Discipleship Isn't a Classroom—It's Doing Life Together
How early morning meetings with two athletic trainers revealed the transformative power of simply showing up
Read time: 3 minutes
Gospel Imperative
Real discipleship happens outside church walls—in training rooms, over breakfast, and through the daily rhythms of life together. It's not about completing a curriculum; it's about walking alongside someone as they follow Jesus.
"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." — Proverbs 27:17
I really think the ministry of presence is what it's all about. Just showing up, making yourself available to be used by the Holy Spirit.
For nearly a year, I met with two athletic trainers at Warren High School. Before the sun came up, before students flooded the hallways, we'd gather. No formal agenda. No workbooks. Just fellowship, conversation, and the conviction that discipleship isn't a church class—it's doing life together.
Week after week, we broke bread, fellowshipped, and shared our Jesus stories—not just the moment we got saved, but what He's doing in our lives right now. That's the ministry of presence in its purest form: making yourself available, spending time, being ready to be used.
The journey we went on through our time studying the Word and discipling each other impacted my life just as much as it impacted their lives. And to see the growth... that discipleship journey was very life-changing for all three of us. We had our last meeting in May of last year, but the impact? It's still multiplying.
Today, these athletic trainers carry that transformational passion into every tape job, every injury assessment, every conversation in the training room. See, the training room is a safe place. Sometimes kids open-up there more than they do with coaches. And in those moments of vulnerability, when a student comes in hurting, these Godly men have learned to move naturally from the physical to the spiritual.
In their training room, they always bring the Lord into action. Asking how athletes are doing. Shifting from the natural talk to maybe asking if they need prayer or those types of conversations. They're teaching God's way, whatever skill that is—whether it's wrapping an ankle or wrapping a hurting heart in prayer.
Even though they don't lead the Warren FCA huddles, they've stepped up to share gospel messages with students at FCA Huddle meetings. The discipleship they received, they're now pouring out. That's how the Kingdom multiplies—one life-changing relationship at a time.
This is what real discipleship looks like. It's not a program you complete or a box you check. It's a relationship built for eternity. It's showing up before dawn because you believe God can use that hour to shape a life. It's three men becoming brothers in Christ, then watching that transformation ripple out to touch dozens of students.
The ministry of presence isn't complicated. It's just costly. It costs your time, your consistency, your willingness to be used. But the return? Immeasurable.
Heart Check
Who in your sphere of influence needs someone to simply show up consistently in their life?
What would it look like for you to practice "ministry of presence" in your workplace, neighborhood, or community?
Are you investing in relationships that will last for eternity, or just filling your calendar with activities?
Join the Mission
My ministry across five San Antonio high schools is built on this simple but powerful principle: show up, be available, and watch God work. But I can't be everywhere at once.
Your support makes the ministry of presence possible. When you partner with FCA and my mission, you're not just funding programs—you're investing in early morning discipleship meetings, training room conversations, and relationships that transform lives for eternity.
Will you join us? Whether through financial partnership or volunteering your own time to practice ministry of presence, your support multiplies the impact. Because when we show up, God shows out.