T4T Resources
T4T, or Training for Trainers, provides the framework for obedience-based, Christ-centered evangelism and discipleship. It combines principles learned in the context of both rural illiterate and urban literate peoples, thereby advocating a process that may be more universal.
One of T4T's strengths is that it emphasizes obedience to Jesus Christ, putting faith into tangible action. It strongly encourages individuals to press forward and grow: the new believer to seek Christ, the Christ-follower to engage with others, the leader to more effectively train others, and more.
The T4T Resources on this page consist of links to many websites providing valuable information related to the T4T process. The list is annotated, providing a quick overview of each target website.
At quick glance, T4T and a weekly Bible study may appear the same. In fact, there are some common elements of overlap:
- Bible lessons
- Pastoral care
- Worship and prayer
Yet there are key differences, enabling those using the process to replicate what they are doing much more quickly:
- Vision-casting (training to multiply disciples who repeat the process)
- Active, self-discovery rather than passive learning
- Accountability (to one another, regarding the prior week's lesson and sharing about Jesus with others)
- Intentional practice
Overview
- T4T Online is a cooperative effort making the training developed in China by Ying Kai more broadly available. This website includes introductory videos, trainer's manual, best practices, resources, and more.
- Mission Frontiers article provides a quick overview of T4T and stresses the importance of a process versus a formulated program.
- Mission Network News provides a very brief summary of the T4T process and links to a series of short videos of David Garrison describing the core principles of T4T.
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The Training Rural Trainers document provides an overview of the T4T process, primarily for a Chinese rural context. However, according to Brigada, this document provides value for any culture or language:
"The intro is worth the read (or at least the scan). What the author has done, really, is take the old time-tested George Patterson approach... and simplified it into 10 lessons. Then he has emphasized the conversion aspect over and above the simple obedience of God’s word. Further, see how he has documented so carefully all of the steps... down to the nature of the Bible study itself. He has basically given us a script, in a way. Then in the body of the document, the main part, he applies it to Chinese. But at that point, the implementer could substitute his own language."
Adapting T4T in America
- Jeff Sundell provides An American Adaptation of Church Planting Movement Principles. Jeff writes from Shelby, North Carolina. His insights provide valuable assistance for those in America. For example, T4T focuses on sharing your story with the "lost." Most Americans rarely consider others as "lost" and so the phrase "those who are far from God" is much more effective.
- The Mission Frontiers article "How to Adapt" provides three stories from North Carolina on using T4T and CPM processes among "Churched Cultures." The article reminds us to shift from an attractional approach to seeking people who are far from God where they are.
- An American Adaptation of T4T: Video series (Total: a little over 5 hours)
- David Watson serves as the Vice President of Global Church Planting with CityTeam International, San Jose, CA. His primary responsibility is to catalyze Disciple Making Movements. In an article titled, "What About Teaching and Preaching in Disciple-Making Movements?", Watson notes that a key purpose in disciple-making movements is to teach and preach with our words, our lives, and our practices in such a way that others can do the same as they imitate us in their groups and among their family/friends/neighbors/work. More than explanation, we want understanding. More than application, we want obedience.
- Steve Smith and Stan Parks compare T4T with DMM (Disciple Making Movements), offering suggestions for combining and adapting each of these processes in a way that may be more effective for different cultures. See "T4T or DMM (DBS)? - Only God Can Start a Church-Planting Movement" (Part 1 of 2) and (Part 2 of 2).
Reviews of T4T
- John Lambert with the US Center for World Mission writes in T4T Training for Trainers: 5-8 that T4T is a process, rather than a set of lessons, and briefly summarizes many of the key elements of the process.
- Chuck Huckaby writes a critique and a critical review. He acknowledges the benefits of T4T, cautions about growth assumptions in a Western culture, and provides a few recommendations for Americans, with the most important being: We must do something!