Going One-on-One

Shelby Van Cleef and her husband, David Simon, disciple Annabelle Pedersen at The Salvation Army in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Annabelle, 11, has grown spiritually through the process, which has helped her overcome family issues and bullying. (Photo/Jeff Bruce)

One-on-one discipleship can be a life-changing experience and holds the key to deep spiritual growth.

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” —2 Timothy 2:2

Mark showed up for Sunday morning worship the day after one of our church’s outreach events. His new Bible in hand, this 20-something had never attended church as a child and knew very little about Jesus Christ or how to live the Christian life.

He started attending a beginner’s Sunday school class and a midweek Bible study, but spiritual growth was slow. He didn’t understand many of the Bible’s stories and everyone spoke “Christianese.” Mark admits he didn’t really start growing as a Christian until he got involved in a one-on-one discipleship experience, a sort of biblical mentoring where a mature believer counsels a newbie in the faith.

“It was great to have someone to show me what being a Christian was all about,” Mark says now. “I had a lot of questions at first.”

Many of his queries centered around the eternal nature of Jesus Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection. Mark’s biblical mentor patiently answered questions and pointed him in the direction of a deeper personal devotional life and relationship with God.

One-on-one discipleship, which finds its scriptural basis in Titus 2 and many other biblical contexts, exists in various forms in the USA Eastern Territory. Early Salvationists took part in the Wesleyan tradition of band meetings, small accountability groups where people would confess their sins, discuss their challenges, and grow in holiness.

One-on-one discipleship, however, is more intimate and starts with a mutual relationship between a mentor and mentee. The meetings are typically casual and progress at an agreed-upon pace. The meetings can be at church, a home, a coffee shop—even the beach.

One-on-one discipleship meetings are typically casual and can take place at church, a home, a coffee shop—even the beach. Here, 3-year-old Charlie tags along on one such beach session. (Photo/Courtesy of Morgan Irish-George)

Retired Salvation Army Colonel Janet Munn has discipled many people over the years. Not long after Munn and her husband, Colonel Richard Munn, retired in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, a few years ago, she was approached by Morgan Irish-George, who asked Munn to disciple her.

About twice a month, Munn says, the women meet at her home or take walks on the beach to discuss the Bible and life. She equates their strolls to Jesus talking with two disciples on the Road to Emmaus from Luke 24, where the trio walked and talked intently about “everything that had happened” after the Resurrection.

Tailoring the method

The talks, which are scheduled around Munn’s speaking schedule and Irish-George’s life as a busy mother of two young boys, are “very life-giving for both of us,” Munn says. Irish-George’s sons sometimes tag along.

“We discuss not only the Scripture itself, but theology, life circumstances and challenges, and national and global events,” Munn says. “So, we are sharing life together as we both continue to be formed in Christ through the Scriptures.”

Munn says her discipleship is not formulaic but depends on the needs and preferences of her mentee. Sometimes the two go through a book together, and other times it’s just Munn offering spiritual advice and suggesting books and podcasts.

“One-on-one discipleship allows the structure and content to be much more customized and responsive to the needs and interests of the individual,” Munn says. “There is a lot of flexibility, and we can go as deep down a rabbit hole as we want.

“One-on-one also allows for deeper confidentiality and help in dealing with the personal challenges of life, so we grow closer more quickly in that environment of safety.”

Irish-George, 34, is the daughter of Salvation Army officers in the USA Southern Territory and was not a new Christian when she approached Munn and asked to be discipled.

Colonel Janet Munn (left) and Morgan Irish-George at the corps in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. Irish-George asked Munn to disciple her in the faith. Munn is a believer in one-on-one discipleship and has discipled many people over the years. (Photo/Courtesy of Morgan Irish-George)

“I couldn’t resist being in the presence of someone like her who’s been so prolific but also so faithful over the years,” Irish-George says. “I realized I had never had that one-on-one experience of just being vulnerable and honest with someone.”

Irish-George, who was new at the church in Old Orchard Beach, was looking for help to meet her spiritual goal of being in the Bible more. The two, under Munn’s guidance, have memorized passages of Scripture and worked through daily Bible reading plans together. Munn has also shared tips on finding time for personal devotions while raising her family.

“The biggest part was accountability,” Irish-George says. “The other part was her willingness to let me wrestle and ask questions. I’ve been a Christian my entire adult life but having someone more mature in their faith for me to approach and say, ‘Wait, this doesn’t make sense’ was invaluable. She usually answered right away.”

Irish-George moved around a lot as a child of officers, and she felt a need for stable fellowship and someone who could provide her and her family with spiritual wisdom and discernment.

“We’ve both been there for each other through difficult times and happy times the last few years, and that’s been especially meaningful,” Irish-George says. “I’ve been able to be vulnerable to her in my faith, and then for her to speak into that in real time and not just at a distance has been great.”

Colonel Janet Munn helps Morgan Irish-George’s 3-year-old son, Charlie, color a picture at the corps in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. (Photo/Courtesy of Morgan Irish-George)

Irish-George has grown spiritually to the point that she’s taught a corps Bible study and spoken at divisional young adult events. She also delivered a sermon after attending a preaching seminar taught by Munn.

One-on-one discipleship that produces that kind of spiritual maturity has the endorsement of Territorial Sergeant Major Heather Green.

“I think one-on-one discipleship creates space for real spiritual growth and the kind of holiness that actually shows up in everyday real life,” Green says. “When someone is walking closely with a trusted mentor, faith goes deeper. There is supportive accountability, and spiritual habits become sustainable. This kind of thing also has the potential for leaders to naturally emerge, not just out of need, but because their character, maturity, and sense of calling are already being formed.”

The young need it too

One-on-one discipleship is not just for adults. Matt Markins, the CEO of the popular children’s program Awana, says churches that ignore youth discipleship are “standing on a burning platform.” The Salvation Army in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, has a pair of youth workers who are discipling teens and seeing a huge difference.

Shelby Van Cleef, the church’s youth program coordinator, and her husband, David Simon, have discipled a few teen girls who attend an after-school program. The girls often have specific questions on how to handle situations from a biblical perspective. In a group Bible study they’re sometimes shy, Van Cleef says, but when it’s just herself and David with one of them, they open up about family challenges, bullying, and other issues.

Shelby Van Cleef and her husband, David Simon, disciple 11-year-old Annabelle Pedersen in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. The trio meet weekly at the corps to study Scripture and talk about Annabelle’s life. The couple grew so close to Annabelle that they are now her godparents. Right: Van Cleef uses a whiteboard to pose questions during one-on-one discipleship time with Annabelle. (Photos/Jeff Bruce)

“More personal stuff can be shared when it’s one-on-one. They’re not worried about being judged by their peers,” Van Cleef says. “It’s more like a family environment.”

The couple has most recently been discipling 11-year-old Annabelle Pedersen, who is at the church four days a week for Bible studies, discipleship, and other programs.

“Before I came to church, I didn’t believe in God, but I started coming more and more and now I’m a believer,” Annabelle says. “I look forward to learning about Jesus and God.”

Annabelle, who comes from a single-parent household, is sometimes bullied at school. Van Cleef and Simon have shown her love and support to help her through it and recently became her godparents.

“They’re always there for me and let me talk to them and help me through it,” Annabelle says. “They’ve helped me a lot. They’re family to me. I have amazing people in my life now.”

Annabelle has improved her grades and has picked better friends. She looks forward to coming to programs at the church.

Showing the way

Annabelle says Van Cleef and Simon also helped her see that the recent healing of her grandmother, Bonnie, from kidney disease was an act of God.

Annabelle Pedersen learns the importance of reading and studying Scripture during her one-on-one discipleship sessions (or one-on-two, in her case) with Shelby Van Cleef and David Simon in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Annabelle gets to see how her mentors respond to life’s challenges and live their lives according to the Bible. (Photo/Jeff Bruce)

“He’s shown me miracles,” Annabelle says. “He’s helped me through an awful lot. Now my grandmother’s healthy and energetic, and that’s Jesus’ doing.”

Van Cleef and Simon are happy with the results they’re seeing in Annabelle.

“It’s been really successful, and we’ve seen her opening up more and more,” Van Cleef says. “We encourage her not to look at things so negatively and to respond biblically.”

Simon adds, “We’ve seen a lot of spiritual growth very, very quickly. That has spread to her family, and now her mother is coming to church.”

Raised in a strict Jewish home, Simon converted to Christianity and discipled his wife earlier in their marriage. Growing up, Van Cleef and Simon both had stormy home lives and can relate to the kids they disciple in Pottsville.

And through one-on-one discipleship, Annabelle gets to see how her mentors respond to life’s challenges and live their lives according to the Bible.

“It goes more from a student-teacher relationship to more of a mother-daughter or father-son,” Simon says.

Steve Bussey, the USA Eastern Territory’s mission strategist, says the goal of one-on-one discipleship in The Salvation Army is to help believers fully engage in the life of the corps and participate in worship, fellowship, and accountability. The hope is that they would then take an active role in soldiership and mission.

“They are rooted in sound doctrine, in grace, and bear fruit in everyday faithfulness,” Bussey says. “They join the worldwide Salvation Army movement, preaching the gospel and meeting human needs, united as an international expression of the universal Church, and pursuing God’s glory and the world’s redemption.”