As a campus minister during the decade before I came to SpringHill, I realized that both the beauty and the heartbreak of the sort of ministry we did was the constant turnover of students. Freshmen arrived, eager and willing, but were often distracted by the overwhelming academic load, the vast array of opportunities that snatched at their time, and the newfound freedom that meant no one was reminding them to go to church or checking to see if they did.
By the time life settled back down for them and they again made worship and Christian community a part of their regular experience, we usually had just 18 to 24 months of ministry with them before they graduated and left again.
It was a tremendous opportunity to minister to a rapidly changing population, equipping and then sending out into the “real world” wholehearted followers of Christ. The heartbreak was in saying goodbye, every spring, to our best and brightest leaders and ministers. The beauty was in sending out, every spring, our best and brightest leaders and ministers—to replicate what they learned, and have the same sort of impact on others.
And now, I’ve realized, it wasn’t unique to campus ministry. It’s the same story in churches and youth ministries… even in business. Our culture has become a rapid turnover culture, with people coming and going every three to four years, where once they stayed put for generations.
All this change can be a constant heartbreak, or a thing of beauty. And so, even in the last couple of years, I am seeing a shift in the mindset of pastors and youth pastors from the kind of ministry that doesn’t just educate and encourage to a ministry that disciples and trains to disciple. We’re adopting a whole new (or old… perhaps even biblical) language and framework for ministry that embraces the movement of the people we serve.
Intentional discipleship transforms the natural transitions of life (from middle school to high school, from high school to young-adulthood, from young-adulthood to family life, and so on) and the artificial ones that move us from place to place, job to job, community to community, and church to church… it takes those kinds of transitions and transforms them into explosive opportunities for expanding Christ’s Kingdom.
That’s why I’m so excited about a brand new partnership we’re forging at SpringHill with our allies at 3DM and Wayfarer Ministries, to help train and equip the church to multiply disciples. It’s not rocket science; it’s practical training with a biblical foundation that puts discipleship and mission back into the hands of ordinary people (think about your volunteers, student leaders and parents), and multiplies your impact by the people you disciple.
The partnership launches this fall (October 17-19, 2014) with our first ever Discipleship Training Camp. It’s an interactive weekend experience designed to lay the groundwork for a life and ministry that doesn’t just equip and encourage, but that creates disciples who can disciple others. Whether we send them out, they move, or they simply graduate to “big church,” they’ll be ready to make and multiply disciples wherever they go.
For more information on 3DM and Wayfarer Ministries, visit www.3dmovements.com/about.
For information and to register for the Discipleship Training Camp at SpringHill, visit www.springhillcamps.com.
Want to jumpstart your understanding of how to integrate discipleship into the culture of your home, church or workplace? Read Building a Discipling Culture by Mike Breen and the 3DM Team.