Summer 2021:
Unsung Heroes in the Discipleship Program
“Building healthy biblical relationships in the midst of an academic pursuit is critical for holistic preparation of each student to be successful in life and ministry.”
What is an Unsung Hero? These are people who are not looking for notoriety, rather, they do the work that enables something great to be achieved with diligence and passion. Then, they humbly walk away from their time as a leader with no spotlight shining on them.
Ed Catmull, the co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios, summarizes successful leadership with this statement: “Leadership is about setting the stage, not being on it.” That’s true servant leadership. These Unsung Heroes are the student leaders who serve and lead selflessly.
Jesus’ last words on earth are called the Great Commission. His Commission is our mission. He is straightforward and simple—to make disciples. At Grace School of Theology, Jesus’ words have always been a priority. We want to help each student experience discipleship and know how to disciple by the time of graduation. The groundwork for the discipleship of students has been laid through the years.
This unique discipleship experience complements the academic studies and surrounds students with other like-minded Christ-followers who spur one another toward spiritual growth alongside academic progress. From Grace’s beginning, the objective has been and remains to be training the mind in the classroom and shaping the personal and ministry life through discipleship.
Discipleship Program Leaders
God has done great things amid our Grace Discipleship Program. The Unsung Heroes are the student leaders who volunteered to serve and lead selflessly. Here are some Discipleship Group leaders expressing how the Student Discipleship Program impacted their lives and ministry.
Danny Morel, MABS, Dominican Republic
“Being a discipleship group leader has been a great blessing in my life. Sharing the Word with my brothers in Christ brought out a lot of learning. Because of their first-hand experience in being discipled, I have seen that many in my group have been motivated to continue the vision of implementing discipleship programs in their churches. I thank God for the opportunity to be a student discipleship leader at Grace.”
Allen Mann, BABS, USA
“Being a group leader has strengthened and honed my communication and leadership skills. As a pastor, I tend to do all of the talking and very little listening. Being a group leader has helped me to slow down and listen, taking notes on each person, and then praying for them in private each week. It helps me to remember these individuals on a more personal level, rather than just seeing a face on the screen. Student Discipleship Groups have helped take the focus off of “me” and have turned my thoughts toward others and their needs. Being a group leader for GRACE discipleship groups has been a many-faceted blessing, and I salute the many heroes who joined me in encouraging fellow students!”
Shay Williams, AABS & BABS, USA
“The beautiful thing about leading a discipleship group for me is the impact it has on others. Discipleship is an investment in the life of another. Sometimes the return is somewhere down the road but sometimes it’s right on the spot. I have witnessed how prayers and words of encouragement can transform someone entering the meeting discouraged, upset, frustrated, and overwhelmed into someone leaving that very same meeting uplifted that is worth the sacrifice of leading a group.”
Do you have inspiring stories, testimonies, poems, or any work of art? Submit them and see your works published: marketing@gsot.edu
GIVE CONVENIENTLY AND SECURELY
Please make Grace School of Theology part of your annual charitable giving. Your gifts provide the tuition assistance needed to help our students access affordable seminary education. Thanks to the generosity of donors, domestic students are blessed with tuition rates among the lowest in the country, and international students can have globally accredited seminary education with access to apply for a tuition assistance program that keeps tuition within economic reach for them.
Every dollar given has an exponential impact as Grace trains spiritual leaders around the world who will influence generations as they teach others about the love of Christ, a love that cannot be earned and cannot be lost.
