Frequently Asked Questions...
What are the benefits of joining TheWord.Online?
You will be focused on fulfilling your God-given purpose to be fruitful and multiply.
You will not be stuck but moving forward to hear our Lord say, "Well done!"
You will learn and grow so much here from God's life-transforming word.
You will enjoy the care and encouragement from new, godly friends.
You will have teammates in the Prayer Force who will pray for you.
You will have a caring coach. All great athletes and people have coaches. You will too.
You will be given an outstanding tool for helping you to advance on your goals.
You will have access to years of Bible book studies and tools to help you.
Who leads TheWord.Online?
Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dave Garratt. I am a Bible college and seminary graduate. I served for many years as an associate pastor with New Life Community Church, a non-denominational church in Chicago. I also have led my own biblical counseling practice and served as a missionary to inner-city Chicago teens. I now am the full-time head coach of TheWord.Online. We started with just a dozen people at the end of 2014. It's a joy to see how we've grown and to see people benefitting from it in various states and countries.
"I have known Dave Garratt as a friend and partner in ministry for many years. He has a passion to see people grow and be mentored into full maturity. For several years now, TheWord.Online has served as an effective online tool to accelerate spiritual growth. If you are serious about growing and would benefit from daily accountability then I would highly recommend this online community." --Dr. Mark Jobe (President of Moody Bible Institute & Senior Pastor of New Life Community Church)
"Dave is such a gifted coach who is committed to your spiritual growth and to helping you maximize your impact. Dave will walk alongside you and help you to achieve. If you are looking for a coach who will empower you to be more fruitful and multiply your impact, Coach Dave is your man." --Susan Day (author, speaker, counselor)
"Dave Garratt has been mentoring people toward spiritual growth and maturity for over 30 years. I met Dave in 1988 and have been blessed by his example, work ethic, and continual supply of resources designed to help people grow deep in the word and strong in character. Dave is a great coach!" --Pastor Mike Berry
Who should join TheWord.Online?
We are here to help those who want to advance with teammates to be fruitful and multiply their impact. It's for those who want to live to one day hear, "Well done good and faithful servant!" If that's you, then join us and we will provide you with the tools, the team, and the training to enable you to greatly succeed in Christ.
How much does it cost to join TheWord.Online?
For those who are financially challenged, the investment is only $7 a week or $30 a month. (Many people spend far more than $7 each week on drive-thru treats, coffee, soft drinks and snacks.) If you are able, we ask that you consider giving generously beyond the minimum to help those who are unable. Give where we get fed and are cared for. You will get a whole lot of that here.
How long does it take each day to participate?
Some may spend 20 minutes on the site while others might spend double that. It varies from person to person. What I can tell you is that many people spend far more time going to the gym to get in shape physically than you will spend getting in shape spiritually here. Paul reminds us, "Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come" (1 Tim.4:8).
If I can't participate every single day, will I be judged or kicked out?
We are here to help you, not get rid of you. We know life can get crazy busy. Still we strive to make reading God's word a top priority. Both Jesus and Job spoke of God's word as more important than their daily bread. Job said, "I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily food" (Job 23:12). Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Mt.4:4). So for your own growth, seek to participate regularly. Jump in whatever time is best for you. We meet online Monday through Friday.
Where will I begin once I join?
Everyone starts by going through a powerful mini-course on the grand story of Scripture. It's called The Divine Drama. You'll love it! We ask everyone to complete the 15 lessons in the first 2 to 3 weeks from when they sign up. That's easy to do. If you experience a crisis during that time, we will certainly allow you to start over if need be.
What are the values of TheWord.Online?
Here are our 3 key biblical values. We call them the 3 Be's:
Be devoted to God and his word. So strive to participate faithfully in God's word with us.
Be devoted to one another. You'll get lots of encouragement. Please be a good teammate and reciprocate.
Be helpful to your coach. I am devoted to helping you as a new coach in your life. So please respectfully get back to me promptly (within 24 hours) when I reach out to you. Thanks!
If you believe in those biblical values, then welcome aboard! All who have faithfully gotten involved in this discipleship/mentoring ministry have found this group to be such an encouraging place to grow and to multiply their life and impact.
Ready to get started with us? Just click
Apply.
If you've got more questions that you first need answered, feel free to email us at
info@theword.online.
