Making Young Disciples – Jesus Style

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Contemporary Challenges

10363654_10152435132343767_1963145829178384992_nI’ve been mixing in Christian Youth Ministry circles for the past 20 years or so. In recent years, much of the discussion in that space has largely centred on questions concerning our collective effectiveness at making lasting disciples of Jesus. Most youth leaders I meet freely admit that they would like to see more “fruit that will last” (to borrow the title of Tim Hawkins’ classic Youth ministry text) from their disciple making efforts. Research in this area paints a bleak picture for the ongoing place of young people in the Australian Christian church.

Why are we struggling to produce young disciples of Christ? I believe it’s partly due to challenges beyond our control (history, sociology, economics, philosophy etc.). However, it is always a good idea to regularly access our assumptions, attitudes and actions in terms of disciple making and see if we are on track, or whether we have lost our way.

If you compare current disciple making practices in Youth Ministry circles with those of the New Testament masters (Jesus and Paul), I think it is possible to discern two distinct points of difference. One is to do with focus, and one is to do with context.

Focus

The things we chose to focus our time and attention on reveal our priorities. Jesus’ disciple making intentions were shown clearly as he focussed a growing amount of his time on fewer of his followers in increasingly intimate relationships.

Marty figure

Figure 1.

Jesus related to different people in a range of contexts during his time on earth. Sometimes he mixed with the masses in public spaces. Sometimes he related one-on-one. As ‘Figure 1’ attempts to illustrate, Jesus related to a number of key groups, but reserved the bulk of his time and energy for a small group of select followers. As relational proximity to Jesus increased, intimacy increased and numbers decreased. The Son of God’s whole approach to disciple making was largely defined by focussing on a very small groups of followers…particularly the 12, the inner 3 (Peter, James, John), and “the disciple Jesus loved” (John perhaps). While Jesus had time for the larger groups (Eg – the 70 missionaries sent out in Luke 10) he focussed his disciple making efforts on the 12:3:1.

In the book of Acts you can see the Apostle Paul continuing the same approach to disciple making in his focussed relationships with various young colleagues such as Timothy, Barnabas and Silas.

Contemporary youth leaders seem to be often quick to focus on the ‘group’ rather than the more intimate 12:3:1…especially the 3 and the one. One-on-one disciple making often gets passed over for the program focussed approach of dealing with groups as a collective.

There is no substitute for the painstaking work of sharing life with young would-be disciples over the long haul. Flashy programs, while serving their purpose, are often impersonal and incapable of delivering the levels of intimacy and personal knowing that allows for loving accountability and direction.

If it was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for us. Who are the 3 and the one that you are focussing your disciple making efforts on?

Context

The second difference I note between Jesus and Paul’s disciple making work and current Youth Ministry trends in this area is one of context. Almost their entire disciple making happened ‘on-the-road’. Both Jesus and Paul had their closest mentorees by their side at all times as they went about their Kingdom work. Discipleship took place in the context of mission. It was an apprenticeship, action/reflection style of learning. It was on-the-job training if you like. As preaching, healing, prophesying, church planting and pastoral work was undertaken by Jesus and Paul, their disciples were in on the action, experiencing the work of the Kingdom personally and firsthand.

Discipleship in contemporary church Youth Ministry has taken on too much of a classroom style of learning. Discipleship of young Christians if often delivered in the abstract, removed from the frontline of Gospel mission. Discipleship has become less a matter of obedient action and more a matter of knowledge. And hence, its power to transform individual lives and communities has been lost. Young people see this, and are voting with their feet.

Discipleship cannot be effectively delivered as a curriculum alone. It must be worked out in the white hot engine room of mission to Australian communities. Young people who are taught about Jesus within the four walls of the Youth Room will never develop into the kind of Christians who become world-changers unless they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with true missionaries. This is deeply challenging to the youth leader’s own journey with Christ.

If it was good enough for Paul, it’s good enough for us. You’ve got to be a true disciple before you can make one!

Article written by Marty Thompson, Senior Youth Pastor, Churches of Christ in Qld

 

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myYouthLeader is a community of people involved in Christian youth ministry … in churches, schools and the community. Our goal is to connect like-minded people and facilitate the sharing of inspiration, resources and to support each other. We are Australian focused and inter-denominational. We will also offer access to some specialist services such as coaching, training and more.

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