The Two Most Important Elements of Student Discipleship
There have been some high-profile books released in the last few years examining the failure of many Christ-followers, and more specifically teenage Christ-followers, to consistently live out a faith that is in line with their beliefs. One of these books is Almost Christian, the new book by Kenda Creasy Dean. Almost Christian picks up on the findings of the groundbreaking National Study on Youth and Religion (NYSR) (documented in the very excellent book Soul Searching by Dr. Christian Smith) done in 2003.
Now, this is not a book review of Almost Christian. However, I would suggest that if you have not already read it, you drop what you are doing and order it now. It’s a very important book for youth workers. (You can read an executive summary of it here. You can purchase it here. You can find a CNN article on the work here.)
One of the main findings of the NYSR and one that Dean picked up in Almost Christian is what it looks like when kids “get it,” when teenagers, in Dean’s words, have a “consequential faith.”
To sum this up, teenagers who “get it,” among other things, know what they believe (they can articulate the basic tenets of their faith), and they “live out” their faith.
As I think about the call God has put on my life to disciple teenagers, these two elements are first and foremost with me. More than anything, I want students to know God and His ways through His Word, and apply this knowledge in their lives.
It’s that simple.
While there are other aspects of discipleship, I believe that after an individual’s salvation experience (of course), these two elements are the most central aspects of discipleship.
Here’s why . . .
God’s Word Is Uniquely Transformational
There is nothing else capable of fostering spiritual transformation and growth like God’s Word. Scripture affirms the Spirit as the agent of spiritual growth and fruit in our lives. But the means to fully know God and His ways is found only in Scripture. Can we learn about God through experience? Absolutely. Through His creation? Of course. Through other believers? Most definitely. But God’s Word is the primary means He gave us to make Himself and His plan of redemption known to us.
A Knowledge Of God Is Essential For Discipleship
Being a disciple means being a follower. And we can’t follow what we don’t know. To follow Christ, we must know Him. And not just the Christ of the New Testament. We must know the whole story of God’s redemption narrative or we stand to miss out on the beautiful richness of God’s design to rescue us.
An Application Of God’s Word Is Literally What Being A Disciple Is All About
As James so deftly put it in James 1:22, and I paraphrase, “you’re missing it if you think it’s OK to hear God’s Word and not put it to work in your life.” If all we are is “hearers” of the Word, we’re just collecting knowledge. We’re a sponge, soaking up holy tidbits. Not bad in itself, but a sponge is useless unless it is put to work, wringing out its contents. We have to let God’s Word dramatically affect our lives.
As we consider our youth ministries–our philosophies in discipleship, how we program, how we put volunteers to work, how we plan for the future–we must stop and ask how we are doing on these two elements: teaching God’s Word, and helping students apply it. The other elements of how we lead students in their spiritual development, elements such as service, stewardship, and worship, all depend on knowing God and being changed by this knowledge.
Take a moment today and consider the place these two elements have in your ministry.
Challenge your students to vividly live out their faith with Vivid, a 6-lesson study on the Book of James from ym360
Andy Blanks is the co-founder of youthministry360. Andy has worked in youth ministry for 12 years, almost exclusively writing, designing, and developing curriculum. Andy is a teacher at heart and loves to challenge teenagers and youth workers alike through his writing and speaking.
Share your thoughts with the youthministry360 community:
- Do agree that these two elements are at the heart of discipleship? If not, what would you suggest should be the core of our discipleship efforts?
- How are you encouraging your students to both know God and live out this knowledge in their lives?
