Looking to 2026: give the gift of discipleship

As we journey towards 2026, many of us will be processing 2025 and looking forward to the new year. What have we achieved this year, and what do we want to change, improve, try in the new year? For young adults, and anyone else who has adopted modern technology, we have many, many ways to gather data about our lives and ourselves.

Because of the technology we have in our pockets, and on our wrists, we are the most self-tracked, self-analysed generation in history.

You can monitor your sleep quality, habit streaks, Spotify usage, macros, social media engagement, heart rate, even how many breaths you take per minute. We don’t just live our lives – we measure them, analyse them and compare them. Statistics show that gym use has skyrocketed, as has plastic surgery and use of health apps.

Many will be taking a close look at all their personal data over the coming weeks, and asking the questions. Have I done enough this year? Am I measuring up to my friends? Do I need a change? 

All Evangelical Focus news and opinion, on your WhatsApp.

 Could trying church be part of a self-improvement strategy for some? We should all consider how we help new believers in a world of self-obsession

Other studies are showing an increase in church attendance, Bible sales and openness to spirituality especially amongst young adults. This is fantastic news, though could trying church be part of a self-improvement strategy for some?

So, how do we disciple those who are coming to faith through the lens of self-improvement – those seeking to become the best them they can be, and seeing church as part of that? Those who are making going to church one of their new year's resolutions? 

It’s worth saying: people have always come to Jesus with mixed motives. We see this throughout the Gospels, people drawing close to Jesus for healing, to see a miracle, or because they’re drawn to a crowd. If you think back on your story, as I do mine, we all came to Jesus with all sorts of baggage and motives, and God met us in that place. So, this isn’t a new phenomenon. But the types of questions people are asking today, and the cultural assumptions behind them, have shifted. 

The water people are swimming in demands us to have an increased cultural awareness and to respond with intentional discipleship. We should all consider how we help new believers in a world of self-obsession.

The transformation that people long for, the flourishing they’re seeking, the life they desire, can’t be found in health, experience or within themselves. It can only be found in Jesus

In a self-obsessed culture, faith can easily be reduced to just another self-help strategy, or New Year’ss resolution. Another thing to try add: drink more water, take more steps, read the Bible. It becomes about personal development and measurable results. 

Faith stuck in this cultural storyline becomes something we curate, picking the parts of Jesus we like and ignoring the rest – pasting the ‘live your truth’ narrative onto the truth of scripture. It means that when you stop seeing ‘results’ – when church becomes inconvenient, or you’re confronted with the cost of following Jesus – you try something new, maybe a new church, a new practice, or a totally new spirituality all together. 

That’s why discipleship matters so much in this time. The transformation that people long for, the flourishing they’re seeking, the life they desire, can’t be found in health, experience or within themselves. It can only be found in Jesus.

The gospel does bring about transformation, but not on our own terms. Becoming a Christian does make your life better but might also make your life a whole lot harder. It’s not a self-help plan but a rescue plan, taking us from darkness to light, making us totally new creations. This transformation doesn’t come through our good habits or personal development. It comes through repentance and faith, and the journey of a lifetime following the narrow way of Jesus.  

  One of the most important pieces in the discipleship journey today is about helping people think less of themselves and more of Christ

In a culture oriented around the self, new believers don’t need more self-help talks, quick fixes, or entertainment. They need the gospel. They need mature Christians walking alongside them, helping them discover who Jesus is, helping them see He’s worth giving up everything for – even their attention on ourselves.

Discipleship isn’t about people becoming better, behaving better or living better; it’s about reorienting our lives around God and who He is. One of the most important pieces in the discipleship journey today is about helping people think less of themselves and more of Christ.

This Christmas one of the greatest gifts we can give the next generation, is spending time with them, understanding the stories swirling around them, and helping them to view these through a biblical lens. 

If you would like to explore more about the cultural stories of our time, and how we can disciple young adults to develop a biblical worldview, visit us at Being Human. We would love to hear what you’re experiencing in your context and if we can help in any way.