A few years ago, I went to the Women’s Life Office and the receptionist was talking about her Discipleship Group. When I inquired about the groups, Denise O’Donoghue asked me if I would be interested in leading one! She assured me that it would be a valuable addition to the Biblical Counseling degree that I was pursuing. I prayed long and hard about becoming a D-Group leader, since I am in my late sixties. The Lord and the Holy Spirit guided me to lead a D-Group. This reminded me of Philippians 4:13 . . .
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
With the Lord’s guidance, I could move forward more confidentially.
Discipleship Groups, which are commonly known as D-Groups, are required of every first-year college student at Southeastern. According to the
“The D-Groups are an incredibly effective forum where students are encouraged, challenged, and equipped to better pursue an authentically Christian way of life.”
The curriculum that the students work through orients them around the beliefs of the Christian faith. It explains why and how our beliefs should be lived out as we love God and love one another. After the first year, students who have participated in a D-Group should be equipped to start leading their own D-Groups, whether in the local church or here at Southeastern.
In 2011-2012, I decided to lead my first D-Group. We were permitted to use the conference room in the Women’s Life Office for our meetings. Four young ladies worked through the D-Group materials and discovered the challenge of diversity. The second semester, one of the ladies decided to complete her D-Group requirements at a local church.
In 2012-2013, I again volunteered to be a D-Group leader. I was assigned to co-lead the group with the (then) Women’s Ministry Coordinator, Carrie Gilliam. We actually already knew one another! Carrie and I were assigned four young ladies who helped to make our sessions very stimulating. Once again, we met in the Women’s Life Conference Room. During this year, we realized the necessity of encouraging consistent attendance. This time all of the girls remained with us for the second semester. We were thankful that they realized how important studying I & II Timothy would be in equipping them for discipleship.
Each year is different than the last. In 2013-2014, I volunteered for another year of D-Group activities. This year, I was assigned another co-leader, the new Women’s Ministry Coordinator, Lesley Hildreth. Lesley thought that she would be the oldest women in the room, but we really have a great generational cross-section. I am seventy-one and Lesley is 43 (and not the oldest one in the room!). One of our ladies is a 35-year old spouse of a seminarian with 3 children. Another young woman is 21 and has spent some time in Costa Rico. Our youngest group member is eighteen, but she has already traveled to India a few times because her father is from India.
One thing that is important for our group this year is that each person respects the others’ ages and opinions. Further, it is interesting to hear how things are different from one generation to the next. Sometimes, we are not able to finish our lessons exactly the way that we plan because of other concerns that we need to address. We are thankful that the Office of Discipleship and Spiritual Formation has given us enough flexibility in the lessons to discuss such things. Our goal in all of our lessons is to glorify God.
Another neat aspect of our group this year is that we are able to help each other in so many different areas. For example, Lesley can help the ladies with parenting questions relating to both sons and daughters, because she has both. I can help answer questions about daughters, because my own daughters are 48 and 46, a little older than Lesley.
As D-Group leaders, we prepare well for our lessons, because we know that we cannot glorify God with a poorly prepared lesson. We pray on a regular basis for members of our group. We talk through assignments together and offer suggestions to make things easier. We are encouragers and mercy-givers. We love to nurture people in the Lord and we enjoy helping people grow in their Christian walk.
Are you interested in D-Groups? Contact the Office of Discipleship and Spiritual Formation at gmichael@sebts.edu.
Mrs. Faye Dunbar is a wife, mother, grandmother and a student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has earned her Master of Arts degree in Women’s Studies and is currently pursuing her a Masters of Divinity in Biblical Counseling. She is known by others as being a real servant of the Lord and willing to help.
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