What is Discipleship

I started this post during the National Youth Workers Convention and never sat down to finish it. I am not totally sure where I wanted to go or why even write this, but I figured I would finish it.

Discipleship to me is the building of a relationship with Jesus Christ through learning. I know this probably isn't the best definition or even correct, but that is what I think. I have always tried to find the best approach for discipling students, to help them know more than I do. Discipleship is more than a Wednesday Night Bible study or Sunday School or even Worship. Discipleship is what a youth ministry should be. Everything that is done within the youth ministry should be about teaching our students to grow deeper in Christ.

As a youth pastor, my job is to help students know Christ more. To lead them on their journey and with Gods help, give them the tools they need as they leave my ministry and go into the "real world". When I was at Covenant and up until that point, a lot of what I did was trial and error. I would come up with an idea that I thought was great, sometimes they would work and other times they wouldn't. Here at Platte Woods, I am trying to do my best at making the entire program work and flow together. This would include all the events we do, the games we play, the music we listen to and our themes in our lessons. We are getting there slowly.

To be a true Disciple of Christ is more than just lip service. Teaching students to be disciples is even harder. Most students (especially in my group) have been there and done that. Whether they have attending church their whole lives, or have known friends who have or who just don't care, showing them the how/why/where/whats of Discipleship isn't that easy and takes real work. Our ministry is trying to be very calculated in what we are doing to make sure that we balance out everything. We try to make it fun, but you still learn. Exciting but Jesus centered. Creative but still focused.

I believe that we as youth leaders need to remember why we are doing what we are doing. I know too many youth pastors (myself sometimes) who get caught in the doing and forget to think about the whys and the who's. Discipleship is all about getting closer to God, not playing the latest game or using the latest technology.