Workshop 4: Discipleship

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faithful practices, youth ministry

Dietrich Kirk - Creating a Discipleship Plan for Youth

in many churches, "programs" (SS, wed. night bible study, youth group) have started all looking like and being the same thing, and we wonder why kids aren't coming out to everything we're offering.

process for creating a discipleship plan (DP), encouraged to take back and do again w/ the local church (can't be from 1 or 2 people).

deech's bg is UMC; he thinks wesley has a right idea in sanctification (meet christ, then continually growing and maturing in grace).

DISCLAIMERS - the only person who can create/promote growth in a young person is the Holy Spirit. students grow at diff't rates (some 7th/8th ask the ??s you wish your seniors would). youth begin the discipleship processes at diff't times. a DP will encourage students to participate in what programs are meeting their needs/maturity level, not to be at every diff't programmed aspect. very few will leave our programs committed disciples.

what is dicipleship? (group responses)
process in growing in christ-likeness
christ centered relationship building plan for interaction, growth and learning for YMs and their youth
intentional process of walking side by side w/ someone as you lead them in the way of christ
leading by example; helping people reach toward fulfillment of the great commandment/commission; becoming christ in the world
apprenticeship (youth:mentor/master:christ as ult. master)

god doesn't always work in the same ways, but often in similar ways. referring to lesleigh's testify workshop:
Are there common points in our stories? (group responses)
Early stages: questioning; parent-forced faith; searching for answers; recognizing god's goodness; many kids are clueless (ignorant), even if they've "grown up" in church; FEAR; denial-of their need for faith; invitation; rebellion; non-christian/no commitment/non-believer
What's next (after an initiation/decision for christ/first taste...)? realization; education; assessment; exploring; questioning and doubt; lost our way/wandered from faith; conscious incompetence (realize something's there, but not sure what you're supposed to know about it) - knowing that you don't know; curiosity; passionate; excited; new stage; fear/timidity/intimidation/what next?/now what? (deech wrote a book called this); alienation; infancy/baby christian/just starting
Moved into the faith, grown, what's next? strong desire to seek; thinking; hungering; encouraging; experiencing things in a new way; god's love makes new; feel accepted as part of group/body of christ; growing; looking for a teacher/mentor; putting together the dots; experiences confirming knowledge; maybe it's god not coincidence; challenges; temptations; challenge to live it; excitement; energy; try to become a model and share what you've experienced; belonging to a community; fearing being the model;
How do we define coming to a place of maturity? it's not about me; understanding (Scriptures; role in the world); becomes lifestyle rather than some other part of their life; peace; ownership of process; self-discipline; servant leadership

Taking these stages/experiences/needs, moving to condensing this a bit and thinking about how to summarize/title some steps. Name the experiences for the stages that we might help facilitate.
Metaphors to help:
Doug Fields uses a baseball diamond. 1st base-beginning XN; 2nd base-taking on some missions; 3rd base-taking on some leadership; Home is servant leadership. Problem is that not everyone starts by going from 1st-2nd-3rd; some jump in at 2nd base, etc. Not very fluid.
Brentwood's metaphor is the River of Life (hand-out_. Five stages of faith:
1) Checking out the scene - aware of the church, have seen the programs, but don't know what it's about
2) Stepping in the water - dipping your toe in to see what it might be like; baptism would happen somewhere in here
3) Diving Deeper - seeking more, dive deeper into scripture, involved in youth group, involved in missions, starting to take ownership
4) Riding the Rapids -
5) Going Fishing - ready to come back in as leaders; navigators of the river
Suggestions have been that there is a point where many pull over for awhile, sit on the beach, don't move forward or back, etc. The river metaphor allows for that and other stages.

(group responses to naming the stages and IDing the programs that fit them)
Where are the holes? where the kids are more mature, there is less set, there is a void. (kenda's fleas in a jar example) as a whole, we've set the bar at a certain level but kids that get beyond that don't have much to go on to.

Creating the Programs to Meet the Needs
It's overwhelming to program for 4 or 5 diff't stages. But these programs don't have to be weekly programs. important part is that by IDing the stages, you can program better. ID the stage you're targetting and program for that rather than trying to program for everything at all events.
Utilize conference/diocesan/presbytery events as tools for specific stages. Know who might benefit.
As discipleship levels increase, the numbers of participants decrease, and that's OK.

How can we look at our programs, upcoming events...and fill the holes, program towards the a stage, etc.? (group responses)