Freebie Fridays: FREE Printable 28-day Self- or Small-Group Discipleship Guide in Basic English (Great for New English Speakers or Adult Literacy!)

Aug 18, 2017 | Culture, free download, Printables and Freebies, shareables, sharing your faith, teachers/educators, time alone with God

I’m tickled pink about today’s freebie. And I’d love your help in passing it on, pinning it, or sharing it with people who might use it.

After teaching refugees for three years, I had a wish list. I wanted a free, printable discipleship guide that could take students through basic concepts of Christianity. I wanted it to be useful for a single person or in small groups. I wanted discussion questions and verses to memorize. But as much as I love to play with words in my own writing–I needed something without complex idioms or words that would discourage or confuse an early English speaker.

So imagine my delight when I finally got to pass this out as a parting gift to my students…alongside their first Bible in English.There was some ululating involved! (I may have participated, despite my rather rudimentary skills in this area.) And here it is for you: a FREE printable 28-day self- (preferably with a disciple or mentor) or small-group discipleship guide in basic English. discipleship guide title page

Please, pass it on to cross-cultural workers, adult literacy instructors, teachers of ESL/TOEFL/TOESL/English as a second language, or anyone else who might use it in their own creative ways. (I’ve also passed it out alongside films like the JESUS film or the Gospel of John.)

My vision for this is for it to be as universal as possible. Because of this, I consider it a “living document”–one I can alter to accommodate as many groups as possible. That’s where you come in. I’m still dreaming up new topics I’d like to include, and changing the language to be more understandable. Though I’ve taught ESL in a couple of other contexts, my experience is limited to a few people groups. I don’t know, for example, how it may be received in Asia, with Buddhist or Hindu audiences exploring Christianity. If you’ve got ideas on how to improve this or make it more palatable for certain people groups, please comment below.

And thank you for spreading the message of true freedom everywhere.

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Janel Breitenstein

Janel Breitenstein

Author | Speaker

I’m totally #thatmom–the one diving into all the weirdness with my kids, sidestepping a few eyerolls. Pull up a chair for practical ideas and discussions on the parenting, relationships, and spirituality we’re all army-crawling through every day.

I’m a speaker, freelance writer, and author of Permanent Markers: Spiritual Life Skills to Write on Your Kids’ Hearts (Harvest House, 2021); Deliver Us from Meltdowns: And Other Real-World Prayers for Parents (Andrews McMeel, September 2025); How to Stop Yelling Up the Stairs: Keeping Your Cool While Raising Your Kids(Kregel, April 2026), and Emotionally Strong(ish) Parenting: 7 Shifts for a Resilient and Jesus-Centered Home (NavPress, September 2026).

My work can be found on Christianity Today, Focus on the Family, and FamilyLife. After five and a half years in Uganda, my family and I returned to the U.S., where we continue to work on behalf of the poor.