As I finished my lecture one day, I noticed the ache on a student’s face and asked her to stay after class to talk. Her eyes welled with tears—it had been a difficult year. She told me she’d entered the social work program with a fervent desire to follow Jesus’s commands to visit the prisoner, serve the poor and outcast, and care for the orphan and widow (James 1:27). But the testimony of her faith in Christ and her firm belief that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God had isolated her from other students, made her the target of insults, and put her at the center of faculty conversations.
Although she knew she’d face challenges, the reality feels harsh and lonely. She’s sought counsel from trusted and faithful members of her church, but they’re not familiar with the issues presented in the curriculum. They encourage her to remain faithful, but no one has been able to help her navigate the particular implications of integrating the gospel and social work.
Uniquely Equipped to Help
As she poured out how difficult it’s been to be one of only two Christian students in her program, a question kept resounding in my head: How can we help young people navigate this postmodern world in their vocational fields with resolute faith, firm conviction, and boldness in proclaiming the gospel?
These challenges aren’t limited to the field of social work. They’re in every field where young believers are called to be witnesses to the gospel: business, education, engineering, law, medicine, dentistry, journalism, politics, and more. Those of us working in these fields have an opportunity to help young believers learn to stand firm in the faith, proclaim the gospel boldly, and live lives worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to bring discipleship into our fields of study and our workplaces.
Here are three ways to help younger believers in your field.
1. Reach out to younger believers at church who share your vocation.
Begin by identifying younger believers in your church who are working in or pursuing your field of study. Reach out to ask how the process is going and what challenges they’re encountering. Consider how you’ve been able to navigate these challenges, and share your experience.
We need to bring discipleship into our fields of study and our workplaces.
Young believers long to learn to apply the gospel to their jobs and areas of study. But they often don’t know who to ask. They may think our schedules are too busy, and they don’t want to be an inconvenience. Unfortunately, they may be right. As we progress in our careers and have busy work and home lives, we may not have time for these relationships unless we intentionally open our schedules.
Start by making yourself available. Reach out to young professionals in your church and seek ways to encourage them. This might look like one-on-one discipleship, meeting with a few young professionals to discuss living out the gospel in your field, or leading a small group Bible study where young professionals can study the Word and seek to apply it in the workplace. Don’t underestimate the effects giving your time will have on their lives.
2. Create discipleship opportunities in your workplace.
If you can’t find younger believers at church who work in your field, you may be able to find them in your workplace. Since the majority of us spend 40 or more hours a week at our place of employment, it’s a great environment for discipleship opportunities. Even if you’re employed in a secular workplace, you can find ways to study God’s Word, pray for your coworkers, and encourage one another in the faith.
Consider starting a weekly gathering for Christians to study the Bible or pray together during your lunchtime or before or after work. You could meet at a nearby coffee shop or restaurant, or perhaps even in your office. As you create these opportunities, young believers who may not have known how to identify fellow Christians in the office will be able to connect with you and find discipleship.
3. Get involved with local academic institutions.
Academic institutions are another great place to get involved. Consider connecting with field-specific student organizations or reaching out to campus ministries. Volunteer your time, offer to mentor students, and open the doors of your home.
Even if it’s been a while since you graduated, you’re familiar with the hardships related to being a student in your particular field, so you’re uniquely equipped to support students. For example, medical and dental schools have the national Christian Medical and Dental Association, which helps students connect with each other, study God’s Word, and look for opportunities to serve in their communities. Established doctors and dentists open their homes for fellowship, sharing meals, worshiping together, and hearing the Word preached by local pastors. Perhaps you could begin a similar ministry to students in your field.
Labor Together
After class that day, my student and I talked about the difficulty of being Christians in a postmodern world and about our conviction to serve Christ as social workers. We prayed together, and I encouraged her to stand firm in the faith and run the race with endurance. I offered to meet with her again to further discuss the implications of the gospel in our daily lives as social workers.
Start by making yourself available.
Brothers and sisters, whatever your career or field of study, there are younger believers who could benefit from your wisdom, experience, and encouragement. We need to disciple the next generation in our fields, humbly serving as examples of how to live unto the Lord in every sphere of work and study. We need to stand beside our younger brothers and sisters in Christ so we may all stand firm and be steadfast, “always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord [our] labor is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58).
Involved in Women’s Ministry? Add This to Your Discipleship Tool Kit.
We need one another. Yet we don’t always know how to develop deep relationships to help us grow in the Christian life. Younger believers benefit from the guidance and wisdom of more mature saints as their faith deepens. But too often, potential mentors lack clarity and training on how to engage in discipling those they can influence.
Whether you’re longing to find a spiritual mentor or hoping to serve as a guide for someone else, we have a FREE resource to encourage and equip you. In Growing Together: Taking Mentoring Beyond Small Talk and Prayer Requests, Melissa Kruger, TGC’s vice president of discipleship programming, offers encouraging lessons to guide conversations that promote spiritual growth in both the mentee and mentor.
