One of the most rewarding experiences we can have as Christians is to participate in the spiritual growth of another believer. To see a brother or sister in Christ blossom into a vibrant and effective witness for the Lord Jesus is a wonderful experience. This is the calling that God has given to each of us! In the Great Commission, Jesus commands His disciples to Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father. and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19).
Most of us have experienced meeting a believer who was saved through an evangelistic outreach but who never grew in their faith, sometimes for many years, because they were not discipled. This is the main focus of ministry here at Source of Light! We have developed a ministry plan that gives churches, Christian organizations, and individuals an approach and the tools to effectively participate in Christian discipleship. Our approach includes developing Associate Discipleship Schools that use Bible correspondence courses to promote spiritual growth in both newborn and mature believers.
How does this work? First, Source of Light Ministries has available over 30 courses for individuals, ages 4 to 99. We produce these lessons which are available to students FREE of charge.
To get started, we provide those interested with informational materials and an application that they can complete to establish an Associate Discipleship School (ADS). When this application is returned to us, it goes through an approval process. Once approved, we will work with the coordinator/director of the Associate Discipleship School to assist them in getting set up for ministry operations. We have training videos av
ailable as well as an instructional guide for discipleship school ministry. Where possible, we can provide personalized training either on site or at our home office in Madison, Georgia. The next step is to place an order for the appropriate Bible lessons.
The basic operation of an Associate Discipleship school involves:
- 1. Enrolling students for Bible lessons
- 2. Mailing out the lessons to the students
- 3. Receiving quizzes from the students when lessons are completed
- 4. Grading quizzes and maintaining records for the students
- 5. Mailing out the next lessons with comments/notes of encouragement to the students. We take an active role in discipling each student.
The ADS ministries come in all shapes and sizes. We have the following and more:
Individuals who facilitate a small group study.
Churches that use our Bible lessons for their Sunday school program.
Individuals who are active in prison ministry.
Pregnancy care facilities that use our lessons to disciple their clients.
These are some of the many types of ADS ministries we have both here in North America and worldwide. Each of our ADS partners assist us with covering the costs to produce the Bible lessons. This is how we’re able to make the lessons FREE of charge to the students.
An important part of success with ADS ministry involves developing both financial and prayer partners for the ministry. This is particularly necessary for an Associate Discipleship School that is expanding their outreach. As most of us know, ministry does cost something. Also, we’re reminded in the book of James that The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16b).
A step of faith with discipleship ministry will always lead to blessing. We have enjoyed so many wonderful testimonies of God’s amazing grace with the Associate Discipleship ministries. Here are several examples:
Ellenwood, GA: In early 2016, Raymond Hill, burdened for the souls of Atlanta, Georgia, began his ADS, Faith Bible Ministry, with SLM. He established the school with a focus primarily on prison ministry. In addition to the Bible correspondence ministry, he also developed a ministry to the homeless in Atlanta. In August 2020, the Lord called Raymond home, which left a huge hole in the ministry. Raymond’s sister-in-law, Judy, who had been helping out, sensed the Lord calling her to the ministry. With the Lord’s direction and Judy’s willing heart, this ministry continues to impact not only Atlanta, but also prisons throughout the nation. At one point this past year, Faith Bible Ministries had students in every state of this nation. Recently, Judy received a response from one of the prisoners returning his completed test. He shared this thought about his imprisonment: “I didn’t get arrested; I got rescued.” This is how much God’s Word impacts lives!
Rushford, NY: There’s a very faithful Associate Discipleship School for children in the Western part of New York State. The ministry was started in 1997 by a housewife, Becky Holland, who has really made a difference in the lives of younger children.
Becky shares how it all began: “I fell in love with these lessons for kids when I worked in the office at a summer camp back in the ‘70s. Had I been able to afford the lessons and postage, I would have begged the camp to let me take that ministry with me … Then in 1997, we had a representative [of SLM] come to our church, and he was able to get me signed up with my own ‘school.’
Each year, Becky is given the names and addresses of the campers who attend the summer camp. The Camp offers the children coupons for each lesson that they mail to Becky. They can then redeem the coupons at their camp store the following summer.
Twenty-seven years later, Becky continues to invest the Gospel in lives of young children. She currently has about 20 active students which increases to over 30 during the summer months due to the summer camp ministry.
These are just a couple of examples of Associate Discipleship School ministry here in North America. God has blessed and used it to change literally millions of lives! Perhaps this type of ministry is the perfect fit for you and your situation. Take some time and pray about it. We’d be glad to help get you started. What could be more fulfilling than impacting lives for eternity!
If you would like to know more about Associate Discipleship School ministry with Source of Light contact SLM headquarters by phone: (706) 342-0397 or email a request for information to orders@slmin.org.
