Discipleship is the life-blood of our ministry on campus. We see the greatest results when we take the time to train the faithful to join us in the work of ministry. This means extra investment in helping students learn theology and then working with them as they apply it to their lives transforming their worldview. But this is not for everyone, and that is one of it's strengths.
Too often youth ministry is aimed at the lowest common denominator. How can I get as many youth as possible involved and keep them involved? This may seem wise in the short run, but it will fail in the long run.
When you shoot for the lowest common denominator and aim at the reluctant, you will bore the interested and the faithful. You will lose them. You also send a clear signal: there is no reward to be found in being faithful. If the squeaky wheel always gets the grease, then you will reproduce squeaky wheels.
I think it is wiser to pastor the many and to disciple the few. I will always be involved in outreach, but outreach needs good discipleship if you are to preserve the fruit of evangelism. I will go out of my way to give extra attention to those who show real interest and effort. By doing that, I reveal that I respect and honor my student's desire to draw closer to God.
I have a purposeful two-tiered approach to my pastoring. It is not based on popularity or natural talents but on eagerness to grow and faithfulness. It is not favoritism. It is wisdom.
Discipleship emphasizes the priesthood of all believers, the fact that every Christian is a minister (or lazy or disobedient). Ephesians 4:11 tells me that my job is to equip believers to do the work of the ministry. I am not the only minister present. Every faithful believer is to be a minister. When I take time to disciple the faithful, I am investing in them to help with the work I am involved in. On one hand, this reflects the value Jesus has given them (we are now friends and not merely servants because we are fully involved). On the other hand, my time will eventually pay off as students begin to reach and train their peers.
Through small groups and special training I give the faithful additional training and opportunities that would not be available if everything I did was always directed at everyone (the uninterested and the reluctant). I will still reach out to the resistant, but I need to reward and train the faithful. If I don't, I send all the wrong messages to those I have been entrusted to care for.
Too much of our ministry looks like the Discovery Channel. The Discovery Channel puts out some good programing, but it's always only an introduction to whatever fascinating topic they are covering. There is a reason for that. They can't count on any of their audience having seen prior shows. They don't want to lose anyone, so they never build to the next step. That's a shame because some of the best information comes after the introduction.
We get past this trap when we pastor the many and disciple the few. We have the introductory material and the follow-up. This requires a two-tier strategy. It requires some additional time and investment, but even if it only birthed one co-worker a year it would be worth it. But it wouldn't just yield just one co-worker a year for long. Peers best reach peers. If you disciple students, they will reach students.
If all this sounds a bit familiar, it's because this is the way Jesus started. Interestingly enough, it's not how most churches or youth groups operate. Perhaps that's part of the reason we see the modern church in decline. If it was good enough for Jesus, then it's good enough for me.
Next time I'll suggest some ways to apply discipleship.
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