Julie McBee thought she knew youth ministry. After all, she’d been volunteering for over a decade —first at First Covenant Church in Portland, and now at Access Covenant, a small church in Southeast Portland. Her youth group was strong. Young people were showing up. Programs were running.

But it didn’t take long before she sensed there was more: more depth to pursue, more leaders to develop, more discipleship to cultivate.“

I can go through the motions,” she said. “I can keep this wheel turning. But there’s so much more to be had.”

Julie’s holy restlessness collided with divine timing when she connected with Erik Cave, a leader in the Evangelical Christian Church conference. Julie shared with him that she wanted to go deeper, to build something lasting, something rooted in discipleship—and not just for the youth, but for the whole church. Erik didn’t hesitate.

“I have something for you,” he said.

What he had was the TENx10 Relational Discipleship Kickstart. Julie said yes—and it became the catalyst for a ministry-wide transformation.

‍Discipling Like Jesus

‍“The Kickstart opened up my eyes to true discipleship the way Jesus did it,” Julie said. “I knew I didn’t just want to run a youth program anymore; I wanted to grow disciples. I wanted to grow me.”

Part of relational discipleship is intentionally developing leaders. “I looked around and asked, ‘Who do we see? Who can we nurture and bring in and grow to be our next leaders?’”

The Kickstart provided that space to expand her understanding of leadership and discipleship. “Every session, I felt like, ‘Yes. I needed this,’ Julie said. “The content was so well laid out and so immediately applicable.”

‍From Volunteers to Vision Carriers

‍She began applying the tools immediately. With youth events coming up, she invited parents and other adults in the church to volunteer at the outings. “We’re going to play games, eat snacks, and chat about Jesus.” It was a simple invitation rooted in a relational vision.

The response was immediate. Families came to special youth events. Parents got involved. And while they didn’t always sign up for yearlong commitments, many left asking how they could support future events. Julie saw an opportunity to cast a vision for how every adult could help form the faith of young people.

And Julie really was casting vision. Parents began to imagine themselves not as just helpers—but as part of something holy. One mom of a younger child told her, “That reminded me of my own youth group days. I can’t wait for my kid to be part of this.”

Relational discipleship wasn’t just for the students. It was transforming the adults too.

“I’ve realized that when adults show up for youth, it’s not just about filling a volunteer slot,” Julie said. “It’s about spiritual growth—for all of us. It’s about walking through life together—like Jesus did with his disciples. That’s what brings kids back to church week after week, eager to develop a relationship of their own with Jesus.”

Julie began planning ahead, reaching out early, and giving volunteers a clear picture of what relational investment looked like. Instead of scrambling for last-minute help, she was cultivating a team of adults who were spiritually investing.

And the impact was unmistakable.

‍Youth Who Lead, Not Just Attend

‍Through the Kickstart, Julie began to see leadership differently. “I used to think I had to be the one with the plan,” she said. “Now I realize I’m here to equip.

”The youth started taking ownership. Julie created a youth leadership team of high school juniors and seniors. These students didn’t just help—they led. They planned full lessons, initiated outreach to newcomers, and looked after younger students during outings.

The response surprised her. Students were eager—not for popularity, but for purpose. “They help lead the whole youth night,” Julie said. “And they love it.

”Even better? The younger students couldn’t wait to step in.

“Our freshmen were asking, ‘When do we get to be leaders?’” she laughed. “That was the moment I knew something had shifted.”

At a beach gathering, freshmen students chose to hang out with older student leaders instead of only flocking to each other. One senior bonded deeply with a mentor who was carrying a heavy personal burden and continued showing up anyway. “That leader didn’t step away,” Julie said. “They leaned in—and that consistency meant the world.”

Relational discipleship became visible to the entire church. The culture shifted.

Julie started noticing other signs of change. Students were “working the room” during Sunday morning service, welcoming newcomers, striking up conversations, making sure everyone felt seen.

“They don’t wait for someone to tell them,” she said. “They just do it.”

When a freshman prepared for baptism, one of the junior leaders came to Julie with a question that stopped her in her tracks: “What’s my role in that?” They weren’t content to be bystanders. They wanted to contribute–even in something as sacred as a Baptism.

“They saw it as their ministry,” Julie recalled. “Their youth group. Their church.”

It was more than youth empowerment. It was spiritual ownership.

‍Equipping the Whole Body

‍The adults grew, too. One volunteer was carrying a heavy personal load, and when Julie offered to release her from her commitment, she refused.

“She said, ‘No—I need this. This helps my mental and spiritual health,” Julie recalled.

It wasn’t just the youth being discipled. It was the adults. It was Julie herself.

“I used to see myself as the leader and them as helpers,” she said. “But the Kickstart helped me see that we’re all learning. We’re in this together.”

She began inviting the church’s pastor more intentionally into the relational discipleship process. “I used to think, ‘He’s the pastor! He doesn’t have time or interest in being involved in this,’ she recalls. “But we needed to align. And he was so energized by all the changes we were making in our youth discipleship. He’s seen the impact on the whole congregation.”

‍Middle Schoolers and the Future Church‍

Julie’s heart beats especially for middle schoolers. “They’re like toddlers in grown-up bodies,” she said, laughing. “They’re just little sponges, eager to soak it all in.”

Though Access doesn’t yet have many middle schoolers, Julie is ready to start—even if just one shows up. “Let’s go throw a frisbee in the park and talk about Jesus,” she said. “If that’s the opportunity, I’m taking it.”

Because for Julie, this isn’t about filling a room. It’s about planting seeds. It’s about building a faith community where young people don’t age out—but grow in. “I want our students to say, ‘This is my church. This is part of my identity,’” she said. “And then when they go to college or get jobs, they’ll come back—because they still belong.”

‍The TENx10 Effect‍

Julie credits the Relational Discipleship Kickstart with unlocking this vision. It gave her tools. Language. Clarity. But more than that, it gave her permission to reimagine what youth discipleship could be.

“It helped me realize we’re building something new,” she said. “Something organic. Something alive. Something our church has never seen before.”

That “something” is a culture of relational discipleship—where youth are empowered, adults are engaged, and Jesus is at the center.

She’s still growing. Still asking. Still learning.

“I keep going back to TENx10 asking, ‘What else do you have for me?’” she said.

And in the meantime, she keeps doing the work: discipling students, equipping adults, building systems, and sparking change one relationship at a time.

“Through the TENx10 Kickstart, I learned to see the whole church differently,” she said. “I’m still on this journey. But now I have language, tools, and a team.”

And it all started with a simple “yes.”

‍A Challenge for Every Church

‍Julie’s story is more than inspiring—it’s instructive. It shows what’s possible when a volunteer says “yes” to relational discipleship radically focused on Jesus. When a pastor chooses alignment. When a church makes room for youth to lead and belong.

“Youth don’t bring in money,” Julie said. “But they grow the church. They are our future—and our present.”

And when a church prioritizes the thriving of young people’s faith, everything begins to shift.