Making Disciples on University Campuses

Learn how to make disciples on university campuses and teach students to listen to God. This way they can grow in loving God, grow in loving others, and make disciples.

Student Christian Fellowship is a campus ministry that is keen on making disciples on university campuses. They disciple students in order to grow them as followers of Jesus. They also equip them to make disciples among their peers on campus and wherever they go after they graduate. 

Student Christian Fellowship exists on two campuses:

  • University of Evansville: A small private liberal arts school with 2200 students
  • University of Southern Indiana: A mid-sized state school with 10000 students

SCF at both campuses has the same vision and training on making disciples on university campuses. However, Disciple Making Movement principles are applied in different ways based on each campus’ culture. The number of staff has changed over the years on each campus ranging anywhere from 2 to 4 people on each campus. However, each staff member focuses on one campus.

Target Audience

  • University Students aged 17 to 24
  • Recent alumni

Objectives

  • To teach students to listen to God so they can grow in:
    • Loving God
    • Loving others
    • Making disciples
  • Equip university students with simple tools to help them share the gospel
  • Lastly, multiply disciples on campus and after they graduate.
Making Disciples on University Campuses
Making Disciples on University Campuses

Making Disciples on University Campuses – Case Study

Campus ministry staff adapted DMM tools and principles learned from Curtis Sergeant’s Metacamp. In addition, the staff passed on these discipleship principles to believers in groups of 2 to 3 people. Lastly, the campus ministry helped seekers find Jesus in discovery groups.

The staff started by meeting with small groups of 2 or 3 students for weekly 3/3rd groups.

  • If the students were already believers then the staff would help them continue to grow in following Jesus.
  • On the other hand, if the students were not believers yet, they would just do the 3/3rds.
  • As students were ready, they would start leading their own discovery or discipleship groups.
  • The staff continued coaching the students who were taking steps of obedience.
  • Students coached other students they trained if they were taking steps of obedience.
  • Almost none of the 3/3rds groups continue from one year to the next.
  • Almost all students start new groups each year
  • However, almost all students don’t stay in the same group themselves.

We aim to see multiplication of Christian discipleship groups within a school year. We train for about 10 weeks and hope to see students multiply within a year.

Above all, we dream to see those we disciple learn to listen and obey God. We trust that God will multiply the groups when they are growing in this way.

Campus Ministry Results

For 5 years, the campus ministry staff and the students they have trained have been discipling other students. In short, these were the results:

  • We discipled around 360 students
  • We discipled students attending the campus ministry or invited them to a discipleship group
  • Most students in discipleship groups were believers
  • However, about 50% of students weren’t a part of the campus ministry
  • The discipleship groups among Christian students multiplied consistently to the 2nd gen
  • We also saw groups with 3 streams to the 4th gen
  • Starting in 2018, we started seeing discipleship groups multiply in a school year
  • We started 23 discovery groups since Fall 2014
  • These groups closed because the students lost interest or left the university
  • No non-christians have yet chosen to follow Jesus and get baptized
  • We therefore haven’t seen non-believers multiply
  • Some alumni started simple churches
  • Also, some alumni are leading a simple church in Evansville, Louisville, and Tampa 

NOTE – This case study is still in progress so please check back for updates.

Time Needed (medium to high)

How Much Time is Needed for Making Disciples on University Campuses?

Weekly discipleship or discovery groups

  • 45 min to 2 hours per group
  • Staff may be leading 1 to 2 people
  • Students may or may not be leading a person

Weekly or bi-weekly coaching

  • 1 hour per coached person or group

Prayer groups

  • Each group varies

CHAT group

  • 1-2 hours a week
  • Every staff and trained student is encouraged to be part of an accountability group.

Time in the harvest

  • 1-2 hours per week
  • Every staff and trained student is encouraged to spend time intentionally among the lost by being with friends, prayerwalking, evangelism, etc.

Gatherings with leaders for vision-casting

  • Each group varies

NOTE – No one is doing all of these things at once but everyone is taking steps in these areas

How Many People are Needed to Make Disciples on University Campuses?

  • Campus ministry staff to provide consistency as students graduate and move away

Other Resources Needed (low)

Some Resources Needed for Campus Ministry:

  • Location:
    • Common areas on campus
    • Dorms
    • Students’ apartments
    • Students’ houses
  • Tools: Adapted by staff
  • Training:
    • Staff requires Metacamp training
    • Metacamp training for a group of students every few years

Download this Play

Most of these campus ministry tools are the same as taught in Zúme. However, we adapted them for our context after attending Curtis Sergeant’s Metacamp Module 1 and 2.

Also, these disciple making tools are not in any sequential order. Each disciple and group of disciples is unique so listening to the Holy Spirit is essential when training others.

You can download all the tools at SCF’s website