What is Disciple Now

Disciple Now (or D-Now) is essentially an in-home weekend retreat for 7th – 12th grade students. The distinctive trait separating it from other retreats is that youth groups do not load up and head off to a secluded getaway for the weekend; instead, they pile into the homes of church members. Four Bible study sessions are lead in the homes and four corporate times of worship are hosted at the church building.

The idea behind Disciple Now is to gather teenagers in their own environment, creating community by strengthening friendships through shared experiences and maturing them spiritually through focused discipleship. Students get steady exposure to God’s Word, interacting with it in various ways throughout the weekend. The non-stop time spent together encourages teenagers to open up, getting “real” with each other and with leaders over the course of the weekend.

In addition to the value of time spent in God’s Word, being in the homes of church members, students may see for the first time that it is possible to follow Christ in “their world.” The example set by leaders, parents, youth workers, and other friends show a lifestyle of discipleship – following Christ is an all day, every day lifestyle and identity.

Finally, Disciple Now provides a unique way to reach out to new teenagers who may have little to no knowledge of what life in relationship with Christ and His people is all about. This evangelistic opportunity invites students into a less intimidating environment that is tons of fun. Teenagers who could care less about “church stuff” can’t help but be intrigued by the idea of hanging out with friends and spending the night together all weekend.

It is a win-win situation for everyone – church members take ownership of discipleship and get to know your students, your ministry has the opportunity to deepen the faith of believers and grow to include new teenagers, and your students get the chance to personally invite friends to share life and spend time in God’s Word for a few days.

The only question left is which JustLikeChrist study is best for your Disciple Now?