The bigger your youth group, the better, right? We get energy from the buzz of a crowd. We believe that when we’re connected to more people we’re able to have more impact. But is this really the case? Most of us have the feeling that this approach is flawed.
At a time when youth groups in UK churches are, on average, smaller than in any recent history, what does this mean? What is the new narrative we need; the paradigm shift we must go through to understand our times and needs?
Reign Ministries, at its core, exists to train and coach youth leaders to become disciple-makers and to lead disciple-making ministries. So there is little surprise that we advocate strongly for a shift towards discipleship. This could be interpreted many ways, so let’s unpack that a little more.
When Jesus was doing his thing, we didn’t see him lead Scripture classes or Bible study groups. He didn’t sign his followers up into groups and arrange curriculum for them. Instead, he did life alongside them; using everyday situations to teach, demonstrate and challenge the followers around him.
Small youth groups are perfectly placed to adopt a model of discipleship. To personally come alongside young people on a journey of faith is not possible when you lead a crowd. With a small youth group, you can ensure all young people have someone who is a step ahead of them in their faith journey; helping them to grow, process life and wrestle with beliefs about God.
Paul describes the model in 2 Timothy. He has been discipling Timothy for several years, seeing it as a father-son relationship. He tells Timothy to entrust Paul’s teaching to “reliable men” within the church in Ephesus. Yet he also expects that these reliable men should be able to teach others. It’s like a waterfall as God’s word and instruction cascade from one to another to another. Paul to Timothy to “reliable men” to others.
“For many years as a youth minister, I thought discipleship meant arranging Bible studies and worship services for my young people,” said one of our staff team. Those are good things in themselves of course. But true discipleship is investing in an individual and helping them to navigate life with God at the centre.
Do you have six young people in your youth group? Great. Now find a few adults who can invest a little time in meeting one to one with these young people. Train and guide them on what they should do, how to follow your safeguarding policy, and how to disciple. Eventually, they will be able to encourage the young people to start discipling someone themselves; someone younger, or newer on their faith journey.
For decades, a ‘successful’ youth ministry has looked like large, programme-based groups; leaving those youth leaders with a handful of young people wondering if they’re ‘doing it right’. The exciting news is that these leaders can pioneer the way of discipleship; being an example of how to see young people impacted and growing in faith. Seeing churches come alive with a new generation of mature, faith-filled leaders.
Reign Ministries has recently launched an online training programme to equip youth leaders, whether paid or voluntary, to know who, what and how to disciple young people. Expand: Online consists of three 90 minute sessions, where you will be given the tools to disciple someone, so that they can go on to disciple someone else. Each session will contain a model to build your thinking around, as well as plenty of space for questions and discussion. Each session costs just £10 or sign up for all three for £25. Click below to learn more about our Expand Training Experiences
Categories: Expand Discipleship Training
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Updated: 5 Oct 2022 | Posted by: Hannah Owen
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Updated: 31 Aug 2022 | Posted by: Hannah Owen
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Updated: 29 Nov 2023 | Posted by: Hannah Owen
Figuring out what’s next after school or in your career is a tough decision, you can often feel overwhelmed for choice. You might have even narrowed it down to a certain type of career you’d like, or a rough sense of what God is calling you towards. You are possibly looking at this article because […]
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Updated: 12 Sep 2023 | Posted by: amerrill
Pastoral care is so important to us! The phrase “pastoral care” could conjure up many different pictures, so let me narrow it down for you Pastoral care happens within the community of Reign Ministries because of two main factors; the people and the environment. The People We have great people in this community! This might […]
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Updated: 17 Aug 2023 | Posted by: Charlie Morris
Do you realise how important and influential you may be to unlocking someone else’s path? Your simple obedience, leading to a recommendation or suggestion to someone, may be the catalyst that ultimately turns their life around! Someone’s path could be forever changed by a simple comment or suggestion. Here we’ve listed some Biblical examples of […]
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