By Noelle Worley, Co-Editor-in-Chief, and Selah Hurd, Staff Writer
Sign-ups for various Discipleship Ministries (DM) groups nearly doubled this academic year, according to data from Director of Discipleship Eric Larson, who oversees that ministry. In total, enrollment rose from 230 to 430 students.
Applications to join student-led discipleship small groups (DSGs) grew from 113 participants last year to 260 this year. The number of juniors and seniors enrolled in a co-ed upperclass small group grew from 25, the maximum in previous years, to 60. Strongholds, men’s and women’s groups that support students in “understanding and practice of Biblical sexuality,” enrolled 99 students last year and 105 this year.
“While we are excited about increased numbers,” Larson said, “our main focus has always been on the quality of small groups.”
The DM team moved out of the Chaplain’s Office at the start of the academic year and into its new home in the Student Engagement Office, following a staffing restructure announced on Aug. 14. The changes in office affiliation were not a cause of the increased enrollment in discipleship groups.
Just over a week before the start of the fall semester, undergraduate students received an email from President Philip Ryken outlining staffing and structural changes to student ministry leadership.
“The structural change was about strategically positioning DM to be empowered and thrive through staffing support, collaboration and learning from the robust Student Engagement philosophy and practice of ministry,” Larson said.
Larson will continue to lead a discipleship small group for Refuge students, which provides “Scripture-centered community” for any students who “experience same-sex attraction or gender discordance.” Refuge is a community group with a student cabinet that is advised by Paul Chelsen, Vice President for Student Development, not the DM cabinet.”
Kedisha Kelly, formerly the Ministry Associate for Spiritual Formation, will remain on the DM team part-time, while also taking on a part-time role within Student Wellness.
The move to Student Engagement and student organizations is expected to facilitate greater collaboration with offices in that realm, such as the Office of Multicultural Development, International Student Programs and the Office of Ministry and Evangelism, which sponsor dozens of student groups and organizations to promote discipleship and faith-centered living.
For the 430 students currently involved in DM programs, the transition may be largely administrative. Caleb Todd, a senior Bible major and chair of the Discipleship Ministries cabinet, said he did not expect the shift to affect the day-to-day experience of students involved in small groups.
“A lot of what we do in DM is try to engage students. So being in Student Engagement makes a lot of sense,” Todd said. He added that the new structure could increase visibility and interaction with other student-facing ministries.
Still, some concerns remain about whether collaborations with the Chaplain’s Office—such as last year’s All-School Communion service on human sexuality—will continue. “While I don’t want to lose the elements of the Chaplain’s Office, I think it would be fun to see how that happens through Student Engagement,” said Olivia Creighton, a senior double majoring in computer science and environmental science and serving as female Strongholds director.
Despite the adjustments, both staff and student leaders expressed hope for the future of DM. “We’re hoping that it can be a force to support and improve the vision of discipleship on campus as a whole,” Todd said. “There is a lot of excitement and curiosity to see how we can fit in.”
