I know, it’s a catchy title. What’s not so catchy is what the D stands for in DNow: disciple. If you are not familiar with what a DNow is, that’s OK. I didn’t know what one was until my second or third year of youth ministry. The name sounds fancy (maybe even French), hip, declarative and yes, catchy; but a DNow (or Disciple Now Weekend), in it’s simplest form, is a retreat, a get-away for students and possibly our best chance at capturing hearts and minds for Christ.
If you look at the life of Jesus and the disciples, it was one very long DNow. Can you imagine your retreat lasting three years, on the road, sometimes on the run, sleeping in homes of strangers, and all with junior highers? I just got the shivers. The good news, a DNow only lasts a weekend, but the memories and the impact on students could last a lifetime.
If I could come up with one phrase that kills most attempts at pulling together a great retreat such as this, it would be, “That’s too much work.” Work seems to scare off the imaginative side of our brain and work, well, it sounds like work. Budgets, sign-ups, small group leader training, are all work; but what if I told you I found a work-crushing tool that would allow you to spend more time praying for your retreat and less time creating a paper trail? Let me share four ways DNowOnline makes this happen for you.
Easy-to-Follow Lessons
There are currently two choices for themes in DNowOnline with a new theme set to release every August. Each online-delivered lesson plan has five tabs to check out: Overview, Background, Getting Started, Digging In and Wrapping Up. Each lesson prep comes with a short and easy-to-follow video training on using the material and lays a biblical foundation that gives you that confidence you need to share it with your adults and students. For your convenience, there are also large group outlines for your speaker and tons of other unique tools for your large group time. You group can’t be too big or too small for the resources included here. There is something for everyone.
Small Group Teacher Tools
DNowOnline is an equipping hub for you and your leaders. Getting everyone on the same page is critical to making sure all your kids get the same information in a way that is engaging and fruitful. The teacher management tool lets you set up your teachers one by one or all at once through a cool bulk add tool. There is even a simple feature that allows you to check whether everyone has checked in to look at the material. We know you won’t need that because all your leaders are on top of it, right?
The Tool and Training Section
It’s my opinion that no youth worker can be over-trained. In fact, the longer you are working with teenagers the more you should review the basics or be open to new ideas. The Tools and Training section of the DNowOnline has a growing video library of veteran youth workers sharing tips and tricks on everything from “How to Find Small Group Leaders” to “How Do You Involve Parents in Your DNow Weekend.” In addition to the video training, there are close to 20 articles on similar topics such as budgeting, choosing the right speaker or having no speaker, and involving other church staff, such as your pastor (you never know until you ask). Overall, this section adds tremendous value to the overall experience.
Resources
What? There’s more? Yes, there’s more. If you want to blow the doors off your DNow, DNowOnline provides student books, customizable T-shirts, follow-up devotional resources and packages of all sizes for you’re your group. These resources are priced right and won’t put a dent in your budget. This way, you can buy those 100 foam finger rockets for no good reason or maybe that water balloon launcher you’ve been itching for. DNowOnline has eliminated all the heavy lifting in helping you learn retreat basics, equipping your leaders and resourcing your group for a fantastic time growing in the Lord.
Let me offer some final thoughts on retreats, DNows, or Disciple Now Weekends. First, it doesn’t matter what you call them. The strategy is not in the name but in the content. Second, don’t be afraid to fail. Jesus was never afraid to try something new. Whether it was bidding His disciples to walk on water or challenging them to feed a multitude, Jesus took risks–and getting away with kids is risky. Our minds fill with, What If’s?, starting with, “What if no one signs up?” Let me close with four admonitions to stir your heart.
1. Very few of Jesus’ miracles occurred in the temple. Getting kids out of the temple and into strange surroundings will increase optimism, wonder and faith for you, your students and leaders.
2. Fear not; God is with you. God has brought you this far. He is with you, will be with you during every step on planning your get away, if you ask Him to be.
3. Imagine what your kids will look like after four years. Disciple Now is not as much as an event as a part of the journey–or maybe even the start of a new journey for some. Having that retreat once a year is kin to marking your kids’ height on the kitchen wall. If you commit to getting away with them, imagine how much they could grow.
4. Take some of the stress off you that make you shut down. One of the reasons I am recommending DNowOnline is because I want to work hard at what I do, but only at the things I need to work hard at doing. I don’t have time and shouldn’t spend time trying to recreate the wheel. Let resources such as this help you breath easier so you can focus on what is important: your kids.
Aristotle once said, “Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.” One habit you can help students with is getting away, getting with friends, and getting with God. What are you waiting for? Go. DNowOnline to learn all about it and even TRY IT FREE!
