Why I Love and Believe In D-Now Weekends

Our church is getting ready for D-Now Weekend.  This is probably my favorite weekend at our church all year and I’m not even a student.  D-Now stands for Disciple Now.  I have been taking part in D-Now Weekends for about 15 years.  I believe that these packed weekends produce great benefits.  

My youth group growing up always did D-Now Weekends.  I took part from 6^thgrade through my Senior Year.  I looked forward to the weekend all year.  It was a time for me to be with my friends, spend a lot of time with them and grow together in the Word.  I still remember some of the speakers we had and still follow some of them now.  

D-Now weekends have grown to mean more to me as an adult working as a Small Group Leader than they did as a student.  During my years at OBU, I spent many weekends at churches all over Arkansas and Oklahoma as a small group leader.  There are a couple of churches that I made a point to go back every year as a small group leader.  For me, my times with students at Council Road Baptist Church were the most fulfilling.  They called their D-Now weekends Big Weekend and it was all Middle School Students.  Man, I love middle school students.  

I learned more about ministry during those weekends than I ever thought possible.  I was able to see students dig deep in their faith, ask tough questions and even come to know the Lord as their Savior.  Those times proved to remind me of my call to ministry.  I knew as a junior in High School that I wanted to be in ministry.  I knew I wanted to work with teenage girls and women in a discipleship capacity.  D-Now Weekends were the best way for me to do that while at OBU.  While at Council Road, I was able to meet one lady who has impacted my desire and love for ministry more than anyone else.  I’m beyond thankful for the ability to have met my dear friend Kelly King through my D-Now Weekends.  I was then able to spend my last two years in college learning from and watching Kelly.  Thank you Kelly for everything.  

D-Now Weekends at my church in North Carolina take the cake.  I love that the group of students that I get to work with each year is students from my small group that Greg and I work with every week.  It is without a doubt the best part for me.  I love these students and I want them to grow and learn.  I want them to learn more about doctrines and how they can take their faith and make it their own.  I pray that these weekends for them are life-changing as they dig deeper into God’s Word.  D-Now Weekends now let me partner with my husband in ministry.  No, we do not lead the same small group but we are both there serving together and that is quite special for us.  

Look at my girls from last year, so precious!

 

I encourage you students to take part in D-Now.  I encourage you parents to take part in D-Now.  I encourage you church to take part in D-Now.  I promise you will not regret it.  If you live in the Wake Forest area and are a middle school or high school student and want to take part in D-Now Weekend at Richland Creek, you can register here.  

Since it is anniversary month, I thought a small Greg and Emily flashback would be fun.  Our first D-Now together was in 2011.  Greg and I were not dating yet, but it was a big weekend for our relationship.  After D-Now, some of us went to dinner that night at Ale House.  That was the first time that Greg bought dinner for me.  This was not discussed, it just happened.  I don’t think I will ever forget the expression on Chad and Gia’s face after he told the waiter to give my check to him.  Priceless.