Implications for Student Leaders

As student leaders, your task is to help the members of your chapter clearly see the choice before them. You want the members to have the opportunity to make surrender to Christ a lifestyle. Whether this happens through a large group meeting on the topic of prayer, a small group Bible study on Ephesians, the challenge of a beach evangelism project, a camping retreat, or an intense, confrontational dialogue depends on timing, availability, and giftedness. My advice is to use whatever means you have to disciple others. At the same time, continue to pray that you and the members of your chapter will become even more skillfully loving as you mature.

Let's not be distracted by arguments about which specific medium is most important. Small groups, large group teaching, prayer closets, or a meeting over a Coke with a Christian brother are all used by God (if they are Biblically based on grace).

The first thing to remember about the development of disciples -- we are trying to grow disciples that love. To love, we must assault our belief that we have the ability and the right to control our world. That belief is antithetical to love, because you will not give if you are consumed with taking. We should use any means that we think might be effective and loving in communicating the need to choose between self-commitment and grace.

The need to choose might be presented in a moving, powerful exposition, or by gently asking what someone is feeling. That choice of surrender may look like an intense turn from sinful behaviors, or a quiet, mental acceptance of the idea of Lordship. You may notice a slight openness to you as a person, or someone beginning to show up for meetings.

The second thing to remember -- we are trying to bring people to an encounter with grace and thus a choice. The intentional, continual decision to look at life honestly, and trust God with our pain and sin, brings us to maturity, a maturity that turns us outward to others and upward to God.

We need to be continually surrendering to grace. The fruit of that surrender will be disciples who give themselves to God in worship. Such disciples are grateful and eager to learn about their Savior. They want to know what it means to give themselves to others, to desire to love others into the Kingdom. They desire to be embodiments of grace, so that when others encounter them, they will also have the opportunity to surrender. That is the fruit we desire.

Questions to Think About
There are five categories of questions you should think about as you plan to develop disciples in your chapter. I have added a few questions underneath each that might help you get started in each category. These questions are far from exhaustive.

1. Do we understand the purpose and nature of God?

• Is God studied?
• Are there opportunities for worship?

2. Do we understand and acknowledge the problem of humanity?

• Is there a willingness to look honestly at life, including both pain and sin?
• Is sin taken seriously in our meetings and relationships?

3. Do we understand and surrender to the solution of grace?

• Are we and our chapter members aware of the core of the Gospel message?
• Do our activities focus on developing an understanding of the Gospel message?
  • Broadly speaking, do we offer acceptance, are we friendly, are we a place to which hurting people will come?
  • Do we offer strength to people, giving feedback, rebuke, and honesty where people are failing to love?
  • Is the Bible the source of our understanding of grace, is it faithfully taught in small groups, large group, etc?

4. Do we understand our task in discipling as the people of God?

• Are our activities directed at bringing people to a place of choice?
• Is that choice modeled by the leadership?
• Are there avenues through which grace can be demonstrated and choices made?
  • Small groups, one-on-one, teaching.
  • Opportunities to learn to effectively study the Bible, to learn to pray, etc.
  • Fun and enjoyable friendships.

5. Do we understand and aim toward the goal of loving?

• Do we produce disciples who care about:
  • The lost?
  • Their hurting neighbor?
  • Justice