STUDENT MINISTRY: Discipling Our Students
If I asked a group what the purpose of student ministry is, I’m sure I would get several different responses. Over time, the purpose of student ministry has become a little muddled. Some believe youth groups should be a place for Christian students to hang out, have fun and be full of activity. Others see youth groups as just for the children of church members. At the heart of the matter, your student ministry should exist to help students move forward in their Christian life. Ultimately, you want to help create disciples who make disciples. It is not an easy process, but it is what brings God much glory.
If we are going to make disciples, it is important to have a clear discipleship pathway. What do I mean by a “discipleship pathway?” It is the chosen means by which you help your students move from unbelievers to mature believers.
I have spent some time with my friend, Wade Allen, pastor of Temple Baptist Church in Rogers, talking about discipleship. I look forward to him being at our Student Ministry Workers Retreat on Sept. 14 at Central Baptist College to share during our break-out time. You don’t want to miss it. From our discussions, I have come away with a few things I believe every discipleship pathway should include:
• It should be Bible-centered. As we previously discussed signs of a healthy student ministry, we have determined that this concept is key. It is the same for your discipleship pathway. We want to keep the Bible at the heart of our study. It should be the focus of our instruction and lessons. There are many great things to learn, but we believe in the power of God’s Word to create transformed lives.
• It should be reproducible. When we disciple someone, we must do it in a way that allows the disciple to turn around and pour into someone else. That is how we change the world — through multiplication rather than addition. As you disciple your students or congregation, are you doing it in a way that can be passed on?
• It should be relatively simple. Overly complex approaches in discipleship get forgotten. I train in Taekwondo. I have learned several different kicks. Is it better to train 20 kicks with 5 reps each or 1 kick with 100 reps? My one kick will beat your 20 kicks on most days. I can share that one kick with others because it is not overly complex. Simple concepts can be passed on more easily and more quickly. While we don’t want to dumb down God’s Word, we don’t want to make the process of maturing Christians so complex that we give up.
• It should involve life-on-life accountability. Discipleship must involve people meeting with other people. We need community and accountability. Discipleship components can be taught in a classroom of many people, but real discipleship involves smaller groups where people can be involved in each other’s lives.
Discipleship is the name of the game. As student ministry workers, we should partner with parents to see our students grow in their faith. If you don’t have a plan for discipleship, you need one. Take some time and consider what works best for you and your group.
Join us for this year’s Student Ministry Workers Retreat at Central Baptist College on Sept. 14. This year’s theme is discipleship. Our breakout groups will focus on sharing different approaches to the task. Register at SMWR2024.eventbrite.com.
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Dan Carson
BMA Youth Department Director Dan Carson writes a weekly column titled, Student Ministry Matters, through which he inspires, challenges, and informs BMA of Arkansas churches and church staff about all things pertaining to student ministry.
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