Volunteer youth workers in Word of Life Clubs from schools and churches across the Island enjoyed a full day's worth of teaching this past weekend at the Word of Life Annual Mid Year Conference.

Guest speaker for this year was Dwight Knight, director of Challenge Ministries, located in Detroit, Michigan. Created in 1991, the focus of Challenge Ministries is to disciple other Christians in their walk with the Lord.

"I left secular work and formalised a method of discipleship," Mr. Knight explained of the ministry's early beginnings. The whole thrust of the organisation is discipleship and apologetics."

The process of discipleship is somewhat unique to Christianity, whereby older believers will take younger believers under their wings to train them in the way of Christ. "Discipleship promotes the real heart of Jesus," Mr. Knight shared. "It also proves that (Christianity) is not a one man show."

The example of discipleship is found in the scriptures, according to Mr. Knight. "The Bible is replete with stories of discipleship," he added.

Mr. Knight compares discipleship with the nurturing relationship between a mother and baby — the baby can do nothing for himself until it grows and learns under the loving care and instruction of his mother.

Likewise, new Christians that come into the body of Christ require nurturing and protecting until they can, "take what I've learned and go further than I've gone," explained Mr. Knight.

However, discipleship is beneficial not only for the learner, but for the teacher as well.

There are several obstacles to discipleship, Mr. Knight pointed out.

"There are very few people who want to be discipled," he pointed out, particularly those who do not want to have hidden areas of their lives uncovered, the fear of growing faster than those around you and also those who are not willing to count the cost that comes with being discipled and thus walking closer to the Lord.

"I believe in a very regimented, didactic form of discipleship," Mr. Knight also shared, which allows a believer to be well-rounded, practical and understand their purpose for being here.

However, discipleship is never the same for every person, as each person has their own needs and skills to be worked through.

While sharing at the Word of Life Mid Year Conference, Mr. Knight focused on the topic of Credibility, or Walking Worthy, and looked closely at Ephesians 4. The sessions included: "Living the purpose for which you were created;" "Passion — How essential it is to love God with everything you have;" and "Purity — living a life of holiness."

Dwight has been married to his wife, Stephane, for three years and has been visiting the island in the capacity of a guest speaker since 1992. He has worked with several churches, including several of the smaller Gospel Halls and at Camp Hope. His adopted son, Andre, is married to a Bermudian.