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NEW CHRISTIAN RESOURCES
Purpose and Structure of these Studies for Young Disciples
Crossbearers is a set of studies designed for young disciples (you can download them at the bottom of this page). The objective of these studies is to help young Christians to establish foundational convictions, give them an opportunity to demonstrate what they are learning in a practical way, and go on to maturity.
These studies were designed for, and are most effective when implemented in, a regular discipling or mentoring relationship with a more mature man or woman of faith.
There are 4 sections to the Crossbearers study series. The first 3: Love God, Love One Another, and Love Your Neighbor deal with our relationships as Christians. The last section: Let Your Light Shine deals with righteousness and practical living. Each section of studies is set up to do 3 very important things:
#1 Teach why – Healthy motivation is essential to establishing strong foundational convictions. Teaching disciples to have healthy motivations helps them have their own deep convictions for why they do what they do!
#2 Teach how – Young Christians need practical Bible teaching to learn to “obey” all that Jesus commanded us to do. These studies are full of practical scriptures, spiritual principles, and helpful advice to equip young disciples to live out their faith.
#3 Demonstration & Practice – Each study concludes with a spiritual exercise. The Crossbearers program is designed so that the mentor would get together with the young Christian on a weekly basis. One week going through the study scriptures, asking questions, and helping them develop biblical convictions. The following week the mentor and the student would do the spiritual exercise together that corresponded to the previous week’s Bible study. During this time you should complete the exercise, follow-up with any homework assigned in the exercise and have a discussion about what you learned. For example, one week you might go through the study on “Listening to God” (Bible Study). The following week you would get together and let the young disciple pick a subject, Bible character, or section of scripture to study out together. The Spiritual Exercise encourages mentors to teach the young disciple how to use a concordance or any Bible study tools that their Bible might offer. This provides an opportunity for the mentor to show the disciple how to effectively study the Bible and allows the young Christian the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
These spiritual exercises are a pivotal aspect of the Crossbearers program. When those we mentor can walk with us, much like Jesus’ disciples were able to walk with him, it provides them with the faith and encouragement they need to put into practice what they have learned and truly go on to maturity.
Finally, to graduate from the Crossbearers program every young Christian will need to complete a minimum of 8 studies from this series and complete the Spiritual Exercises that corresponds to each of the 8 studies. Upon completion, a special certificate can be awarded and graduates can be recognized in the fellowship for their heart to “go on to maturity” and for their exceptional commitment to the discipleship of our Lord Jesus. Our hope and prayer is that the Crossbearer series will be a helpful resource to you as you help the young “go on to maturity” and equip God’s people for works of service.
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