The Office of Discipleship Ministries (ODM) has made some changes this year, allowing for more support for students, more detailed feedback from leaders and simpler sign ups for members.

“When we help provide the more formalized programs of discipleship groups and mentoring to students at APU, we believe it helps students be placed in relationships with others that can leave a lasting impact for the Kingdom to help facilitate conversation and discussion centered on faith, friendship, accountability and prayer,” discipleship groups coordinator Diana Shing said.

Over the past school year, the ODM administered ministry and wellness reports to see what is going well and what can be improved within D-Groups. The office is now offering signups exclusively online, allowing members to see leaders that best suit their personality during the time that works best, according to ODM M. Div. graduate intern Matt McHugh.

ODM undergraduate intern Justin Dempster said the office is emphasizing spiritual and pastoral counseling for students.

“We are actively trying to offer more accountability, so students, whether they are leaders or D-Group members, can have a better chance at experiencing the Christ-filled community APU prides itself in,” Dempster said.

Dempster said the office has heard positive student feedback.

“We really are humbly approaching our duties so we can critique where we have fallen short and offer students the best possible program,” he said.

According to Shing, the office has sought to strengthen encouragement and support for their SALT team, which has grown from 10 to 18 members to accommodate the increased number of D-Group leaders.

“APU students will have their voices heard in a timely manner, so that they don’t have a semester without meeting in their groups or a semester feeling overwhelmed with nobody caring, and will hopefully have a positive and proactive experience in and through their D-group,” ODM undergraduate intern Megan Mayorga said.

Mayorga said the office is seeking to strengthen its emphasis on diversity and community. There are now D-Groups that focus on common interests between members, such as weight training, nursing and commuting.

At the end of each semester, D-Group leaders complete surveys and return them to their SALT representatives to inform them of how group meetings are going.

“[The surveys] help me to know that every single one of our D-Group leaders is being reached out to, prayed for and they have the chance to meet in person on a monthly basis with one of our SALT reps in the office,” ODM associate campus Pastor Coba Canales said. “That’s something that was always a desire before, but now it’s an expectation.”