Disciple Cycles

by David Hanson | Feb 10, 2011 | The Youth Ministry Blog

Disciplemakers who make Disciplemakers who make Disciplemakers…

I have been studying a lot lately about generational discipleship. For some reason, this concept has not dawned on me before. I have always been interested in making disciples, I mean, that’s what you’re supposed to do as a youth pastor! However, having the room to think about it deeply and being mentored by someone who has been involved in this process, my mind has been blown! What I want are disciples who make disciples, not just disciples. The idea goes like this:

Disciplemakers who make Disciplemakers

As you (as the awesome youth worker you are) pour your life into students, you are encouraging them to not only be good followers of Christ, but to be disciplemakers who instill in others a passion spread the gospel. The first five in this picture are Generation 1, with the last row being Generation 3. Many who believe in generational discipleship desire to see the fourth generation. What I love about this process is that it separates itself from the gathering (come and hear) mentality and requires a sending (go and tell) commission (Matt 28:19-20). At generation four, a movement is not dependent upon the initiator or leader any longer but has sustaining, reproducible power. It is for this reason that Jesus, after his resurrection, commissioned his disciples by saying “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21).

I will do a lengthier write-up about this later, but may you be a youth worker, pastor, or parent who loves the gospel enough to not only plat a seed, but plant an orchard!

Discipleship Breakdown

by David Hanson | Feb 8, 2011 | The Youth Ministry Blog

How will you structure your discipleship groups?

If you’re a youth pastor, chances are you understand that the time you spend with your students is valuable. Especially if the time you are spending with them is in small group discipleship. There is something special that happens when students choose to participate in community with others especially under the leadership of a mentor. However, too often the time spent with students never progresses to the depth that it should. A time that could be defined by deep conversation and spiritual growth sometimes gets spent talking about what so-and-so did at school or about how cool it would be if people could fly.

To safeguard against misusing this valuable time it is important to set up for yourself an “order of events” or “group breakdown” so that you are taking full advantage of the hour you get to spend with your students. Many times your group leaders can teach a great lesson but spend no time in pastoral care or making the lesson relevant for the students life. We must ensure we are being holistic in our approach to discipleship. The following Word document is what I give to my small group leaders to ensure we are making the most our time. Feel FREE to download it and implement it immediately!

Breakdown of a Discipleship Group