Our August 2017 application deadline has been extended to June 10th. We’d love to see you apply for our upcoming term!
Graduation is Coming Up
The August 2016 students have been here for almost a year, and it’s been awesome to see how the Lord has grown them during their time with us. We invite you to celebrate with us by streaming their graduation on July 25th at 4pm CDT . Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more info!
Check out what a soon-to-be-graduate said about her time in the program:
“My year was challenging at times, but very beneficial in my walk with the Lord. I learned to see His hand at work in my life, and to clearly hear His voice.”
— Kristina, August 2016 School of Discipleship Student
A Time for Rest and Recuperation
Earlier this spring, School of Discipleship staff and students took a weekend retreat for spending time in fellowship with each other and the Lord. It was a fun time and a wonderful blessing from the Lord!
This past weekend we took some time to bless one of our staff families by helping them with Spring Cleaning. We had a great time and were able to finish in record time as we all worked together. The fun conversations, smiling faces and good food that we enjoyed made the work not seem like work at all! (The tiredness that I felt after we were finished though was a strong reminder that we had indeed worked hard.)
Since coming to the GFA Discipleship Program I have learned to appreciate living in a close knit community. Not only do we get to help each other with house cleaning or other projects that need many helping hands but we also get to help and encourage each other in our walk with the Lord. It is not always easy and many times I would rather run and hide than open up to someone about the things I struggle with. Having the opportunity to share with a sister in Christ who is my mentor and have them pray for me has been such a blessing! I don’t have to feel like I am alone in my struggle. I don’t always take advantage of the opportunity to go to her about what I am struggling with and it seems that the enemy has so much more control over my emotions to make me feel alone, unloved, and helpless to overcome.
My personality is more of an introvert, I like being on my own and don’t really like being surrounded by people for too long. I often use this as an excuse when I am struggling with discouragement or sin in my life. If God made me this way then maybe He will also help me to overcome on my own as well. Through many failed attempts in this I can assure you that this never helps! God didn’t make us as His children to walk alone, He created us to need others and help each other.
Hebrews 10:24-25 “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
I have really come to appreciate the three girls that I get to be a part of in the Discipleship Program. I have been blessed and also challenged by each one and their desire to grow in their relationship with the Lord. In our times of praying for one another we take some time to share any personal requests that we may have so that we know how to pray for each other better. I am often tempted to share something that is impersonal or very broad, not really share what I am struggling with personally. Many times I struggle with doubts and insecurities that I think Satan likes to use to get me not to open up so that I will continue to struggle on my own. The honesty and openness that I have seen from the other girls has helped me to also be more open and honest.
As the return of Christ is drawing near and the war against the power of darkness becomes more difficult, I am thankful for the Body of Christ. Together we are able to stand much stronger than if we had to stand on our own.
Romans 15:5-7 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.
Since coming back for Year 2 of the Discipleship Program my understanding of serving the Lord as an individual has been changed or shall I say gone out the door for me. I have the awesome privilege to serve at GFA Canada while seeing firsthand what it is like to be part of the body of Christ. Serving in the office and living with five young ladies has helped me to appreciate community living. I can observe the staff that are committed to living their lives fully for the Lord and in the power of the Holy Spirit. The book Guiding Principles of Believers Church by Dr. K.P. Yohannan, which we finished reading, has been a helpful tool in learning how to live in community. I’ve come to a new appreciation for the body of Christ. In my individualistic mindset I have missed out on many wonderful blessings that come from being a part of one body, which is the Church.
In reading this book the Lord started to point out some areas that need to be more fully surrendered to His control and motives that need to be honouring to Him. There was a quote from Brother K.P. that caused me to search my heart for areas that are not fully surrendered and serving in the Lord’s strength rather than my own. “It is impossible to serve God as He wants us to without being anointed but the Holy Spirit and receiving His supernatural gifts.” In order for the Lord to use my life to help fulfill the Great Commission I must be surrendered to the Lord and filled with the Holy Spirit.
There are many things we as Christians can try to do in our flesh that non-Christians can do just as well bringing change, but not lasting change that will glorify God. Take for instance working in an office, both can work with numbers and data and helping people; but one is probably very concerned about getting ahead on the corporate ladder and making big money where as in a ministry like GFA the desire is to see big numbers so that many will hear the Gospel and be added to the greatest corporation ladder which reaches to the Kingdom of heaven.
In Zechariah 4:6 it says “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit says the LORD of Host.” If all I do for the Lord is done in my own strength and with selfish motives, God is not glorified.
Having come back for GFA Discipleship Program Year 2, I have been able to build on the foundation that was laid last year where it was about surrendering and dying to self. This year is a continuation of building our character more into Christ’s character, which doesn’t happen overnight.
I am a work in progress and there are many opportunities to practice what the Lord has been teaching me and with the help of a community and the power of the Holy Spirit growth is happening. Daily I get to choose to die to my selfishness and bad habits, which are being replaced with the character of Christ like love, joy, peace and humility as the Holy Spirit is given more liberty to rule and govern my life. He enables me to obey the commandments of God, which is to love as Jesus loved and to give my life for others not holding anything back. My life is not my own to live as I please, it is the temple of the Holy Spirit as it says in 1 Co 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” Also in Rom 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
While I am going through the Discipleship Program, I want to remember that as a Christian fully surrendered to the Holy Spirit the Lord’s work is not a burden or overwhelming, rather there is peace in being right where God wants me to be. This allows for overflowing joy in being part of helping to reach those that are half way across the world and an ever growing love for the LORD and the lost. I have a greater desire to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit not just “trying harder” to obey God, but rather to ask the Lord to fill and refill me on a daily basis. I like what Brother K.P. says in this book “The first step toward receiving the Holy Spirit is to acknowledge my need of Him.”
We have some exciting news for you! We recently simplified our online application—now it should only take about 30 minutes to complete!
Our August 2017 term application deadline is coming up on May 31st, and we encourage you to start your application today. Applying is not a commitment to attend, but it can be a great way to discover where the Lord may be leading you. Those who complete the initial application may also request a scholarship application if needed.
Check out why recent graduates recommend School of Discipleship:
“I would recommend School of Discipleship to anyone who wants to be challenged in their spirit to serve with their entire being. SD is not what I expected but through practical, real-life teaching and experience we are learning to serve God. No matter where we go from here, we will be able to apply what we are learning.”
– Benjamin
“I would recommend School of Discipleship because I believe that us young adults we need to have a strong foundation about God and His character before we go out into the real world and begin our own lives.”
The focus of GFA School of Discipleship is to know Jesus more fully and intimately and that is what I was longing for in my own life. Growing up in a Christian home I knew a lot about what it meant to follow Christ but often times knowing was only as far as it went, I didn’t actually live it out. I felt frustrated because I knew my walk with the Lord was not where it should be at but I didn’t know what to do about it. In my heart I wasn’t satisfied with just a superficial relationship with the Lord. I wanted to experience that kind of Christianity that I read about in the Bible, to look beyond what I experience in the here and now and live in light of eternity. It was out of this dissatisfaction with “good enough” Christianity that God challenged me to lay everything aside for one year and come to DP to pursue Him.
#2 I came to be involved in missions.
When I was 18 years old I went on my first short term mission trip to Malawi, Africa and it opened my eyes to the reality of a world in need of Christ. God challenged me to see the people I met as He did, broken and lost without Him, and He began to stir in my heart a desire to commit my life to reaching the world with the hope of the Christ. I returned home knowing that God was calling me to be involved in missions in some way but not knowing how or what that would look like. It was around that time that I first started to consider coming to GFA Discipleship Program. It is a unique program offering young people the opportunity to spend a life-changing year at GFA’s home office in Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada. Participants come to study and grow in true discipleship as well as serve in a ministry role alongside GFA home team staff. The program provided the perfect opportunity for me to not only be involved in missions but also to grow in my walk with the Lord. After learning about the program it took quite some time before I actually had the courage to commit to coming. I knew that God was calling me to set aside one year of my life to pursue Him but I wasn’t yet willing to leave behind all that I was comfortable and familiar with in order to obey His voice.
#3 I came to step out of my comfort zone.
I was never the type of person to pursue adventure. I would much rather stay with what was safe and familiar than to step out with faith into the unknown. Needless to say the decision to come to the Discipleship Program was a pretty major one for me. To start with there was fundraising, which meant I had to actually talk to people and ask them for money, there’s nothing safe and comfortable about that. I had to be willing to leave behind my home and family for one year, move across the country to Ontario, (Did I mention leaving the farm to live in the city for the first time?) and live with a bunch of people I had never met before. While I knew that stepping into the unknown would be scary I also knew that I would benefit greatly from it. Because I would no longer be able to rely on what I was comfortable and familiar with I was going to have to totally rely on the Lord and trust in His grace to see me through. I knew that the Lord was asking me to be willing to let go of reliance on self and instead rely totally on Him.
#4 I came to be a part of a community.
One aspect of the program that really stood out to me was the opportunity to live in community with believers whose passion is to love Christ and to serve others. I wanted to not only learn more about following Christ but to actually see it lived out in daily life. My desire was to learn from the example of older brothers and sisters who have walked with the Lord for many years and don’t just talk about having a radical faith, they actually live it out. The staff and leadership of GFA are committed to knowing the Lord and giving of their lives to make Him known to the world around them. They were willing to invest in my life and allow me to be a part of theirs showing me what it looks like to live as a part of the Body of Christ. I knew that community living would help me grow in being willing to open up my life to others, which was an area of my life that I struggled with. My desire was to develop Godly relationships that would and encourage me to pursue Christ above all else and keep me accountable in my walk with the Lord.
Written by a Discipleship Program Student in Canada
Do you have a desire to know Christ more? A hunger to pursue His call? Don’t wait any longer—apply to School of Discipleship by May 31st and find yourself transformed in the year to come! Yes, I want more information »
Our August 2017 Application Deadline is coming up fast! There a couple awesome opportunities for those of you who are interested in attending this upcoming term. You can do one, or both!
If you complete a School of Discipleship application by May 15, 2017, you’ll receive a $500 tuition credit upon enrollment!
For each person you refer to School of Discipleship who completes and submits a qualified* application by June 10th, 2017, you’ll receive $250 tuition credit per referral (maximum $500 tuition credit for this promotion) for your tuition!
*A qualified application is from a person who fits the age range, marital status, and US residency for the SD program.
One student said:
“You will receive a massive return on your investment of one year!! I have been changed to more diligently pursue the Lord, to love Him and make Him number one in my life.”
~ Leanne, August 2016 School of Discipleship student
Remember, May 31 is the deadline for applications to be submitted. Feel free to give us a call or shoot us an email if you have any questions.
I’m rather used to having a dishwasher in the house that I’m living in. As far back as my memory goes, I’ve lived in one house, and that only for seven months when I was around nine, that didn’t have a dishwasher. Needless to say, this is one piece of equipment that I am very accustomed to. This is my (weak) excuse for why I don’t wash the dishes my share of the time.
My housemate washes the dishes more than I do. I realized this the other week, and am trying to rectify it. But I also realized that he consistently does so without any complaint; I’ve never had him bring it up with me. He just washes the dishes.
When I realized that I also thought, “That is an example of a Christ-like servant lifestyle.” So that leaves me with two things to work on – becoming more of a Christ-like servant in my life, and washing the dishes more frequently.
Here’s another example of this same housemate emulating a servant lifestyle. He cooks meals for the two of us far more often than I do. This isn’t a shortcoming on my part. I will throw together food when I am hungry and when I’m assigned to cook I enjoy making a meal. He goes out of his way to cook meals when he doesn’t need to.
There have been many times when he’ll come up to my room. “I’m making pasta. Do you want some?” Substitute whatever food he’s cooking at the time for ‘pasta’. This is a blessing to me, and something that I can strive for. To look at my life and say, “How can I expand what I’m doing so that it will bless others? Or how can I start something specifically to be a servant to those around me?
We often hear from graduates about how the community aspect of School of Discipleship impacted them. During their year, students have opportunities to hang out with staff over dinner, lunches and coffee dates. They love getting to know the staff and hear how God has worked in their lives.
One student said: “I was blown away with how open people were about their lives and how God saved them. … it was incredible hearing how many people here went through or struggled with similar things and how God helped them overcome. Knowing how God carried them through and seeing the godliness in their lives, it encouraged me that God will carry me through my problems and bring [me] out better in the end.”
As staff, we are thankful the Lord has brought young people here to invest our lives in and point to Christ.
Whether you go on to serve in ministry, attend college or get a job, School of Discipleship prepares you to be a disciple of Christ wherever He leads you.
Laura, a School of Discipleship alumna, said: “I entered the School of Discipleship unsure of what direction to take in life. Working in GFA’s office with the Web Department, I was able to experience a field of work I wouldn’t have otherwise considered. Now that I have graduated [from School of Discipleship], I am pursuing a degree in Strategic Communications: Social Media Management, something I wouldn’t have dreamed of doing before I went to SD.”
School of Discipleship’s goal is to form the nature of Jesus in the lives of young people. Students grow not just through classes but through spending a year at Gospel for Asia’s home office and campus.
See what one student says about his time in the program:
heir lives fully for the Lord and in the power of the Holy Spirit. The book Guiding Principles of Believers Church by Dr. K.P. Yohannan, which we finished reading, has been a helpful tool in learning how to live in community. I’ve come to a new appreciation for the body of Christ. In my individualistic mindset I have missed out on many wonderful blessings that come from being a part of one body, which is the Church.
humility as the Holy Spirit is given more liberty to rule and govern my life. He enables me to obey the commandments of God, which is to love as Jesus loved and to give my life for others not holding anything back. My life is not my own to live as I please, it is the temple of the Holy Spirit as it says in 1 Co 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” Also in Rom 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
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