The Discipler’s Workshop is for those actively involved in discipleship. It is designed to equip a person who is giving discipleship to others. It is a 2-part workshop running either over 3-5 days (which can be split into two sessions), or over a 6weeks period occurring once a week. Part 1 (also known as the Foundation level) is designed for those who are providing discipleship or about to start one. Part 2 (also known as the Certificate Level) is for those mentoring others involved in discipleship.
The workshop is also preceded by an optional introductory session called the Jesus Discipleship Revolution (or JD Rev) which delegates can attend 2-3weeks prior to the Discipler’s Workshop). The JD Rev course will become available to attend online from September 2019.
THE JD REV PRELUDE
The Jesus Discipleship Revolution (or JD Rev) is an introductory course designed for those with little or no experience in discipleship. It is an half day prelude for delegates intending to attend the Discipler’s Workshop, or for church leaders who want a taster for running the course for their church teams.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE COURSE
The course is run by Femi & Maria Oni who have over 15 years experience of helping Christians experience the abundant life that Jesus promised in the bible.
The course, endorsed by many leaders, has been benefitted many churches and birthed new leaders that have become a blessing to their respective churches.
WATER FROM THE ROCK
Water from the Rock (or WFTR) began behind the scenes in 2014. It serves as a catalyst to prepare the Body for a move of God through prayer and discipleship. It connects isolated small expressions of christian groups (such as a house-church) with the wider Body of Christ.
Its first work began in Israel in 2009 (where the Onis continue to lead tour groups that enables Christians to connect with the Hebraic roots of their faith). Since then, the Onis have become catalyst for change for churches going through transition, or seeking to avoid “di-vision”. The Discipler Workshop, the flagship training initiative for WFTR, has increasingly become used by God to restore the discipleship back to the heart of the local church. Information about the course, is now available on its dedicated website: www.disciplersworkshop.com
ABOUT FEMI
Born in England to Nigerian parents and having spent most of his life in 4 continents, Femi is what many psychologists today would call a Third Culture kid. His exposure to different cultures has been challenging but has been used by God to enable him to relate to almost any culture in the world! Femi loves nature, enjoys photography, has a personal interest in writing and cherishes history. He is also noted to have a soft side for ice cream, great coffee and muffins!
He came to faith in 1987 and has since had several supernatural experiences of the Holy Spirit (including his miraculous healings). He is an Orthoptist (vision therapist) by profession and God has used this to open doors for him to serve in missions spanning almost 20yrs. His medical mission work has drawn attention from international health agencies but he is quick to point out that this has been possible because of input from men & women of God on whose shoulders he stood for many years.
ABOUT MARIA
(known to many as Cidinha)
Maria is a Brazilian who came to faith at the age of 18. Her new-found faith radically changed the course of her life when she began to hear the voice of God. She subsequently abandoned her plan to go to study journalism and instead began a life in missions.
She loves cooking and God has used this in numerous ways to host teams & groups that has provided a platform for people to come to faith in Jesus. She is known for being down-to-earth, loves sewing and has a soft spot for dark chocolate. Her love for travelling was formed as a child whilst accompanying her father on speaking engagements as an AA president across the cities in Brazil.
Their personal journey as a family
The couple lost their first child (Tomi) in Sept 2009 at the tender age of 6months. It was a deeply painful experience but God has enabled them to overcome the tragic loss. Their story has attracted media attention and brought encouragement to many, both within the Body of Christ and those cynical about God. God blessed with two more children (Joy who is almost 5yrs and Noah who is 4yrs old). Previously part of Skylark Church (www.skylarkchurch.org), they now make their home in Worcestershire where they attend St Marys Church in Childswickham.
It is here in rural England that the family moved recently. And here, against all odds, God is at work again, as the couple model what freedom comes when we allow Christ’s life to flow through us. It is simply the stories of ordinary people learning to walk through life (like God did through the couple in the jungles of the Amazon, in Jerusalem, among the Mangyan people in the Philippines and across cities in Europe).
Their Ministry
The Onis are essentially a missionary family. Maria has devoted the last 25yrs of her life to missions: the first 10yrs working with the homeless and drug addicts on the streets of Brazil and thereafter she served in the Amazon where she was involved in converting spoken language to written language of the indigenous tribes so the scriptures written in their own language. The work enabled her to go deep into the jungle sharing the love of Jesus to tribes with little or no access to the outside world. It was during this time that Femi first met Maria…and the rest is history!
Femi is the founder of “Blessed To Be A Blessing” or BTBAB (www.btbab.org). BTBAB has sent over 25 teams to the developing world, introducing hundreds to missions in the process and transforming communities plagued with poverty.
Central to the call of the couple is a deeply passionate heart for discipleship. Every year, for the last 15yrs, the couple adopt a vulnerable Christian into their home and nurture them to become disciples of Jesus. In the process, God has enabled them to lead many to a healthy life in God (ranging from the “churched” person who feel their story is boring to those struggling with addictions, severe depression, and confused about their identity. In every nation they have served, they have applied the same principle, at times leading to home-groups, some of which are now likely to become churches (such as in Jerusalem).
Their discipleship materials are now being used as a resource for many churches in the Body of Christ (www.disciplersworkshop.com). They have served as missionaries across 10 denominations helping local churches to return to the true Jesus revolution (1-2-1 disciple making). Their cross-cultural background has enabled them to cross many denominational & cultural barriers to share the life & message of Jesus. They are regular international speakers in over 15 nations and the family believe that the basis of their call within the Body is best summarised in Jer. 1: 9-10.
