In the year 312, Constantine declared Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. Until this time, Christianity survived in small communities of people. With the status as the new state religion, massive conversions took place and the communal sharing and lifestyle was lost to the grandeur of power, and popularity. This gave rise to the church having political influence. It was not long before the church became lost in grand and imposing buildings and the hierarchy of power amongst men.
In response, small little communities began to form. They were fleeing the popularity of the masses and power. They were devoted to re-claiming the communal sharing of life, and relationship, with simple work, and the spiritual practices Jesus taught.
These new communities were called monasteries.
In 563, Saint Columba, a priest from Ireland, decided to take up the career of a missionary. He and twelve monk-companions fled the religious traditions of their day, and sailed off the coast of Ireland, and found a monastery on the island of Iona. From this headquarters, and through a new way of community that involved solitude, small group, and participation in work, meal, learning, and prayers, they became a staging ground, and introduced Christianity to Scotland.
The founders of Training Ground believe this generation is facing a similar time as before.
Mega-churches and mega-programs are not impacting young men in life changing ways despite their abundance. An article in the New York Times reported that only 4% of this generation of teenagers will be bible-believing Christians, down from 65% of the World War II era. In the article, Ron Luce founder of “Acquire the Fire” stadium events responded, “We’ve been working as hard as we know how to work—everyone in youth ministry is working hard—but we’re losing.”
But what if we are working out of the wrong model?
It is our belief that like before, something essential to the faith has been lost.
Discipleship.
We are exploring a new, yet ancient approach for discipleship and mentoring that would reclaim and incorporate those same practices found in monasteries for God, community, prayer, discipleship, and work. And back to Jesus, and how he walked with 12 young men. We are doing it through an outdoor and community approach that speaks to the needs of this generation of young men.
We like to think of it like a firestation, monastery, and orphanage for a young man's heart.
It is our belief that this vision is for the church. A model that is both reproducible and sustainable for the church and for others to use across the nation as God raises his leaders. We envision a new/old way that young men are raised up to become men of God, and life-long followers of Jesus Christ to impact the nations.
By God’s grace, this has become our path, and our plan
