As a new mom battling exhaustion (and the sin it seemed to highlight), I became keenly aware of my dependence on the Lord. I wanted to memorize Scripture so I could call to mind God’s Word even when my arms were full and my eyes were heavy. But I had no idea where to start. 

Thankfully, there was an older woman in my church who’d been systematically memorizing Scripture for years, committing hundreds of verses to memory. So I reached out to her and asked for help. “Sure,” she said, “just tell me when your son naps, and I’ll come to you.” 

Not long after, we sat in my living room as she walked me through her binder of Scripture memory cards and explained her method. I ordered the necessary supplies, followed her instructions, and slowly but surely began to fill my binder with verses I’d memorized. 

If you asked me who’s mentored or discipled me in the faith, that dear sister’s name probably isn’t the first that would come to mind. I might name women who met with me for a period of time or led a mentoring group I participated in at church because that’s how we tend to picture discipleship. But the truth is, that one naptime visit had more spiritual impact on my life than a whole host of coffee shop meetings. 

We rightly look to Paul’s instructions in Titus 2 for older women to “teach what is good” and “train the young women” as a framework for women’s discipleship. But “there are many ways and many places to ‘teach what is good,’” as Grace Thomas explains in her recent article. “Teaching doesn’t have to be in a coffee shop or classroom.”

If you want to learn more about discipleship, whether that’s discipling others, being discipled, or seeing discipleship permeate your church culture, join us for Demystifying Discipleship, a 6-week virtual cohort beginning in January. Registration opens on November 11. Keep an eye on your inbox for more details.