Key Disciplines Strengthen Discipleship

This is an article I came across while doing some research. As a Pastor who spent more than 13 years in youth and college ministry, I found this article to be helpful.


“What exactly is discipleship?” “How do I do it?” Are questions students often ask. Sometimes the concept of discipleship can seem overwhelming. We can help students grow as disciples by making the process a little more practical. Discipleship doesn’t have to add another meeting to your weekly schedule. Simply helping students focus in on some key areas of their spiritual lives can go a long way. Here are a few ideas.

Prayer. It’s more than a casual conversation. Prayer is a discipline, and scripture tells us it is effective. Yet, most Christians spend very little time in prayer. Help students enrich their own prayer lives by including some prayer “exercises” in your group times. Have a prayer time that is just for giving thanks. Give students some silent time to spend in personal confession. Pray for a specific area, ie. missions, lost friends, your church. Give your group weekly prayer “assignments.”

Bible Study. Help students understand that personal Bible study doesn’t end at noon on Sunday. Provide resources that they may want to use during their own personal Bible study time at home. Incorporate times of accountability into your group meeting times. Simply ask the group, “what have you been learning in your own Bible study times this week?”

Fasting. We live in a consumer driven society where, more often than not, we feel we should be denied nothing. The discipline of fasting does not come easy for us, but it is a great way to learn self control. Challenge your students to give up a meal during their week and spend that hour in prayer and meditation. Have a group discussion and Bible study on fasting at your next meeting time.

Stewardship. Little lessons can go a long way. Help students learn personal stewardship by doing an inventory of where they spend their money in a week, or how they spend their time. Have them keep a written log for the week, then evaluate their findings together. Help them find ways to be better stewards in their personal lives based on their results.