Creating a Discipleship Culture Within Student Ministry – I have spent the last several months going through an in-depth study on the book of Acts, while also speaking to our students from the Gospel of John every Wednesday night.  God has challenged and restructured my view of spiritual formation more than I could ever imagine.  Most of the time and energy I have spent developing spiritual formation programs has been in the context of coaching and mentoring, but very rarely have I focused deeply on true discipleship.  Coaching can be expressed through talent and skill development.  Mentoring will take coaching to a deeper level relationally and may involve training on goal-setting and basic life application.  A good mentor will often speak wisdom into their students’ life, but they may never reach a level of deep, intimate challenge based on Scripture.

As Christians we are called to be disciples – true, authentic followers of Christ.  We are not only called to a life based on skill and knowledge, but rather a life focused on living every second for Christ!  A discipling culture will always take coaching and mentoring to a level of Christ-like intimacy.  In Luke 9 and Luke 14, Jesus describes the expectations that come with discipleship.  We must first prioritize the cross of Christ above everything else – above every human relationship, every talent and ability, and everything we either have or don’t have.  Being a disciple is all about following Jesus.  Choosing to continue to follow Jesus when the coaches are gone and the mentors have left.  Following Jesus isn’t about belonging to a club or a group.  It begins with a passionate ‘at once’ followed by a series of mistakes, failures, questions, and most of all a committed focus on becoming more like Christ everyday!

There is a much deeper cost in discipleship as well.  If you desire to become a professional athlete, it takes total commitment, total dedication, tons of time, energy, and money.  As a general contractor, if you were to build something, you must sit down and think through whether or not you want to give all that you have into what you are building.  The same is true with our relationship with Christ – We must count the cost to follow Him – we could lose everything.  It may cost you friends, relationships, popularity, and opportunities to have the spotlight put on you.

Are you willing to give everything up for Christ?  Read More

Discipleship & Spiritual Growth

Missional Living & Outreach