DISCIPLESHIP COMMUNITIES

Following Jesus and Living on Mission Together

 

HowToLife is more than events.  We are cultivating communities of young people who are learning to follow Jesus and live on mission together.

 

Sometimes an event team grows into an ongoing local community.  In other places, a community forms first and eventually gives birth to evangelistic outreach.  Either way, the goal is the same: young people growing as disciples of Jesus and helping others follow Him.

 

What Happens in a Discipleship Community?

 

HowToLife Discipleship Communities gather young people consistently around Scripture, prayer, friendship, surrender, obedience, and mission.

 

Together, young people learn to follow Jesus more deeply, encourage and challenge one another, share Christ with others, serve their communities, and participate in His mission.

 

Communities may include:

 

• Smaller discipleship gatherings

• Scripture and prayer

• Community Nights

• Evangelistic outreach

• Service and local mission

• Retreats and intensives

• Everyday life and friendship together

 

The community is the people, not the programming.

 

Local Community.  Broader Movement.

 

HowToLife communities take different forms in different places.

 

Some gather regularly in homes, churches, universities, or other local spaces.  Others connect young leaders across a wider city, region, or country through a combination of in-person and online discipleship.

 

Community leaders remain connected to broader HowToLife regional, national, and global community and receive ongoing discipleship, coaching, and encouragement from HowToLife missionaries.

 

Every Community Lives on Mission

 

A HowToLife Discipleship Community is more than a Christian friend group.

 

Friendship and belonging matter deeply.  But following Jesus leads us outward.

 

Communities are encouraged to look for ways to share Christ, serve others, make disciples, pioneer new outreach, and participate in what Jesus is doing in their communities.

 

Some will organize traditional HowToLife events.  Others may pioneer creative forms of evangelism and mission appropriate to their city, culture, and relationships.

 

Working Alongside the Local Church

 

HowToLife Discipleship Communities are not intended to replace the local church.

 

We encourage young people to become meaningfully rooted in healthy local churches and seek to work alongside churches in reaching and discipling the next generation.

 

After evangelistic events, these communities can also provide an ongoing relational bridge – welcoming young people, helping them take next steps in following Jesus, and connecting them into healthy Christian community and local churches.

 

Growing Disciples Who Make Disciples

 

As communities grow, so should leaders.  HowToLife missionaries invest in Community Directors.  Community Directors invest in young people. And those young people are encouraged to become disciples who themselves disciple, serve, evangelize, pioneer, and lead.

 

We aren’t simply trying to keep young people involved with HowToLife.  We want to help form faithful followers of Jesus who can be sent wherever Christ leads them.

 

A Simple Rhythm

 

ABIDE – Remaining in relationship with Jesus.

OBEY – Trusting Him enough to actually follow Him.

OVERFLOW – Living outward together in love and mission.

 

That is the kind of community we want to cultivate.