Christ to take care of you and remember
Him regularly through the Lord’s Supper.
• Lesson 4: One Head, One Body
o Story – The Early Church
o Application – become a church and exercise healthy body life.
• Lesson 5: Walk
o Story – The Early Disciples’ Big Catch; They Follow Jesus and Look Like
Him
o Application – Imitate Jesus by obeying His word; how to study and
obey the word.
• Lesson 6: Put Off, Put On
o Story: Saul becomes Paul
o Application: Put off old habits and instead be filled with the Spirit.
• Lesson 7: Submit
o Story: Disciples Wanting to be First; Jesus Washes Their Feet
o Application: Serve others; healthy relationships.
• Lesson 8: Stand
o Story: The Temptation of Jesus
o Application: Spiritual warfare and resisting temptation.
• Believers continue to meet using different Scriptures as the basis of their
study.
Training Rural Trainers, or TRT, is designed specifically for work in villages that
are made up primarily of animistic, non-readers (although there is no reason why it
can not be used among the educated and literate as well). By using TRT you should
be able to successfully share your testimony, share the gospel, follow-up new
believers, start a church, disciple believers, and lead the church and all believers to
initiate a church planting movement in the villages that surround them and beyond.
The major components of T4vT are:
1. Sharing Jesus

2. Following Jesus
3. Obeying Jesus
Sharing Jesus
Sharing Jesus contains four lessons. The first lesson gives a vision for multiplying
trainers. The second lesson will help give vision for reaching your friends and family.
The third lesson teaches how to share your testimony with these relationships.
Finally you will learn to share the gospel through using a method called Creation to
Christ.
Following Jesus
These three lessons are taught immediately after a person becomes a Christian. You
will want to be prepared to teach lesson one (baptism) immediately after a person
places their faith in Jesus (same day, if possible). Each lesson is taught using a
Bible story, questions, a memory verse, and an opportunity to respond in obedience.
The second lesson is on assurance of salvation. The third lesson is on following
Jesus. This lesson concludes by asking two points of obedience. The first is
whether they are willing to obey God by studying His Word. If they are willing a
worship group will be started (a new church). The second point of obedience is if
they are willing to become a fisher of men (share the gospel). If they are willing a
training group is started. This training group meets at a separate time from the
worship group and its purpose is to begin training new believers in how to share the
gospel and train others.
Obeying Jesus
The following eight areas are the most important things taught in the Bible. All that
we will learn about following Jesus and being connected to God can fit into these
eight areas. Each one is a major theme of the New Testament found by Philip
Carrington and detailed in his 1940 work The Primitive Christian Catechism published
by Cambridge University Press. The lessons represent eight areas that God speaks to
your heart. They also tell us how we should respond to Him. It is hoped that after
you learn each of the 8 Obeying Jesus lessons, you will be able to easily understand
how each new thing you learn fits into one of the 8 lessons. The more you learn
and apply, the more fruit you will have in your life. Staying connected to Jesus is
the most important. In staying connected to Him and applying what you learn, you
will begin to produce fruit in your life. The 8 areas are:
1. The Gospel
2. New Birth
3. Faith, Hope and Love
4. One Head, One Body
5. Walk
6. Put off the Old, Put on the New
7. Submit
8. Stand

In each lesson you will learn: 1) a Bible story; 2) a name for the lesson 3) a picture
to draw to remember it; 4) a verse to memorize; 5) a specific way to obey.
You will be expected to learn all five of these and obey them immediately. You will
train others in the same way in a few weeks, so learn them well.

Sharing Jesus – Lesson 1: Vision for Multiplying Trainers
Scriptures to read to prepare for the story:
• Acts 4:36-37
• Acts 8:1-3
• Acts 9:1-30
• Acts 16:1-5
• 2 Tim 2:2 (memory verse)
Introduction to Story:
Listen to the following story and try to find out how many “generations” of believers
you can find.
Story:
One of the first followers of Jesus after he rose from the dead was a man named
Barnabas. We don’t know how he first believed. Most likely he heard the gospel
from Jesus or from one of Jesus’ 12 followers and was eventually trained by them.
He was called by them “The Encourager” because he encouraged many people.
While Barnabas and the other Christians were growing in their faith a great
persecution broke out against the believers. Many Christians had to flee from
Jerusalem. However, wherever they went they preached the gospel to others.
One of the fiercest persecutors was named Paul. For a long time he persecuted the
church. One day as he was traveling on a road to persecute some Christians, Jesus
appeared to him in a vision. Paul began to follow Jesus and was very excited about
his new faith. But other Christians were afraid of him. However, Barnabas found
Paul and encouraged him. He believed God could change his life. He trained Paul to
become a great apostle in the church.
Several years later, Paul was preaching the gospel in another country. He found a
young man named Timothy who believed in Jesus. Paul believed that Timothy could
be useful servant in God’s kingdom even though he was a young Christian. Paul
took Timothy with him in his travels and trained him to be a preacher of the gospel.
Later, Paul left Timothy in city (Ephesus) where the gospel was spreading rapidly.
Timothy began to look around and draw to himself faithful men who were newer
believers than himself. He trained them to begin lead God’s people in His kingdom.
Paul wrote to Timothy and told him that he should train these faithful men to find
other younger Christians to train. In this way the gospel spreads rapidly!
[Don’t forget to have 2-3 people re-tell the story.]
Questions:
1. What is this story saying?
2. What do you not understand?
3. What does it teach you about God?
4. What should you obey?

Memory Verse:
The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses,
entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
2 Timothy 2:2
1. What does this verse say?
2. What do you not understand?
3. How should you obey?
At this point, you will want to explain what training of trainers is (even if no
one asks).
The book of Acts is an exciting story. It shows how the gospel spread rapidly
throughout the ancient world. Many thousands of people believed. They were not
won to Christ through just a few people. Rather, most were believed in Jesus
through the witness of ordinary Christians. This is the way the kingdom spreads.
Human methods of evangelism ask this question: “How many people can I win to
Jesus?” This is not bad. It’s just not enough.
God’s method of evangelism asks this question: “How can I train the people I have
led to faith to lead others to faith who will lead others to faith?” In this way, every
Christian should become a witness and trainer of others. He trains those he leads to
be a witness and a trainer of others.
The method we share here hopes to use God’s method. You will learn to share your
faith and help people follow Jesus. You will also learn how to disciple so that they
grow in their faith. But if you do not encourage these new disciples to repeat the
process, you will only be using human methods, not God’s method.
The key is that each new Christian shares that lesson with several other friends. As
they accept the Lord, he must help them do the same thing. The same is true for
each church. Every church must start new churches and expect them to do the
same thing.
This is the power of kingdom multiplication. Like a small mustard seed it grow larger
and larger. Or like a seed that bears more seeds that bear more seeds.
Exercise:
There are 5000 people in your little market town. Only two of you are Christians, but
you want to help everyone believe. You have two choices on how to do this:
1. You and your friend try believe you can help lead 50 people to faith each year.
[Answer: takes 100 years]
2. You and your friend can win two people to faith in the next six months and
train them. In the next six months the four of you can win four and train them.
In the next six months those eight can become sixteen. And so on. [Answer:
5½ years!]
• Which way will reach your market town faster?
• How long will it take to reach the whole town?

You can probably help more than two people believe each year, but whether it is 2 or
20 it is very important that you help each new Christian to be a witness and trainer of
others. Any Christian can be a trainer of others! This is normal!
Trainer Testimony:
Share a testimony of how you have seen this happen before. How maybe someone
you led to faith led others to faith.
How to Obey:
• Commit yourself to be a trainer of others
• Make a list of all the people you can train
• Decide who you will train this week (at least 5)
• Help each person you lead to follow Jesus to be an obedient Christian
• Train them to share the stories and lessons with others around them
Pray:
Pray right now and commit yourself to these things.

Sharing Jesus – Lesson 2: Reaching Your Circle of
Influence
Scriptures to read to prepare for the story:
• Acts 10:1-48
• Acts 11:14 (memory verse)
Introduction to Story:
Everyone who comes to Christ comes through someone else helping him know and
re-connect to God. This story is about how God’s kingdom expanded through
connections. This lesson is designed to share the vision of reaching friends and
family with the gospel, and how to do this in a church planting method. Through the
story of Cornelius (from Acts chapter 10), you will learn how God gave him a vision
to gather together his friends and family so that Peter could tell them “good news”.
Story:
At a town called Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what
was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and Godfearing;
he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day
at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God,
who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it,
Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Send men to Joppa to bring back a man
named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose
house is by the sea." When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called
two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told
them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city,
Peter, a follower of Jesus, went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and
wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he had a vision.
While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by
Cornelius found out where the tanner’s house was and stopped at the gate. They
called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. While Peter
was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three men are
looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I
have sent them." Peter went down and said to the men, "I'm the one you're looking
for. Why have you come?" The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the
centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish
people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear
what you have to say." Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the Christians from Joppa
went along.
The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had
called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house,
Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up.
"Stand up," he said, "I am only a man myself." Talking with him, Peter went inside
and found a large gathering of people. He said to them: "I now realize how true it is
that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him
and do what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling

the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what
has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John
preached-- how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and
how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the
devil, because God was with him. "We are witnesses of everything he did in the
country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but
God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was
not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen--by us
who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to
preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge
of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who
believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard
the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished
that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they
heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, "Can anyone
keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy
Spirit just as we have." So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
[Don’t forget to have 2-3 people re-tell the story.]
Questions:
5. What is this story saying?
6. What do you not understand?
7. What does it teach you about God?
8. What should you obey?
Memory Verse:
He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.
Acts 11:14
4. What does this verse say?
5. What do you not understand?
6. How should you obey?
Trainer Testimony:
Share a testimony of how you recently shared with someone from your circle of
influence.
How to Obey:
1. Think about the people you know who don’t know
Jesus (use circle of influence if it helps).
2. Write down the people you need to tell about Jesus
Christ.
3. Pick a partner to help you share and keep you
accountable.
4. Pray for each person on your list and your partner’s
list together.
5. Order your mental list by fives (divide list into groups of five
in the order you plan to share with them).

6. Learn to share your testimony (Sharing Jesus Lesson 3).
Pray:
Pray right now and commit yourself to share with each person on your list.

Sharing Jesus – Lesson 3: Personal Salvation Testimony
Scriptures to read to prepare for the story:
• Acts 26:1-29
• 1 Peter 3:15 (memory verse)
Introduction to Story:
An easy way to begin to share with your friends and family is to tell them your
testimony. Your testimony is simply your story about how God has worked in your
life. In this lesson, you’ll tell the story of how Paul shared his testimony.
Story:
This story is about a man named Paul. He was a follower of Jesus. On one
occasion, he had been arrested and was sent before the king and many government
officials. Paul told all who were there about his life before he believed in Jesus. He
said, "I was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of
Jesus. And that is just what I did in the city of Jerusalem. On the authority of the
religious leaders I put many of the Christians in prison, and when they were put to
death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to
another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to deny Jesus. In my
obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.”
“On one of these journeys I was going to a city called Damascus. About noon, O
king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing
around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying
to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ ‘I
am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ‘Now get up and stand on
your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of
what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own
people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn
them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may
receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are made holy by faith in
me.’”
“So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to
those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles
also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance
by their deeds. That is why the Jews seized me and tried to kill me. But I have had
God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I
am saying nothing beyond what God said would happen-- that the Christ would
suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people
and to all other peoples.”
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade
me to be a Christian?” Paul replied, “Short time or long--I pray God that not only you
but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these
chains.”
[Don’t forget to have 2-3 people re-tell the story.]

Questions:
9. What is this story saying?
10. What do you not understand?
11. What does it teach you about God?
12. What should you obey?
Memory Verse:
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this
with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15
7. What does this verse say?
8. What do you not understand?
9. How should you obey?
Trainer Testimony:
Share how you recently shared your testimony with someone from your circle of
influence.
How to Obey:
1. Trainer tells his/her own testimony, telling trainees to listen for the three parts of a
testimony.
• Paul’s testimony had three parts.
1. My life before I knew Jesus
2. How I came to know Jesus
3. My life after I knew Jesus
2. Train how to share Testimony
a) Give 10-15 minutes to prepare
b) Say out loud altogether 5 times
c) Pair up and share with each other
d) Repeat this process until each person has shared their testimony at least 3
times
e) Get feedback and remove “bible” and “religious” words
3. Select a partner for accountability and support.
4. Share testimony with first 5 people from “Circle of Influence” list.
Pray:
Pray right now and commit yourself to share with each person on your list.

Sharing Jesus – Lesson 4: Creation to Christ
Scriptures to read to prepare for the story:
• 2 Timothy 3:16
• Psalm 115:3-8
• 1 Chronicles 16:25-28
• Nehemiah 9:6
• Genesis 1:1 – 2:3
• Genesis 1:26-27
• Genesis 2:4-25
• Ezekiel 28:12b-17
• Isaiah 14:12-15
• Genesis 2:8-9, 16-17; 3:1-24
• Isaiah 59:2
• Romans 3:23
• Romans 6:23a
• Exodus 20:1-17
• Hebrews 9:22b
• Leviticus 1:1-3; 4:13-21
• Isaiah 1:11
• John 3:16
• Luke 1:31-37
• Matthew 5:1-7:29
• John 10:7-15
• Psalm 23:1-3
• 1 Peter 2:22
• Hebrews 9:14
• John 1:29
• Luke 23:20-25, 32-48
• Revelation 5:9
• 1 Peter 1:19
• Romans 5:8
• Luke 24:1-50
• Isaiah 53:6
• Luke 15:11-24, 32
• Luke 14:6
• Romans 10:9,10
• John 3:16 (memory verse)

Introduction to Story:
In addition to sharing your personal salvation testimony, you will also want to share the
gospel with your lost family and friends. The gospel is the story of how God has worked
from the beginning of time to bring salvation to man. This story begins with the creation
of the world and goes through the resurrection of Christ. Though the story is long, you
can learn it in parts. The story is meant to be shared as one complete story which
should take about 15 minutes to share. However, if time is limited you can also share
the story in parts. Sections in [brackets] are recommended options.
Story:
PART 1
I want to tell you a story. This story is from a book called the Bible. Men did not make up
the Bible. It is the word of the Most High God. These stories are true and reliable
because they are the words of the Most High God.
There is only one God, and He is the Most High God. The Most High God is more
powerful than men and kingdoms. The Most High God is more powerful than other gods
such as the fire god, sun god, or dragon god. He is also more powerful than idols made
by men. The Most High God is the most powerful.
PART 2
In the beginning the Most High God existed. The Most High God is the Creator. He
created everything on earth and in heaven and is all powerful over everything. His name
is God (Shangdi).
When God began to create things, He just used His words. He spoke and everything
came to being. He created angels to worship and serve Him. They were very beautiful.
God created everything in 6 days. [He created the sky, land, water, mountains, oceans,
sun, moon, stars, all plant and animals. He created everything.] Finally, He created man
according to His image. God created man to enjoy all that He has created. God created
everything and saw that it was good.
PART 3
God placed the man and woman in a beautiful garden to live. They had a very good
relationship. He told them to take care of the garden and enjoy everything. He gave
them a special command: they could eat from every tree in the garden except one. If
they ate from that one tree, they would die. Man and woman listened to God and had a
wonderful relationship with Him in the garden.
However, do you remember the angels God created? One of the angels was very smart
and beautiful. This angel became very proud. He wanted to be like God and to have the
other angels to worship him instead of God. Only God deserves all the worship and
service. Therefore God cast the bad angel, Satan, and the other angels who listened to
him out of heaven. These bad angels are known as demons.
One day, Satan tempted woman, named Eve, to eat the food from the tree that was
forbidden. [Satan lied to the woman. He told Ever that if she ate of the tree, she would
be just like the Most High God.] Eve listened to Satan and ate the fruit. Then she gave it
to her husband, Adam, to eat. Both of them disobeyed God’s command. Disobeying
God’s command is sin. God is righteous and holy. He must punish sin. God cast the
man and the woman out of the garden, and their relationship with God was broken. Man
and God were now separated forever.