Retaining the Next Generation of Disciples: 3 Important Areas Students Need to be Confident in their Faith

Have you ever seen someone confident in their faith? It is contagious. Faith-filled. Encouraging. It is quite the experience. How does this happen?

Confidence

Well, it starts with confidence. Confidence is the reality of being SURE of something or someone. It is the reality of solid trust. Confidence happens in faith WHEN the WORD, important life experiences, and key intentional relationships are integrated in a persons life. And when this happens, people are not only confident in their faith BUT also confident to share their faith.

Crisis

Not only does confidence help with a contagious faith but crisis does too. Crisis helps people to refocus or re-examine the important areas of life. Throughout history, crisis BRINGS people to God.

And during COVID, as mental sickness/illness, violence, segregation, and racism continues to rise, it is important to help others walk out crisis well.

And YET, if there ever was a crisis worth noting is the crisis of faith. Especially in younger generations; if not ALL generations, the crisis of faith is evident. HOW? Well, in my experience, this has included:

  • Boredom with the Church or God,

  • Lack of practical ways to live out faith in everyday life,

  • Lack of key faith-based adult and/or mentoring relationships,

  • Competitive agendas from parents or teachers or peers, and

  • Pressure(s) to develop career/vocation for life.

These challenges are persistent in any student/person who is trying to build confidence in their faith.

Community

Not only does confidence and crisis needs to happen to retain faith in the next generation but intentional community needs to thrive. This does not happen by accident but by intentionality, hard work, and consistency. This includes intergenerational mentoring, highlight rites of passage, and a 1-10, 1-5, 5-1 paradigm of community (you can understand this by listening to the resource below).

Resources

This is why DUCO Leadership had a strategic conversation with John Engels, the National PAOC SERVE Director; Seth Greenham, the PAOC BCYD UCM Director, and Tammy Junghans with Segue at the University of Manitoba on the importance of building confident disciples of Jesus in the next generation. This conversation included:

  • how to pass the discipleship baton to grade 11-12s+,

  • understand the Biblically, contextually, and relationally urgency on WHY we need to build intentional disciples for today,

  • practical resources for parents, churches, and students. Click here for the parent resource. Click here for the latest Canadian data for retaining faith in the next generation.

  • addressing prolonged adolescent-hood, and

  • strategic ministry outcomes for building confident disciples of Jesus for a lifetime.

I encourage you to check out the conversation here. It is definitely worth the 1-hour of your time.

WHY?

  • Because we are all have a BIBLICAL mandate to raise up the next generation of disciples,

  • Because it is CONTAGIOUS when students are confident in their faith for everyday life,

  • Because we are all CALLED to share our faith in confidence in our world (as our world is in desperate need for hope, purpose, and redemption), and

  • Because part of the REVITALIZATION equation is strategically engaging the next generation for today,

How are you building disciples? What is your plan? Feel free to share it with us today.

Church, Emerging, iGen, Kingdom, Leadership, Millennials, Ministry, Youth Ministry, Priorities, Potential, SuccessAndy GabruchDiscipleship, Next Generation, youth ministry, ministryComment