Discipleship
Get Involved:
While discipleship is intertwined with all expressions of campus life at Asbury, we have several things we do very intentionally to give students entry points for new growth. Every discipleship moment at Asbury is a reflection of Acts 2 - being together for prayer, conversation, and encountering Scripture. When Asbury students enter these discipleship moments, they grow in holiness, stewardship, and mission.
Koinonia: An entry point for students living on campus is Koinonias, which is the Greek work for “fellowship” and defined in Acts 2:42-47. A SLA (spiritual life assistant) organizes an intentional weekly gathering on their floor/unit. These are times where students create space for God through bible study, prayer, discussion and fellowship.
Covenant Group: These gatherings are led by staff, faculty, seminary students or other students. Covenant Groups are devoted to doing life together by engaging: Scripture, prayer, and intentional community. Each group is unique with its own identity and purpose based on the interest and need of the students. Commitment to the covenant of the group is based on a common purpose, accountability, confidentiality, and participation.
Spiritual Mentoring: The role of a Spiritual Mentor is to “provide modeling, close supervision on special projects, individualized help in many areas--discipline, encouragement, correction, confrontation and a calling to accountability."[1] Staff, faculty, seminary students, and community members comprise our list of available Spiritual Mentors. Spiritual Mentoring relationships are devoted to doing life together by engaging: Scripture, prayer and intentional relationships
For more information and questions regarding Covenant Groups and Spiritual Mentoring, please contact Jeannie Banter, Assistant Director of Campus Ministries.
Leadership Opportunities:
InReach Ministries: InReach is a unique student chaplaincy program that provides intentional pastoral care on each floor/unit within the traditional Residence Halls. Known around campus as Spiritual Life Coordinators or "SLC's" and Spiritual Life Assistants or "SLA's", these forty InReach Staff members receive specialized training to assist them in fulfilling their ministry role among their peers. In all of these endeavors and throughout all of training, InReach Staff members seek to enhance the spiritual vitality of the campus through their own relationships to Jesus Christ and through relationships with others, no matter where they may find themselves on their spiritual journeys. The InReach staff application process begins mid-spring semester for the following academic year.
Spiritual Life Coordinators (SLC) - Five positions are available to juniors and seniors. The SLC's work closely with the Coordinator of InReach Ministries and the Resident Director (RD) in their respective residence hall. Primary responsibilities are to help create an atmosphere for spiritual growth in their residence hall through encouraging and supporting the spiritual life assistants (SLAs) as they minister on their floor/unit, as well as to assist their RD in spiritual oversight and programming of their residence hall. (Scholarship position)
Spiritual Life Assistants (SLA/Hall Chaplains) - Forty peer ministry positions are available to students wishing to partner with the Resident Assistant (RA) in developing spiritual growth opportunities for his/her own floor/unit/apartment. Responsibilities include planning weekly Koinonia prayer and fellowship meetings and care-giving to the residents on their floor/unit/apartment. Commitments include attending the InReach Orientation and Training Seminar in early fall and attendance at regular worship/training events throughout the year. SLAs are supported through regular meetings with their SLC and fellow SLA's within their residence hall.
For more information and questions about InReach leadership opportunities or Koinonia, please contact Dr.John Morley, Coordinator of InReach Ministries, 859-858-3511, x.2377.
Covenant Group Leader: Juniors and seniors can apply to lead a Covenant Group comprised of underclassmen. By serving as a Covenant Group Leader, you will get to do life together with younger students to by pouring into their lives. Groups will be created based on the needs and desires of the students and what type of group you would like to lead. Covenant Groups are devoted to doing life together by engaging: Scripture, prayer, and intentional community. Each group is unique with its own identity and purpose based on the interest and need of the students. Covenant Group Leaders must commit to leading two semesters, facilitating weekly group meetings, praying regularly for members, and attendance in group leader training.
[1] This definition of a mentor comes from Paul D. Stanley and J. Robert Clinton in their book, Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life.
