Emmanuel was discipled within his friendship group and he sees this as crucial to the fruitfulness of generations to come

Small and simple

In my first year as an engineering student in Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria, I met Feng from the Navigators. As our friendship grew Feng would say, 'Hey, why don't we have a Bible study at your house?' He wanted to meet my friends and I didn't understand why.

Years later I would come to realise that Feng believed God's promise of making 'the smallest [into] a mighty nation' (Isaiah 60:22). He pursued discipling me alongside my friends diligently. He kept it simple: we focused on the Bible and praying. He also encouraged me to tell others about God as part of my everyday life. Feng's commitment to God and people was something I longed to live out.

Maturing future leaders

Soon I fell in love with God's promise in Isaiah 49:6: '…I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.' God showed me the lack of mature Christians discipling future leaders and this has been my passion ever since.

Last year, while in Nigeria, someone I was coming alongside invited his friend, Lois, to a Bible study at our house. Lois was like a sponge, soaking up God's word, and she later invited others to our meetings. She has become a daughter of God and a dear friend to us and, like Feng did with me, we are discipling her with her friends too.

Imagine the influence

Recently we studied Timothy with the group (online) and Lois commented, 'I now understand why you speak so strongly about false teaching. Just as Paul encouraged Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:16, being grounded as a young person protects not only me, but also those who will listen to me.' It was exciting to see God bringing stability to a young person's life and decision-making, and to imagine how God will use this to influence others.

Last year, I moved to the UK with my wife and daughter, and it has been a privilege to continue coming alongside the next generation here. Recently I sensed God open my eyes to what he wants to do in the next generation: to plant people who are deeply connected to God and produce fruit whatever their context or phase of life. It's a privilege to see and be involved in God's work of transforming all nations into the fullness of Christ.