Antioch Discipleship School Review

After completing the Antioch Discipleship School, I decided it would be beneficial to myself and to those who may be interested in the school for me to look back over my journey with the discipleship school.

What is the Antioch Discipleship School?

If you are a member of Antioch Community Church, you have probably heard about ADS, but many don’t have a very good definition of what ADS is. In my own words, ADS is a program that puts you into position to encounter Jesus through spiritual disciplines. Essentially, it is LifeGroup on steroids. It is a family of people all pushing each other in a discipleship-type relationship to follow Jesus with every aspect of their lives.

Antioch Discipleship School Website

How Class Looked

Class lasted 4 hours and usually followed the same pattern with some exceptions here and there. Class would start with announcements as well as the sharing of testimonies. Next we usually spent a lot of time in worship and prayer. Following this we would have an amazing teaching from a speaker whether that be one of our leaders or a guest speaker from some other part of the world. After the teaching we would have a short time to sit with the Lord and talk with Him about what we had learned and how we should apply it.

We would also have discipleship for the first half of our class every other week. This involved us getting in our discipleship group and being discipled by a member of Antioch College Station whom had already complete ADS.

In addition to the classes we had, we also had various requirements that we were to complete during the week. This included reading the Bible, spending time with Jesus, fasting, memorizing Scripture, exercising (yes, it was required to exercise), going to LifeGroup, attending church Sunday morning, evangelizing, completing book homework, etc.

My Experience

First off let me say that I would absolutely recommend ADS to anybody. I learned and grew a ton in the Lord. Needless to say, I also want everyone to know that ADS is a challenge.

Starting off in ADS was a bit of a transition for me. Although I was used to a high amount of work from classes, the type of work I was used to involved completing a math problem rather than the requirements put before me. I looked at the requirements and honestly didn’t think it was going to be a big deal, but I soon realized that it took intentionality and discipline. I struggled, especially at first, to go out and evangelize. It didn’t help that many times I would go alone, but it was a task where I had to put myself out there and be obedient to the call of God. Memorizing Scripture and fasting were also challenges for me because, to be quite honest, I didn’t really want to do them. Especially for fasting, I really had no vision for the purpose of fasting. In spending time with Jesus it took me at least a month to have the right attitude that I wanted to spend time with Jesus and not just that it was required. It was something I already did before ADS, but once it became a requirement my mind thought of it as a requirement and it took a little time before I learned to again think of it as a joy.

Although I was transitioning in learning to complete my requirements (and trying to do that in joy), I was loving the teaching. Yes, class did seem extremely long to me, but every single time I heard someone teach I felt closer to the heart of Jesus. My heart was warming and shifting although I didn’t really understand what was happening. We had so many good, deep teachings in such close proximity that many times I felt like I was shotgunned with stuff and only some would stick. Maybe that was their point, to throw as much of Jesus as they could at us knowing that some would stick.

Probably the coolest part of ADS was when I would realize that I had changed. Something would happen and I would think something or react in some and I would realize that my heart was different – it looked more like Jesus. The funniest thing is that most of the time I couldn’t pinpoint when it happened or where it came from. It usually had something to do with a sermon I heard in ADS a few months earlier and hadn’t really thought of since, but a little seed must have secretly been planted and through spending time with Jesus daily it sprouted and bloomed.

So if I’m honest I can’t say that everything in ADS went perfectly. Starting into my second semester I became a little frustrated with ADS due to believing I was treated unfairly with regards to a couple of tardies that I had received. It caused me to have a negative attitude towards ADS and almost caused me to quit. I became annoyed with doing requirements thinking that I was put under chains and that I could do the exact same thing on my own without ADS. But, thankfully, I eventually was able to lay down my rights and realize that Andrew and Heather were great leaders and accepted being under their leadership in joy.

When I started ADS I didn’t really know anyone but Alex Gary in the class. I knew most of the people’s faces, but that was about it. For a long time I didn’t feel as much a part of the ADS family as I had hoped probably due to the fact that I had to miss retreat and that I stayed in a college LifeGroup. But, one day halfway through second semester I remember walking into class and all of a sudden it felt like family. I don’t know what happened, but going to class felt like being with family.

There were times that were hard and there were times filled with joy and tears, but what’s most important is that I am closer to God than I was. I walk with greater confidence, greater love, greater desire. All I want is Jesus.  

A Few Nuggets

Jesus is it. This sounds so simple and corny, but it’s true. Jesus is all I want and need.

I can’t make it without spending time with Jesus daily. If I miss a single day, or even a single morning, I can quickly begin to feel my heart become numb and sin comes knocking at my door.

It’s OK that I’m not there yet. I have a lot to learn and I want to be a lot further along on my journey with Jesus, but it’s a process. I don’t have to be perfect right now.

Book Recommendations

1.     The Final Quest by Rick Joyner– This book is an allegorical-type vision of the spiritual battle that we have going around us as well as an encounter in the judgment seat of Christ. Seriously one of the most impactful books I have ever read.

2.     Passion and Purpose by Jimmy Seibert – I’ve now read this book twice and I’ve cried multiple times while reading it. The stories of the simplicity of following Jesus is incredible.

3.     Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn – One of the most convicting books I have ever read but definitely something that I needed to hear. It really challenges us to look at our stuff with eternal eyes.

Recommendations to those who want to do ADS

If you are thinking about doing ADS, awesome! I loved it and would recommend it to everyone, but here are a few things to think about and some ways to prepare.

First figure out why you want to do ADS. You need clear motivation and I hope that motivation is to get closer to Jesus, but there are also other training programs you can do, so why ADS? For me, on top of the fact that God told me, was that I could grow in Jesus with my current community. ADS really teaching you how to grow in Jesus in the life that you currently live by working and being in community. It is simple and practical and set me up to continue in the same pattern once ADS was over. I considered the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry also, which I’m sure is amazing, but my motivation for that was more so to learn to heal people. While their motivation is about Jesus, mine wasn’t. So if you want to be a revivalist, go to Bethel. Intercessor, go to IHOP. Or go to YWAM, Iris, Hillsong, whatever. Just listen to God and have the right intentions.

Start spending time with Jesus daily now. Start setting up your life to do the practical things that ADS requires, which are amazing to do in your life anyways. And with that be prepared to be challenged.

If you do decide to go through ADS I want to encourage you to be super committed to the people in ADS. Give them your all and make them the most important community you have. When y’all work together you will grow faster and make it through challenges smoother. You will have people who understand what you’re going through that you can be vulnerable with. Commit yourself to them.

Please feel free to ask me any questions! I would definitely love to talk to you more about ADS or anything for that matter.

Lastly I just want to honor Andrew and Heather. They are amazing leaders and I am so thankful for them. They are fun, humble, and passionate. It was an honor to follow under their leadership.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn

Isaiah 61:1-2

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

Isaiah 61:4