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I’ve heard this debate in college ministry circles for years and the question recently came up in a discussion I had. Should we be focusing on creating excellent, flashy large group meetings or doing personal, in-depth discipleship? There are always people with great points on both sides of the argument.
Those in favor of in-depth discipleship say that this is what Jesus modeled for us with the twelve disciples and that anyone can draw a crowd, but if they aren’t getting some depth of teaching they will most likely fall away. Those in favor of flashy large group meetings argue that while depth is good, we have been called to go into all the world and this means reaching as many people with the Gospel as possible.
After observing many different styles of ministry over the years my answer to this argument is that we need both and I think that’s actually what Jesus modeled. Jesus did take the time to pour into the twelve disciples and develop them each individually, but He was also known for drawing huge crowds (remember the 5,000?).
The parable of the sower that Jesus told even speaks to this. When we hear this parable we tend to focus on the ending – the seed that fell on good soil and produced a multiplying crop, but if we look at the beginning of the parable it’s evident that the sower is scattering seed widely (some falls along the path, some in rocky places, some among the thorns, etc.).
I’ve learned over the years that community, discipleship, and mentoring (deep roots) are what young adults are desperate for. But, often they won’t come through your doors to get involved in community until you have something modern, relevant and exciting (scattering seed widely) to draw them in. Sure, you might gather a group of 4 or 5 without a flashy large group meeting, but you’ll be ignoring the thousands of other students on your campus who need to hear about Jesus.
And even if you can’t reach all of the people on your campus, surely you should aspire to reach more than 4 or 5. But in order to do this we need to do the work of training others who will help us carry the burden.
If we truly want to see people come to know Christ and develop a strong understanding of what it means to be a Christ follower, then we have to turn our attention to ministry that is focused on multiplication. This is why, in my opinion, neither of these models can stand on their own. They must be combined so we can get people in the door and then help them grow roots in the faith so they can reach others.
So, what does this look like? Evaluate what your ministry is doing well right now by asking these questions:
- Have you been focused on running excellent large group meetings or doing in-depth discipleship?
- Is your group reaching many students, but lacking in depth?
- Are you developing great depth, but not reaching as many as possible with the Gospel?
- Have you been good at multiplying and raising up others to help carry the burden?
- Who do you need to recruit to help in areas that you’re weak?
Each ministry will be in a different place with this and it’s up to you (and your other leaders) to evaluate where you’re at and what God is telling you to change in this season. Furthermore, you might not have the capability to do both great yet. Start by making one of these things awesome and then turn your attention to the other.
I know that God wants to see as many students as possible reached with the Gospel and He wants as many as possible to have a deep relationship with Him. That’s my prayer for your ministry too.
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