Coach's Playbook
Disciplemaking Transferable Concepts
Every coach has a playbook—a guide that explains how the game is played. It’s usually the product of years of experience and reflects the coach’s unique style and philosophy. Inside are the team’s core plays, terminology, strategies, and guiding principles. A good playbook isn’t just a list of tactics; it’s both a reference manual and a training tool—a way to communicate vision, define expectations, and prepare everyone to perform together.
Over my fifty-plus years of coaching others to invest their lives in the Great Commission—making disciples who, in turn, make disciples—I’ve developed my own “playbook.” Scripture is its foundation, and Jesus is the premier Coach. Along the way, I’ve learned from those who coached me and adapted helpful concepts that have stood the test of time.
When I have the opportunity to coach someone who wants to disciple others, I often tell them that I have a playbook I’ve developed—and if they’re interested, I’ll gladly pass it on
My underlying philosophy is simple: disciplemaking must be transferable. If the biblical model is that spiritual children grow up to become spiritual parents, then our approach must be reproducible. We must coach in a way that others can imitate and pass on.
I’ve seen many discipleship tools that were rich in content but too complex to reproduce. When disciplemaking becomes a “program,” we often create tools that only the unusually gifted—or the unemployed—can use! For most people, they’re too heavy and require more time than they can give.
A core part of my playbook has always been illustrations—visual tools that make complex spiritual truths easier to grasp. Jesus used parables; I use pictures. In the early days, I’d draw these illustrations on a napkin during coffee-shop meetings. The Navigator “Bridge” and “Wheel” illustrations were among my first examples.
More recently, I’ve digitized many of these for clarity and ease of sharing. Each illustration now includes both the visual and a short narrative that explains the key ideas. This way, disciples can revisit the content later, recall the main points, and adapt the wording to fit their own style as they share it with others. Each illustration fits on a single sheet of paper, folded in half—allowing you to present the core idea first without the distraction of the details that follow.
Every coach has a playbook—a guide that explains how the game is played. It’s usually the product of years of experience and reflects the coach’s unique style and philosophy. Inside are the team’s core plays, terminology, strategies, and guiding principles. A good playbook isn’t just a list of tactics; it’s both a reference manual and a training tool—a way to communicate vision, define expectations, and prepare everyone to perform together.
Over my fifty-plus years of coaching others to invest their lives in the Great Commission—making disciples who, in turn, make disciples—I’ve developed my own “playbook.” Scripture is its foundation, and Jesus is the premier Coach. Along the way, I’ve learned from those who coached me and adapted helpful concepts that have stood the test of time.
When I have the opportunity to coach someone who wants to disciple others, I often tell them that I have a playbook I’ve developed—and if they’re interested, I’ll gladly pass it on
My underlying philosophy is simple: disciplemaking must be transferable. If the biblical model is that spiritual children grow up to become spiritual parents, then our approach must be reproducible. We must coach in a way that others can imitate and pass on.
I’ve seen many discipleship tools that were rich in content but too complex to reproduce. When disciplemaking becomes a “program,” we often create tools that only the unusually gifted—or the unemployed—can use! For most people, they’re too heavy and require more time than they can give.
A core part of my playbook has always been illustrations—visual tools that make complex spiritual truths easier to grasp. Jesus used parables; I use pictures. In the early days, I’d draw these illustrations on a napkin during coffee-shop meetings. The Navigator “Bridge” and “Wheel” illustrations were among my first examples.
More recently, I’ve digitized many of these for clarity and ease of sharing. Each illustration now includes both the visual and a short narrative that explains the key ideas. This way, disciples can revisit the content later, recall the main points, and adapt the wording to fit their own style as they share it with others. Each illustration fits on a single sheet of paper, folded in half—allowing you to present the core idea first without the distraction of the details that follow.
Transferable Concepts
(To download a PDF copy of each concept, click on the title)
Profile of a disciple - Apprentice Illustration
Pursuits of a disciple - GPS Illustration
Practices of a disciple - Wheel Illustration
Relationships of a disciple - Family Illustration
Certification of a disciple - Breed Illustration
Power of a disciple - Sailing Illustration
(To download a PDF copy of each concept, click on the title)
Profile of a disciple - Apprentice Illustration
Pursuits of a disciple - GPS Illustration
Practices of a disciple - Wheel Illustration
Relationships of a disciple - Family Illustration
Certification of a disciple - Breed Illustration
Power of a disciple - Sailing Illustration
