First Things First

The Priority of Discipleship in Your Youth Ministry

Eric Bancroft
Associate Pastor, High School Ministry

Youth are the future. From the marketing strategies of businesses to government-funded
programs around the world, this truism is understood and widely embraced. Consider the fact
that last year alone more than 31 million teenagers in America spent $153 billion. Is it any
wonder that marketing agencies target this age group the most? They realize that the future of
their products’ use and consumption is in the hands of teenagers, who happen to have the largest
discretionary income of any age group.

These sought-after consumers are developing in every facet of their lives. From their sociological
and physical growth to their emotional and spiritual development, our children are growing up
more quickly than ever. Everything from advances in technology, educational expectations,
discretionary spending, and earlier physiological growth explains why. They used to be content
playing with toys and riding their bikes, but now they are looking for the keys to their parents’
cars with cell phones in hand while they make their own plans for the weekend.

The question is rightly asked, “What are we doing about it?” As pastors, we must not waste one
minute in reaching them with the gospel. Our desire is to assist their parents in calling them to
live godly lives that honor Christ. This brings the next question, “How do we accomplish this?

The sad reality is that, while many teenagers in church have loving Christian parents, there are
those who do not. Many of these students find the church to be their home; their small-group
leader becomes a surrogate parent, and their friends in the ministry become their siblings. They
lack the protection of a Christian upbringing; they come to church for asylum.

Even a church that has biblically driven teaching cannot thrive on this alone. It has its place in
any God-honoring ministry, but it is not enough. It must include personal discipleship.

Benefits of discipleship: The benefit reaches far beyond just the students. It helps to build godly
families, to provide for a strong church, and to prepare now for the placement of our church’s—
and community’s—future leaders. These young people will be serving the Lord as fathers and
mothers, as businessmen and politicians, as missionaries and church leaders. The youth are the
future.

I. Defining Discipleship

ƒ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines it as “embracing and
assisting in spreading the teachings of another.”
ƒ A simpler definition is: “life-on-life living.”
ƒ It is leading others in the pursuit to know God and to live for Him.
The word “disciple” comes from the Greek word mathetes, which means “learner” or “student.”

In the New Testament, the word “disciple” is used 261 times: 233 times in the Gospels and 28
times in Acts. It usually refers to Jesus’ disciples, but there are also references to:

ƒ The disciples of John the Baptist (Mark 2:18, Luke 11:1)

ƒ The disciples of the Pharisees (Matt 22:16, Mark 2:18)
ƒ And even the disciples of Moses (John 9:28)

Discipleship is not about meeting at 6:00 a.m. every week to go over a book; it is not about
finding someone who will listen to you talk about Jesus and all that you are learning.

II. Discipleship requires a three-step process.

ƒ Information (“disciple” means “learner”)

ƒ Illustration (information modeled by teacher/discipler)
ƒ Imitation (example followed by follower/disciple)

A. Information

ƒ This requires knowledge about both what you want to teach and those you want to
teach. You have to be a learner yourself before you can become a teacher.

ƒ You need to know where they are in life. What are their spiritual, mental, emotional,
and physical issues?

ƒ How do you fit into their spiritual development? Are their parents around? Are they
functioning? Do they have older siblings? Do they have other spiritual mentors?

ƒ To find out where they are, you must ask a lot of questions. Talk with their parents
and friends; spend time in “their world.” Watch their actions, listen to their speech,
and observe their dress. What music do they listen to? What is their appetite for
Scripture and prayer?

ƒ Don’t make assumptions about anything. Start at the basics, and work up from there.
It’s important not to assume they are saved because they seem like good kids.

B. Implementation

Our lives need to be worth following. They should be able to follow us as we follow
Christ. That is true discipleship.

ƒ 1 Corinthians 11:1—“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”

ƒ Philippians 3:17—“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who
walk according to the example you have in us.”
 C. Imitation

What we want from teenagers is growth, honesty, commitment, and teachability. All of
these things point to the ultimate goal of being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
This requires conversion and conviction.

Set goals together, put them on a timeline, and meet them at their point of need.

What we need is patience and wisdom (Heb. 4:16, 1 John 5:14–15). The most important
thing we need to remember is that we are not the Holy Spirit. We do our best to teach
them the Word, and the Holy Spirit is in charge of changing their hearts.

Discipleship is the process of making the learner like the teacher, both in knowledge and
in practice. A survey of the New Testament shows that this is how the church was
established and spread.

Scriptural Examples

ƒ Moses—Joshua
ƒ Elijah—Elisha
ƒ Jesus—Disciples (Peter, James, John)
ƒ Paul—Timothy

III. Discipleship from Scripture

Deuteronomy 6:4–9—“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love
the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And
these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them
diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you
walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign
on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the
doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Psalm 145:4—“One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your
mighty acts.”

Matthew 28:18–20—“Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I
have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

Discipleship is explicit. Evangelism is implicit.

 2 Timothy 2:1–2—“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,
and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men
who will be able to teach others also.”

IV. Stages of maturity in pursuing discipleship

1 John 2:12–14—“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his
name's sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you,
children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who
is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of
God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

ƒ Children
ƒ Young men
ƒ Fathers

Titus 2:1–8—“Teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded,
dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise
are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what
is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-
controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word
of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show
yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity,
dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to
shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”

ƒ Older to younger
ƒ Men to men and women to women

V. Implementing Discipleship into Youth Ministry

ƒ Need biblical teaching

ƒ Need staff (qualified, capable, available help)
ƒ Need structure
ƒ Need approval (students and parents)

VI. Additional Areas to Consider

A. There are positives about the teenage years. Teens are:

ƒ Impressionable
ƒ Optimistic
ƒ Energetic
ƒ Idealistic
ƒ Potential
 ƒ Undamaged
ƒ Hungry for relationships

B. Challenges in teenage discipleship

ƒ Immaturity/being sheltered
ƒ Wild hormones
ƒ Strict schedules
ƒ Lack of ability/freedom
ƒ Lack of authority/parents
ƒ Parental hypocrisy
ƒ Confused priorities
ƒ Social ineptitude
ƒ Christian ritual
ƒ Lack of experience
ƒ Peer pressure
ƒ Cultural curiosity
ƒ Shortsightedness/lack of eternal perspective
ƒ Distrust of authority
ƒ Self-proclaimed authority
ƒ Selfishness

C. Biblical Masculinity and Biblical Femininity

Areas to Address with Teenage Girls

1. Humility
2. Hospitality/serving in the home
3. Modesty/biblical dress
4. Not being a gossip
5. The quality of hard work
6. Taking the initiative
7. Being tactful and gracious
8. Gentleness and submission
9. Public kindness and grace: saying “thank you”
10. The importance of being a good listener
11. Filling roles within the home (responsibilities)
12. Learning to communicate and interact with men (masculinity vs. femininity)
13. The responsibility of fulfilling a woman’s role with joy

Areas to Address with Teenage Guys

1. Communication skills: eye contact, vocabulary, annunciation, volume, etc.

2. Christian kindness: girls, siblings, friends
3. Social interaction: helping by example, prayer, encouraging them to interact, reviewing
with them their actions
 4. Gentleness: showing them how to use their force and power; showing them situations in
which they are not gentle
5. Selfishness: a heart issue; showing them examples of what they need to change
6. Service: within ministry—reminding them and pointing out opportunities; showing them
how to take initiative
7. Constant reminder to their future in leading the family, business, church, etc.
8. Teaching
9. Leadership in decision-making that is considerate

VII. Grace Community Church Ministry Practices

High School Ministry’s Bible studies are designed to

To provide an environment for students to go to each week and be:

ƒ Encouraged and challenged in their faith through loving relationships.

ƒ Equipped with biblical teaching for devotion to God and love toward others.
ƒ Equipped to be able to study the Bible for themselves.
ƒ Equipped to use their desires, talents, and spiritual gifts to serve others.

The purpose of small groups is to provide an environment, in the context of weekly Bible
studies, where students will:

ƒ Personally engage and interact with the teaching.

ƒ Create and develop peer relationships that are encouraging to one another.
ƒ Have access to staff relationships that are intended to befriend them and lead them
toward Christ-likeness.

Reminders

ƒ Pursue discipleship for yourself.

ƒ Remember 1 Corinthians 3:7—“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything,
but only God who gives the growth.” Be willing to accept your limitations and trust
God’s timing.
ƒ Be realistic in your expectations.
ƒ Talk regularly with the parents.

J.C. Ryle, commenting to children (including teenagers) on their spiritual capacities, said the
following:

Dear children, never forget this. Let no one make you think that you are too young to serve
God, and that you may safely wait till you are men and women. This is not true. It is never
too soon to take up religion. As soon as you know right from wrong, you are old enough to
begin taking the right way. As soon as you are old enough to be punished for doing wrong,
you are old enough to give your heart to God and follow Christ…The child who is old
 enough to be tempted by the devil is not too young to have the grace of the Holy Spirit in his
heart.

May we remember this as we understand from biblical history that God used teenagers to change
the course of human history. May we serve our Savior by serving them and investing our lives in
them for the building up of the body of Christ.