Building a Framework for Discipleship
Colleen and her husband Brent in their apartment in Tallinn, Estonia.
Colleen Weaver serves as the Global Disciple-Making Coordinator for One Mission Society (OMS). Based in Tallinn, Estonia with her husband Brent, she works both locally and globally, focusing on discipleship training and spiritual formation within the communities she serves.
For the past two years, Colleen and her team have worked to answer two key questions: What do disciples need to know—and not just in terms of information, but in terms of skills or actions they need to be able to do? And what do disciples actually do? After extensive discussion and refinement, the team developed a discipleship framework that provides guidance in four essential areas of spiritual formation.
A Framework for Whole Discipleship
At the heart of this framework is the command to love God and love others. From that foundation, four essential areas of discipleship emerge:
Sound Doctrine – Growing in wisdom and biblical understanding.
Ethical Living – Living in holiness that reflects Christ’s character.
Christian Community – Actively participating in Christian fellowship.
Outreach To Others – Engaging in missions and evangelism.
As Colleen explains, “We know Jesus told us to make disciples, but it’s not always clear exactly how to do that—especially if we’ve never been intentionally discipled ourselves.”
The framework serves as a guide to help missionaries navigate this process more intentionally.
A Global Team for a Global Vision
Colleen leads a team of regional representatives from across the OMS network, each contributing their unique experience and insight. These team members include missionaries based in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Africa.
“It’s been a joy to work with this team,” Colleen shares. “Our discussions are dynamic, and we continue to refine the best ways to equip our missionaries for disciple-making.”
Training Initiatives: Strengthening Discipleship in OMS
As part of this focus on discipleship, OMS has been hosting a series of training initiatives to support missionaries in their personal growth and ministry effectiveness. This past fall, OMS launched Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, a six-week training course led by John Hamilton and based on Peter Scazzero’s book. More than 40 OMS participants from around the world engaged in discussions about how emotional health is vital for building strong Christian communities and ethical living.
“Healthy disciples need to grow in holiness and form healthy relationships,” Colleen notes. “This training helped reinforce those principles.”
In early 2025, OMS held Encounter: Engaging God's Word Afresh, led by Billy Coppedge. This training explored tools for deepening biblical understanding and finding practical ways to engage in mission and outreach.
Looking ahead, OMS is preparing for another upcoming training on Discipleship through House Fellowship. This course will explore how house gatherings can serve as key spaces for worship, discipleship, and outreach, reflecting both early church practices and contemporary needs. Insights from the Lausanne Congress have highlighted the increasing importance of home-based gatherings as discipleship hubs.
A Growing Focus on Discipleship
As these initiatives continue, OMS is committed to refining its approach to disciple-making. The framework is already influencing how missionaries are equipped and supported in their ministry efforts. The ongoing conversations, training, and global collaboration reinforce OMS’s dedication to making disciples who, in turn, make disciples.
“We desire to strengthen and support the work of disciple-making across OMS,” Colleen affirms. “We are continually learning, growing, and seeking to provide practical ways for missionaries to deepen their faith and ministry impact.”
Through this framework and continued investment in discipleship, OMS is seeing a growing emphasis on spiritual formation that we pray will have a lasting impact worldwide.
