The Discipleship Experience

Walking together. Following Christ.

Transforming lives by embedding discipleship as a lifelong value
experienced in meaningful relationships.

 

 

At Gordon-Conwell, the Discipleship Experience provides one of the richest ways to integrate your theological education with your own journey with Christ. We desire to foster healthy vulnerability, where faculty, local pastors, and students feel mutually known as they share a common pursuit for a transformed life with Christ.

 

Testimonials

“The Discipleship Experience provided me a place to be known, and a framework for discipleship.” – Michael

“To me, discipleship has meant receiving the gift of the spiritual friendship of a wise, fun, Christ-loving woman of God and seasoned saint. Discipleship has meant allowing God to shape me and to see that it is God who molds us as we journey together.”  – Shannon

“As a result of Dr. Kim’s commitment to journeying with me, I have come to think that perhaps a more fundamental part of discipleship is walking alongside someone in the love of Christ regardless of their successes or failures. My own view of discipleship, then, has evolved.” – Myron

 

The Discipleship Experience Scholarship

The Discipleship Experience Scholarship is a two-year fellows program where students experience discipleship both as someone who is discipled and as someone who disciples. In your first year, you will be paired with a faculty member or local pastor and placed in a small discipleship cohort of 2-3 students. In your second year, you will seek out discipling relationships outside the seminary within your personal community network, while being resourced and equipped as someone who facilitates a discipling relationship.

This scholarship is open to all incoming, returning, full-time, and part-time students. All degree programs are eligible to apply, except the D.Min. program. Since spots are limited, preference and priority will be given to students who can commit to participating in the program in-person for two full years. The application process involves filling out an initial online form, which indicates a student’s top three choices from a list of available disciplers. You are encouraged to make prior connections with potential disciplers before applying. Click here to Meet the Disciplers.

Applications for the 2023-2024 academic year will launch in August 2023.

About the Scholarship

Financial Aid

  • Tuition subsidy of $500 for each semester involved in the program.
  • Can be combined with other scholarships and grants.

Qualifications

  • Must be an incoming student or a returning student who is intending to study at the Hamilton campus. Preference and priority will be given to students who can commit to fulfilling two full years in the program.
  • Open to part-time and full-time students. Must be enrolled in at least one class per semester.
  • Available to all degree programs, except D.Min.

Requirements

  • Each member of the fellowship will be asked to fulfill the terms of the Discipleship Experience Covenant (to be signed only upon acceptance).
  • 1st year responsibilities:
    • Coordinate with your discipler and/or discipleship cohort available times for weekly discipleship encounters.
    • Meet with your discipler and/or discipleship cohort for 9-12 times per semester.
    • Participate in our Discipleship Experience Events:
      • Fall Discipleship Retreat Weekend
      • Spring Discipleship Day Retreat
      • End-of-Year Ice Cream Celebration
    • Meet with the Assistant Director of Discipleship one-on-one at least once for prayer and support.
    • Complete the mid-year and end-of-year survey.
  • 2nd year responsibilities:
    • Establish a discipling relationship with someone outside the seminary from your personal community network. If you are a mentored ministry student, you are encouraged to coordinate with your mentor up to 2 hours/week for your discipling relationship.
    • Meet regularly for 9-12 times per semester, for at least 45 minutes per discipleship encounter with the person you are in discipleship with.
    • Participate in all second year discipleship events:
      • Fall Discipleship Forum
      • School of Discipleship Workshops (4 total)
      • End-of-Year Ice Cream Celebration
    • Meet with the Assistant Director of Discipleship one-on-one at least once for prayer and support.
    • Complete the mid-year and end-of-year survey.

Recommendations

  • In your first year, read Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together. A Christian classic, Life Together offers a unique and robust vision of what it means to grow as a disciple of Christ while living together in seminary community.
  • While being discipled in your first year, take a discipleship course, like EV701-HA: Evangelism & Discipleship Through the Local Church.

Apply to the Scholarship

Application Process

1. Establish your top 3 choices for disciplers.

Check out our Meet the Disciplers page to get know our team of faculty and local pastors who are interested in taking on new students for discipleship this upcoming year. You can also reach out to them personally, introduce yourself, and see if they have any availability to take on new students for the upcoming year. Narrow your preferences for disciplers to your top 3 choices, and we will do our best to accommodate your preferences.

2. Fill out an application form.

The link to the Discipleship Experience Application form for the 2023-2024 academic year will be posted here in August 2023. Indicate your top 3 choices for disciplers on this form.

Applications for the 2023-2024 academic year will launch in August 2023.

3. Submit a personal and pastoral reference.

The link to the Personal and Pastoral Reference form for the 2023-2024 academic year will be posted here in August 2023. Have two people fill out a Personal and Pastoral Reference form: 1) a personal reference from a friend or family member; 2) a pastoral reference from a pastor or ministry leader who knows you well.

Applications for the 2023-2024 academic year will launch in August 2023.

4. Get accepted and paired with your discipler.

You will receive an official letter of acceptance following the beginning of the fall semester, which will inform you of your acceptance into the program and pairing with a discipler.

5. Sign the Discipleship Covenant.

Once accepted and paired, sign the Discipleship Experience Covenant as your commitment to the various requirements of each fellow.

If you would like additional information, please contact us at [email protected]

The Discipleship Experience

Walking together. Following Christ.

Apply Now