Making Disciples: It is More than a Bible Study

When Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave His followers a clear command known as the Great Commission: “Go, therefore, into all the world and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19a). This commission is a mission to bring people from every background and culture to worship and follow Jesus. But how exactly do we go about making disciples?

While we can gain insights from the Gospels and the book of Acts regarding Jesus’ interactions with His disciples and the growth of the early church, there is not a step-by-step manual for the day-to-day work of making disciples. This may seem challenging, but it also makes our mission all the more beautiful and dynamic.

Rather than relying solely on a specific method, making disciples is ultimately about personal transformation and building relationships. It is about being a person who has encountered Jesus and allowing that encounter to shape us, while also reaching out to others and inviting them to experience the same transformation.

While there may be challenges in the process of making disciples, it is not just about following a rigid formula. Discipleship is about being a living example of Christ’s love and grace, sharing our faith, and investing in meaningful relationships with others. It is about walking alongside people, showing them the way to Jesus, and helping them grow in their own faith journey.

We need relationships where we can be honest about our wins and losses. We need to help each other in such a way that both individuals are the humble servant and the wise teacher. This is how Jesus leads. This is how Jesus makes disciples.

What Does It Take To Make Disciples?

GOSPEL Care Ministries says it simply,

Discipleship is helping one another abide in Christ.

The two key pieces in that definition are helping one another and abide in Christ. We can only help others abide in Christ if we are doing it ourselves. For our discipleship to be fruitful and enjoyable, discipleship relationships cannot be for the benefit of just one person. They need to be mutually beneficial.

Help One Another

Many of us may believe a lie about discipleship, that the leaders in a discipling relationship must be exceptional or the “expert.” This kind of relationship might make sense in sports or at work, but who really can say they are an expert at living like Christ?

We do not need discipling relationships where one is the “professional” and the other is the “amateur” because discipleship is not just teaching people a moral code or rules. We want disciples who see the gospel on repeat in our hearts. To do this, we need relationships where we can be honest about our wins and losses. We need to help each other in such a way that both individuals are the humble servant and the wise teacher. This is how Jesus leads. This is how Jesus makes disciples.

I still remember having been a Christian for only six months when a man much more mature in the faith sincerely invited me to give him honest feedback on a talk he gave. I will never forget that moment. I felt so honored that he valued my thoughts and empowered me to share them.

There have been many occasions when people I was discipling would pray for me after hearing about my struggles in life. The sense of dignity and worth instilled in them is priceless and it was good for me to humbly share my pain with them.

As we go about making disciples, we want to remember we all have something to give to one another. It will take vulnerability and trust for those we are discipling to really know us, but it will be worth the risk.

Abide in Christ

To help students stay close to Christ, we need to encourage them to be authentic. We need to create spaces where people can openly share their honest stories and trust one another. Discipleship goes beyond simply teaching people about God; it is about fostering relationships where individuals can experience a deeper connection with Him.

To do this, we must be able to “hold” their stories, giving them the freedom to be where they are. Any impulse you feel to “fix” anyone who shares a hard truth needs to be restrained. Instead, we need to first empathize with them. This will help us start with grace and then invite one another to hope in the promises of God.

I had a student who was eager to share their story with me. We sipped on coffee as he shared his story of experiencing homelessness and neglect and abuse from his drug-addicted father. When he was 9 years old, he prayed to God for help, but was hurt because he felt God ignored his call. Hearing his story, I knew there was no “fixing” his pain.

I was tempted to provide the young man with theological responses to his struggles. However, I realized that before diving into intellectual discussions, my priority was to genuinely care for him. I needed to empathize with the weight of his experiences and acknowledge the validity of his question: does God truly exist?

After I attuned my heart to his story, I could more clearly and sincerely point him to the truths in the Bible. Jesus was homeless. Jesus was abused. He was ignored and crushed by his Father on the cross. He could relate experientially.

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full (Jn. 15:9-11 CSB).

We can foster a culture of authenticity and truth by focusing on abiding in Jesus at any moment we are with students. Think about your small group environment, one-on-one meetings, and even large group gatherings and consider whether these spaces can be described as real and truth-telling. Are you and the students sharing real-life experiences?

Making disciples is less about a certain method or specific practices, but more about being transformed into a person that experiences Jesus and brings others along with them.

3 Essentials for Disciples

There are many options for content you can use for your disciples. Cru often recommends Thrive Studies for a simple, useable, small group curriculum. While content is important, there are some key practices that we want to model for our disciples no matter what content we decide to use.

Anytime we meet with students to study God’s word together, there are some essential rhythms we want them to practice regularly:

1) Receive the Word

As we read the word of God, His Spirit is actively giving life to those who will receive it. A good practice we can use to help prepare ourselves and the students we are engaged with is: “Open your heart to God before you open the Word of God. You can spend 2-5 minutes processing where you are emotionally, mentally, and physically.”

We may see things in our lives that bring us joy or cause us stress. Be open with each other about joys and concerns. You can start and invite any others in the group to share too. Once we know where we are, God’s truth can uniquely encourage and invite us to trust him and respond in faith.

Let’s say you start a Bible study group on campus. While sharing where each person is, a student realizes she was feeling anxious about an upcoming conversation with her mom. She was particularly afraid of how her mom might respond. Then maybe she read something like Psalm 46 during the Bible study…

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…

Because she took time to connect with the fears she had about the conversation with her mom, this passage is deeply meaningful to her specific circumstances. She was ready to receive God’s truth because she took a little time to recognize how she was doing and then share it with the group.

2) Pray the Word

After we receive God’s word, we can come to Him in prayer and invite Him to change us. This might seem like the one practice to skip over, but this is where greater intimacy and deeper life change is found.

We could receive a truth from God’s word and we could even live it out. However, if our heart remains unchanged, we will only be going through the motions. Real-life change comes when our hearts align with God’s so much that we do not just obey because we have to. We begin to obey because we want to.

In our example (the girl who was anxious about talking to her mom), she could ask God to help her understand He is with her in every situation and she does not need to fear. She may even invite Him to help heal some feelings she has toward her mother. As she invites God to change her, maybe she will begin to recognize how she has added to the tension with her mom or how mistrust of her parents has misshaped how she sees God.

God can do more than we can think possible when we invite His Spirit to have full access to our hearts and minds.

3) Live the Word

A disciple obeys the commands of Jesus. This is how we abide or stay with Jesus. Every time we open God’s Word with a disciple, be ready to help call them into action. Help them see how God is challenging them.

It could be a promise to believe, a specific action to take, or a scripture to memorize. Make sure you are trusting God to give you the wisdom to help them see their next steps. Also, never be afraid to ask them how they did putting God’s word into action the next time you meet. This is not an attempt to be pushy or to shame them; to be consistent and provide an example, invite them to follow up with you on how you also need to live the word.

When we attune our minds and align our hearts with His, we will also need to adjust our lives. Disciples who abide in Jesus will show it through their words and actions. Always remind your disciples that living out the word includes showing it and sharing it with others; this means they will begin to be disciples who go out and make disciples.

Discipleship is Relationship

One of the most important elements in disciple-making is the life-on-life component. When making disciples, most of what is passed on is caught rather than taught. So you must invite students to be with you when you do the ordinary things of life, not just to do a Bible study.

Getting started in these relationships can be difficult and messy, like all relationships. It will take steps of faith and time. You may need help making a discipleship plan, but the most important thing is to be transformed by Jesus and share that transformation with others.

Next Step

Pray and ask God to show you individual students who are ready for a discipleship relationship. Write their names down, pray over them, and ask one to start meeting with you. Check out our Thrive Studies series "DISCIPLING OTHERS" to learn what to look for in a disciple and what to do when you first get together.

DISCIPLING OTHERS

Sample Outreach Schedule

Mingling and refreshments
Welcome (3 minutes)
Campus ministry overview from the emcee (3 minutes)
Icebreaker: Famous Couples game (10 minutes)
Dating Game (20 to 30 minutes)
Student testimony with a relationship theme (4 minutes)
Relationship talk and gospel presentation (15 to 20 minutes max)
Comment cards (7 minutes)
Announcements (2 minutes)
Refreshments and hanging out (no set time)

The key is intentional planning with a relaxed atmosphere.

Game 1: Famous Couples

Choose an even number of participants and prepare a list of famous couples ahead of time, such as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia or Romeo and Juliet. Write each name on a 3×5 card and as students enter, tape the name of one character on their back without letting them see it.

Each student may ask up to three yes or no questions per person to figure out who they are. They must also take turns answering questions when asked. The goal is to discover their identity and find their matching partner as quickly as possible. Continue until everyone is matched.

Game 2: The Dating Game

If you don’t have a lot of couples for this game, you could call it the “Best Friend Test” and have them do best friends instead. However, considering this party is about romantic relationships it is obviously better to have romantic couples playing.

This game is similar to the Best Friend Test you’ve probably seen on TikTok or shows like The Circle, or the old Newlywed game. (If you haven’t seen them, check them out). One person answers questions first, then their partner tries to guess what they said.

One partner leaves the room while the questions are asked. The partners in the room write the answers down. Then they come back, hear the same questions, and try to match their partner’s answers. Each correct match earns a point. The pair with the most points wins a prize.

The questions are light, funny, and all about how well you actually know the other person.

Dating Game Questions

For the girls (guys leave the room):

Which ice cream flavor best describes your relationship right now: Vanilla, Rocky Road, Peaches and Cream, or Tutti Frutti?
On your first date, which animal was he most like: Turtle, Kitten, Tiger, or Octopus?
How long have you been going out?
What is the most sentimental gift he has given you?

For the guys (girls leave the room):

Which Disney character would she say best describes you: Mickey Mouse, The Beast, Goofy, or Winnie the Pooh?
What song is “your song”?
What did you do on your first date?
What is her favorite perfume?
Which Valentine’s gift would she most like: candy, flowers, or a kiss?
What outfit is she wearing right now?

Optional non-gender questions

What is their go-to fast food order?
What song would they put on if they needed a hype boost?
What stresses them out faster than it should?
If they had a free day, how would they spend it?

What is something they are secretly really good at?

While relationships matter deeply to us, they also expose one of our biggest fears, the fear of not being truly loved.

Relationship Talk

Overview

The relationship talk should be short, clear, and serve as a natural bridge to the gospel. Valentine’s Day provides an easy entry point into the idea that everyone is searching for love and meaningful relationships, yet few of us have good models of what lasting love looks like.

This talk introduces the idea that there is a kind of love that lasts, a love that does not depend on performance or appearance, and that love is found in God.

Introduction

Begin with a funny or embarrassing dating story to lower defenses and help students relate.

The Talk

Relationships take a lot of time and energy, whether with parents, friends, coworkers, or romantic partners. While relationships matter deeply to us, they also expose one of our biggest fears, the fear of not being truly loved.

Psychologists often describe our greatest need as the need to love and be loved. At the same time, our greatest fear is that if people really knew us, they would reject us. Because of this, many of us wear masks and show only what we think others want to see.

Even people who care about us deeply can disappoint or reject us when we do not meet their expectations. That pain leaves us asking what real love actually looks like.

There are three common types of love people experience:

“I love you if…” love, which is conditional on behavior.
“I love you because…” love, which is based on appearance, popularity, or performance.
“I love you, period.” love, which is unconditional and unchanging.

What we truly long for is the third kind of love.

One Who Loves No Matter What

That kind of love exists, and it comes from God. God loves people for who they are, not for how they perform or what they offer. He invites us into a real relationship with Him where His love is constant and secure.

From here, transition clearly into the gospel and explain how students can have a relationship with God and experience His unconditional love.

If you’re not sure how to share the gospel, learn how to HERE

Comment Cards

Use a comment card to collect name, address, phone number, school, and grade. Include simple response options for students who received Christ, want more information, or want to get involved with your campus ministry.

Next Step

Plan your Valentine’s Day outreach early and involve student leaders in every step so more students can experience authentic relationships and hear the gospel in a welcoming environment.

Partnering with Other Ministries to Reach Your Campus

Groups like Cru, Young Life, and FCA each have their own strengths and strategies. Students connect with them for different reasons—it’s not “one size fits all.” We love and respect every group that’s helping students know Jesus. We’re on the same team, not in competition.

Here are a few ministries we often serve alongside:

Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) – Students gather in “huddles” led by coaches, giving athletes a chance to live out their faith through the sports they love.
Young Life – Leaders invest deeply in relationships, earning the right to be heard before sharing the gospel.
Church Youth Groups – Churches are a vital part of every community. Many youth leaders volunteer at schools or visit during lunch to connect with students. Cru isn’t a church—we partner with local churches to help students get plugged in.
Christian Clubs – Many campuses have Christian Clubs focused on prayer, fellowship, and Bible study. They’re often inward-facing rather than outreach-focused.

Cru’s Approach

We share Christ as soon as we have the chance, then build a network of small group Bible studies. We train students to share their faith—through group outreaches, personal conversations, and larger gatherings.

Why This Matters on Your Campus

When you are starting or growing a ministry, ask, “Who is already here?” Sometimes a group has been serving for years. Sometimes no one is reaching that school yet. Often there is room for more than one group to thrive because no single ministry connects with every student.

If another group is already present, the best move is to connect. Grab coffee with their leader, ask questions, learn what has been working, and listen for their challenges. Your posture matters. Come in as an ally, not a rival.

“We’re not in competition; we’re on the same team.”

Stepping Onto a Campus With Other Ministries

If you launch Cru where another ministry exists, remember these things:

Speak well of them in front of students.
Avoid scheduling conflicts when possible.
Focus on students they are not already reaching.
Be willing to partner for events or outreaches.

The goal is not to win students to your ministry. The goal is to help them grow in Jesus.

How to Start the Conversation

Approaching another leader can feel awkward. Keep it simple:

Ask how their group is doing at that school.
Learn which students they connect with best.
Share your heart for students and where Cru could help.
Look for ways to collaborate rather than compete.

You may be surprised how often these conversations lead to friendship and partnership.

A Simple Way to Explain Cru

When someone asks what Cru is about, you can say:

Cru is a network of student disciples who see their school as a mission field. We help students grow in their faith through small groups, training conferences, and mission opportunities locally and around the world.

When it comes down to it, no single ministry can reach every student—but together, we can make a much greater impact. Each group brings unique strengths, connections, and opportunities to the table. By cheering each other on, looking for ways to partner, and sharing a heart for teenagers to know and follow Jesus, we multiply our effectiveness. When ministries work side by side instead of in separate lanes, schools see more of Christ’s love, more students hear the gospel, and more lives are transformed for eternity.

Next Step

Reach out to a local campus ministry leader this week and start a conversation about partnering together.

Sydney’s Story

From Grief to Purpose: Finding God in the Storm

Growing up in a Christian home, she always knew about Jesus, but her relationship with Him didn’t feel personal until tragedy struck in eighth grade. Transitioning from homeschooling to public school had already pushed her out of her comfort zone, and anxiety loomed as she struggled to find her place. Then, during the fall of 2020, both her parents contracted COVID. While her mom recovered, her dad’s condition worsened, leading to months of uncertainty. She vividly remembers the day he left for the hospital and the long, heartbreaking journey that followed. Despite moments of hope, her dad passed away on February 20th, 2021. At just 13 years old, she faced the devastating reality of losing her father—a loss that shook her world and her faith.

In the midst of that grief, she began to see God’s hand at work. During sleepless nights and moments of overwhelming sorrow, God surrounded her with people who cared—friends, family, and a community that embodied His love. Though the pain of loss didn’t disappear, she found comfort in the truth that this life is not the end. Inspired by Paul’s words about eternity, she started to see her father’s passing as a reminder of the hope we have in Christ. That hope spurred her to action. On a family mission trip to Thailand, she met students leading Cru groups at their schools, and the seed was planted to start something similar back home. Despite initial uncertainty, God provided resources, opened doors, and brought others alongside her to launch Cru at her school—a ministry that has been thriving for nearly a year now.

"Anxiety loomed as she struggled to find her place."

Her story is one of resilience, faith, and transformation. Through unimaginable grief, she discovered the depth of God’s love and the strength found in trusting Him. The loss of her dad deepened her desire to share Jesus with others, knowing firsthand how essential His presence is in life’s hardest moments. Cru has given her a platform to do just that—to tell others about the God who redeems brokenness and uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Her journey reminds us that while pain is inevitable, God is sovereign, faithful, and able to bring beauty from ashes.