CHAPTER 4
DEEP DISCIPLESHIP: WHY ISN’T “DISCIPLESHIP” WORKING LIKE IT USED TO?
Chap Clark
DEEP DESIGN, STEP 1 (DISCERNMENT) : NOW?
In one of his last articles, Mike Yaconelli wrote, “Youth ministry as an experiment has failed.”11 Although the article caused a stir, Mike later told me, “All I want to do is recapture what we used to live and breathe—we hold kids’ hands, we listen to their stories, we take them seriously, and somewhere along the way, we bring them to Jesus. That’s it. That’s youth ministry.” His article, he said, was really a plea to get back to our original calling.
DEEP DESIGN PROMPT
Today’s kids seem tougher to reach, more distant and disconnected. Programs and events don’t have the same impact they used to. Spiritual growth seems much slower and more erratic for most young disciples than even a few years ago. Even those kids who are deeply committed to Jesus Christ often seem to have gaping holes in the way they live out their faith compared to adolescent disciples of the past. Whether it’s struggles with lifestyle (e.g., substance abuse or sexual behavior) or attitudes they can’t seem to or even want to shake (e.g., racism or spiritual arrogance), what we call “discipleship” doesn’t seem to be working like it used to.
DEEP DESIGN PROMPT
Creating space for God’s transformation: Adults standing alongside kids in the name of Jesus.
“All I want to do is recapture what we used to live and breathe—we hold kids’ hands, we listen to their stories, we take them seriously, and somewhere along the way, we bring them to Jesus. That’s it. That’s youth ministry.”
—MIKE YACONELLI
What has created such a sweeping shift? No one disputes that our culture has changed dramatically. Whether it’s increasing consumerism and self-centeredness or the steady deterioration of the family as a central stabilizing influence, emerging generations are shaped by a vast array of cultural shifts.
For more on the lengthening of adolescence, see a free article available at www.cyfm.net.
DEEP DESIGN PROMPT
Hindering God’s transformation: Two factors affecting kids—Adults are less available today, and adolescence takes longer than it used to.
But I believe something even more foundational has changed the nature of adolescence itself. Over the last several decades the support, nurture, and guidance adolescents receive (and so desperately need) from adults has eroded. As a result, by the time today’s youth reach high school, many have developed a fatalistic cynicism that makes it hard for them to trust adults and adult-run institutions. In addition, for lots of reasons, adolescence is now a much longer journey. The period between childhood and adulthood known as adolescence used to take about five years (from roughly 13 to 18 years of age), but now this transitional time can take as many as 15 years (usually beginning around age 11 and lasting into the mid-20s).12 Maturity, in every area, simply takes longer to develop today than it once did.13
Church and parachurch youth ministries tend to be far more supportive of adolescents and less agenda-driven than nearly every other system in their young lives. But we still represent a huge, often faceless organization—the church. Kids perceive us as being more committed to getting them to participate in our events and trips than to them as individuals. In my discussions with thousands of students, many have confirmed that this is one reason for their apparent spiritual lethargy and lack of consistent, free, and passionate growth.14 They simply do not trust the adults who run programs. As much as they may like us, most will hold back at some level because they see us as adults with self-serving agendas.
DEEP DESIGN PROMPT
Hindering God’s transformation: Students don’t trust adults like they used to.
This is the environment we face as we attempt to “make disciples” of students. They are in the midst of a difficult, long process of discovering who they are. They’re convinced that few adults truly care about what they feel or need. And they are convinced that our interest in them is not about them but about us.
So if that is what is happening Now, what does it mean and look like to lead students into deeper faith in today’s fragmented and superficial world?
DEEP DESIGN, STEP 2 (REFLECTION) : NEW?
When we have a clear view of what we are trying to accomplish, we increase our odds of hitting the target in our work with students. Although this may sound ridiculously obvious, in our fast-paced, add-water-and-stir ministry climate, it may not be as clear as we first assume. To have a “deep ministry” goal, we need to get as close as possible to what God would say is the goal of youth ministry. (I can hear the groans of dissent across the pages even now—“Everybody knows what God wants…he wants disciples!” Okay, okay, we hear you; but hang in there. We want to unpack what it means to “make disciples,” and how we are called to organize and focus our ministries on that clear mandate.)
DEEP DESIGN PROMPT
The New Goal: Making Disciples Who Are at Home in God’s Household
Experience: To hit our target, we need a clear view of what we’re trying to accomplish.
Even in the midst of a wildly changing culture, God isn’t worried about kids’ response to culture or lengthened adolescence. He remains the Good Shepherd, bringing home those he loves. Our task, then, is to do everything in our power to walk in step with Christ and be faithful to his calling as we join in that task. This is called theological reflection—making sure that what we say, do, and believe is consistent with what God has revealed to us. Let’s take a deeper look at what Jesus says:
Research: “Theological reflection” helps us stay focused on what God has revealed to us and apply it to our context.
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:18–20)
The Great Commission is the most direct and familiar teaching on the call to ministry. But have we done the deep work to make sure we understand what this means in our particular ministry contexts? In youth ministry, all too often we recite this goal confidently and then grab the latest hot program that promises to somehow make it happen. From there it’s easy to reduce Jesus’ call to a bumper sticker slogan that sounds great but has little real power to touch souls and transform lives. New and creative programs are great, but they must remain tools for a much deeper and complex task—to help students hear God’s voice and come home to him.
Experience: New and creative programs may be fine in themselves, but they must be tools for a much deeper and complex task—to help students hear God’s voice and come home to him.
WHAT THE GOAL OF YOUTH MINISTRY LOOKS LIKE FROM THE NOW TO THE NEW
With the NOW Goal
With the NEW Goal
• Students learn about faith and life from each other and a few adults
• Students learn about faith and life from a wide variety of people of all ages
• Students have each other to help them carry the burdens of life
• Students have several adults who help them carry life’s burdens
• Students use their gifts in serving each other
• Students use their gifts in serving the entire Body of Christ
• Students leave the youth ministry with some great memories and good friends
• Students leave youth ministry and smoothly assimilate into the larger church family
• Students have a good foundation upon which they can build their faith
• Students enter congregational life ready to grow as members of the family of God
Since Matthew 28:18–20 is the passage commonly used to motivate discipleship ministries, let’s dig deeply into that text and find out as much as we can about what it says, both in its original context and for us today. As we unpack this passage, we will look at it through these two lenses:
Scripture: As we approach the Bible, we often get the most out of it by looking at it through two lenses: (1) what it means, and (2) how and why it matters to us.
What it means in terms of its original and objective intent, and How we reflect on it in light of our own ministry context.
The Great Commission: The Goal of Youth Ministry
Jesus came to them…(verse 18)
What It Means: It begins with a reminder that all we know, think, and do is because Jesus has come to us. God didn’t stand aloof and e-mail us dictates, decrees, and principles that we’re supposed to memorize and mimic robotically. The power and mystery of the gospel is that God came to us. Everything he has said and revealed through creation and his Word is expressed and understood in light of his direct promised presence (“I will never leave you…” Hebrews 13:5). And he has not retreated one step from those he loves.
Why It Matters: This passage emphasizes that God’s basic method of communicating his love is by going. But that’s not all—he also stays. Because Jesus has promised to be with us as we minister in his name, we are provided with all the resources, insights, and stamina necessary to break through the walls of fear and isolation kids erect. Jesus is there with and for us—and he is with and for our students as well.
Scripture: Jesus is always present for us and our students.
“All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me…” (verse 18)
What It Means: Jesus begins by reminding us of his complete and total authority. When Satan tried to entice Jesus to worship him by offering him authority over the kingdoms of the earth, the irony was that Jesus had already been given “all authority on heaven and earth” (see Matthew 11:27). By reminding his disciples of his authority “on heaven and earth,” Jesus makes sure we know for whom we work as we go about our ministry business. We do not build Jesus’ kingdom—he builds his kingdom. Ultimately. we do not have the authority over the Great Commission, he does. Youth ministry is God’s work, and we are invited to the party.
Why It Matters: Some speak of ministry philosophy and strategy as if God called us to go and make disciples, and then he somehow got busy doing other things. But this brief introduction in Matthew 28:18 shows this is simply not true. God is the one who directs and empowers our ministries, and we are invited and encouraged to follow his lead. Our task is not so much to plan a “wild” ministry to students as it is to listen carefully to God’s voice, walk humbly and faithfully with him, and resolve to rely on his presence, input, and power in making sure we stay on his track in making disciples.
Scripture: Because Jesus holds all authority, our ministry is actually his ministry.
“Therefore go…” (verse 19)
What It Means: Just as Jesus came to us, we are told to go. “As you sent me into the world,” Jesus prayed at the Last Supper, “I have sent them into the world” (John 17:18). Note that Jesus lays out the process of disciple-making by telling us first to go; after we have made that step into the world of those we’re supposed to serve, then we begin the task of making disciples.
Why It Matters: For far too long we have paid scant attention to the going part of the call unless we are sending missionaries into the “mission field.” Today theologians and church leaders across traditions are finally recognizing that “missions” is not so much what we send a few people to “do” as who we are all called to be. We are to be missional as we live out the call of God on our lives, and the whole world is our mission field.
Scripture: “Missions” is not just something we do; it’s who we are.
In a context where most kids don’t have much trust in adults or adult-run systems, this is all the more important. To “make disciples” of adolescents, first we must convince them that we come to them without agendas. Adolescents have created a world beneath the surface of the adult landscape, and as outsiders we are not invited into that world—we just sit on the steps of that world. But we stay and rebuild trust so youth can see God’s love for them as they are.
DEEP DESIGN PROMPT
Research: To rebuild trust, our job is stay on the steps of the world beneath the surface of kids’ lives so they can see God’s love for them as they are.
If we would go to them and “sit on the steps” of their world, we must create programmatic structures that begin with “going,” and then have this spill over into a welcoming attitude in everything we do. Many youth workers call this “going” contact work, meaning that adults enter the world of students on their turf to build trusting relationships. The three “levels” of contact work are: be seen, engage in a conversation, and eventually, do something together. Although this method of youth ministry practice has been around for decades, 15 today, “contact work” has degenerated into hanging out with students to whom we’re already close. To rebuild trust, we must commit to regular, ongoing contact work with those we’re seeking to disciple.
Experience: To enter the world of students, we need to have a structure that begins with “going” and a welcoming attitude that infuses everything we do
After established contact work, we must maintain the same principle of “going” when kids attend our programs. Everything we do should have a welcoming attitude and spirit about it. From the music to the speaking and teaching to the small group times, a “going” youth ministry offers safety and warmth throughout every event and program.
History: For several decades contact work has been seen as an essential component of healthy youth ministry.
“…and make disciples of all nations” (verse 19)
What It Means: We are about to get a little technical, not to show off (although Kara is really smart), but to let you know how important it is to have a good commentary to keep you aligned with what the Bible actually says. In English these three short verses imply that there are four aspects, or goals, to the Great Commission—we are to go, to make disciples, to baptize, and to teach. But of the four verbs, one is the main command (or “imperative”), and the rest are supporting verbs. As you might have guessed, the central verb of the passage—and Jesus’ driving point—is the call “to make disciples.” The other three verbs—go, baptize, and teach—are the flesh on the bones of this central point. They describe how we are to make disciples.
In going deeper, we have to ask just what it is we are supposed to make. The word disciple is often thought of as some sort of hyperspiritual word that belongs only to Christians. But on the contrary, it is a rather common Greek word that means “learner” or “student.” This means that what Jesus asks of us cannot be put into a neat three-or even seven-year curricular box so our students are “done” by the time they graduate. The concept of “discipleship” (or, as one pastor put it, “followership”) is a lifelong process of learning what it means to conform ourselves to the purposes of God and his kingdom. At the very least, a deep youth ministry goal has to recognize that in our relatively brief time with students we are only part of the lifelong process of making disciples of Jesus Christ.
Scripture: Making disciples is a lifelong process.
Why It Matters: As we “make disciples” who are lifelong followers of Jesus Christ, there are two dynamic implications we must keep in mind. First, we are compelled to humbly admit that, although we may play important roles in the process in young believers’ lives, we will not be the primary discipling presence throughout their lives.16 At best we are partners for a specific season along with the body of Christ. Since making disciples is a lifelong process that includes many different people and experiences, it makes sense that we should seek to help students recognize that the local expression of that body, the local church, is the community that God has chosen to do his discipling work. In general, youth ministry does not have a very good track record when it comes to connecting kids to the larger body of Christ. In making disciples, the trajectory of our goal must be to represent the church as we assimilate students into the larger local body of Christ by the time they graduate from high school.
“baptizing them in(to) the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (verses 19–20)
History: Youth ministry has tended to separate kids from the greater body of Christ.
The goal of youth ministry: To serve the body of Christ by inviting adolescents into the church family.
What It Means: Although scholars debate various elements of this verse, 17 this passage affirms more than just the creation of a community of peers (like a youth group) that initiates students through the specific ritual of baptism. The inclusion of Jesus’ command to “baptize” and “teach to obey” at the end of his commission assumes being drawn “into the name” of God would include becoming a member of God’s human family.18 Thus, a central aspect of our making disciples of youth is to bring them under the nurturing umbrella of the greater body of Christ. In contrast to how we’ve operated in youth ministry historically—as if the church doesn’t matter (or even exist)—the call to baptize “into the name”19 of God means that we are to encourage young believers to place their lives under the authority of God and into intimate community with his body, the church. So in making disciples, Jesus tells us we are to work hard at bringing them into God’s family, where they can learn what God invites them to (“obey”) and experience Christ’s family on earth, including full participation in corporate worship, community life, and baptism.
Scripture: As disciples are baptized “into” the triune Godhead, they are also drawn into the church as family.
Jesus’ statement also makes it clear we are to make sure our budding disciples are taught. Most churches and programs continue at least to nod to this element of discipleship. But what is often missed is the model of teaching Jesus gave to his disciples—stories, teachable moments, and dialogue not delivered from a lectern or through a microphone but more often along a road or on a hillside. We treat teaching as passing on information about God rather than helping students to know and follow Jesus (“obey everything I have commanded you”). Jesus tells us the call to make disciples has two components: making sure students are immersed into the life of faith—with both their God and the faith community—and helping them to know Christ’s “commands.”
Why It Matters: Most of us in youth ministry see the goal of making disciples in terms of getting students to come to our events and meetings, teaching them information about what to believe, and “challenging” them to behave as we think a Christian should behave. But expecting students to show up to follow our agenda can actually push them away from the true target of youth ministry. Our current practice of adolescent discipleship rarely focuses on the central goal of going to youth with love and acceptance, and then inviting them into the greater body of Christ where they will be loved, trained, and nurtured as lifelong followers of Jesus.
“Why isn’t discipleship working like it used to?” Perhaps because we have been firing away at the wrong target. Instead of being concerned primarily about students’ attendance and knowledge, we would be better off if we centered our attention on the essence of discipling adolescents for the long haul—in a world that has abandoned them, the church is their home.
DEEP DESIGN, STEP 3 (OBSERVATION) : WHO?
DEEP DESIGN PROMPT
Chuck Neder has been in youth ministry for 40 years (no kidding!), the last 30 as executive director and now CEO of Fun in the Son Ministries.20 This organization provides conferences, camps, service opportunities, training for youth leaders, and parenting seminars for churches. Chuck has influenced youth work in the church, especially the Presbyterian Church, through his direct work with students as well as his preaching and teaching. He also has taken a careful and deliberate look at the goal of youth ministry, considering how it needs to change in both the ministry he leads and youth ministry at large. I had a chance to ask Chuck some important questions:
Chuck, what was the goal when you began your career in youth ministry?
To get and keep a job and to get a lot of kids to come to my events. The way we evaluated ourselves was how many kids came to our events. In the 1970s we didn’t talk a lot about discipleship. The goal was to pack as much information into them as we could and then follow up on that by watching their behavior. We would counsel them to “do” the faith, which meant encouraging them to have daily quiet times and quit drinking. That was all that mattered.
How has that goal changed for you?
Over the last several years I have come to realize that what we had been teaching kids about the Christian faith was more about the outside than the inside. I never talked about the journey of faith or suffering or finding your identity by being a member of God’s diverse family. I wanted them to look like good “Christians” who behaved like people
I could point to and say, “Hey, they’re my disciples.” I knew they actually were Jesus’ disciples, but I felt like I was the one who had somehow made their compliance happen while they were in my ministry.
What are some of the consequences of poor understandings of the goal of youth ministry?
I now believe that for the last several decades we have failed kids. We have taught them to trust in a gospel that isn’t even true, one that says, “Do the right things, follow these steps, memorize these words, and your life will turn out great, God will bless you.” Not that God won’t bless, but what that blessing looks like was not part of the package I presented. I wanted to entice kids to trust a God that would never let them suffer or hurt. But Hebrews 5:8 says that Jesus “learned obedience from what he suffered.” I now realize that I robbed kids of the deep mystery of the gospel by offering an external, performance-oriented Christianity.
What type of relationship should youth ministries have with the overall church?
I used to think youth ministry was all a kid needed. But I have come to see that we all need one another, young and old alike, to experience what God has for us. I also led kids to “become Christians,” meaning that they said a prayer and practiced some of the disciplines. But now I see that the disciplines are tools to get to something deeper—an intimacy with Christ and his body. It is not the job, then, of youth ministry to “make disciples,” it is the job of the church. Youth ministry helps provide a bridge into the body that becomes a discipling community throughout their lives.
What is the goal of your conferences? Your mission trips? Your youth worker training events?
I have also seen kids change over the last several years. It used to be that when we gave them great music and solid teaching, they responded. That doesn’t seem so much the case anymore. They have become more distant, wounded by what society has done to them, and therefore they are less able to trust us. In our conferences and mission trips, we are counselor-centered, meaning that we rely on the ongoing relationships of leaders with students to build the trust that sets the stage for our programs. In training youth workers, we remind them that their first job is to make sure kids know they care—before they try to do anything “spiritual” with them.
If you were to give one bit of advice to today’s student ministry leaders, what would it be?
Let Jesus have his way with you, embrace and learn from the suffering that is inevitable in a fallen world, and help kids see that they are part of God’s family now, with gifts and talents the entire church needs. If you never give up working on your own soul, pursuing honesty and depth, then what you offer kids will be real and attractive. And never forget that the church, with all its faults, is what God set up to carry his message across the ages.
DEEP DESIGN, STEP 4 (APPLICATION) : HOW?
Application Questions:
What has been your goal in your ministry program? In light of this chapter, do you feel like your goal lines up with Jesus’ Great Commission in Matthew 28:18–20? What does it mean for you to have a target that sends you to “all the nations”? Name two or three ways that would change what you are doing now. How well does your program promote assimilating students into the larger body of Christ? Do you have a specific transitional strategy to help your students move from being treated like kids (and acting like kids) into full discipleship and fellowship within the community of faith? What is one way you could strengthen this aspect of your ministry? If the baptism or dedication service for your church includes vows that are affirmed by the congregation, get a copy of these vows and ask: How does what I do encourage what the church promises? Even if your church does not have such rituals, in what ways does your program encourage students to become functioning and emotionally connected members of the church family? In what ways does it keep them from being connected to the overall body? On a scale of 1 to 7 (7 being the most effective), how effective is your program in producing disciples who obey “everything” Jesus taught? (Hint: if you’re not sure what this means, spend some time studying Matthew 5–7, a great passage summarizing Jesus’ teaching.) How is your ministry perspective similar to Chuck Neder’s? How is your perspective different? How will you go deeper in your understanding of the goal of youth ministry?
How are we going to go deeper in our ministry goal(s) ?
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