The Red Letter Disciple

097: Grant Skeldon on Raising Up Disciples in the Next Generation, Why Pastors Chase Celebrity Status, and if Platform Gospel is the New Prosperity Gospel

Apr 8, 2025

Grant Skeldon, Next Gen Director for Thinq Media and part of the Way Church preaching team, discusses the urgent need to cultivate a vibrant discipleship culture among younger generations. He shares insights on overcoming the challenges of mentorship, emphasizing the importance of intergenerational relationships in spiritual growth. The conversation also critiques the trend of pastors chasing celebrity status and questions whether the platform gospel is the new prosperity gospel. They engage in humor with a fast-food burger showdown, blending tasty debates with deeper faith discussions.

01:07:47

Episode guests

Grant Skeldon

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Effective discipleship bridges the generational divide within the church, encouraging both older and younger members to motivate each other's faith journeys.

Younger generations prioritize meaningful impact over financial gain, calling for a purpose-driven approach to discipleship that addresses their deep motivations.

Authentic relationships and affirmation of young leaders' gifts foster a vibrant church culture, enhancing collaboration between different age groups.

Deep dives

Empowering Discipleship Across Generations

The podcast highlights the significance of fostering discipleship within the church by bringing together older and younger generations. It emphasizes that pastors can encourage discipleship not just for themselves but also challenge their congregants to be great disciples. Grant Skelton, a next-gen discipleship expert, shares his insights on how both age groups can motivate each other in their faith journeys. He believes that effective discipleship is essential in helping younger generations navigate their spiritual paths amid contemporary challenges.

Intro

4min

Cultivating Discipleship Through Mentorship

21min

Navigating Discipleship Across Generations

28min

Bridging Generations: Lessons from 'Remember the Titans' for Church Unity

6min

Connecting Generations: The Power of Discipleship and Gratitude

3min

The Great Fast Food Burger Showdown

2min

Fast Food Showdown and Generational Discipleship

4min

Grant Skeldon is the Next Gen Director for Thinq Media, helping bridge faith and culture. He’s on the preaching team at Way Church in Nashville, where he and his wife, Cheyenne, also serve as Directors of Culture. They love discipleship, Spikeball, Smash Bros, and burgers at Jack Brown’s. Grant is one of the leading voices when it comes to raising up disciples in the next generation. To learn more about the podcast or access the show notes, visit www.redletterpodcast.com.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Children’s HopeChest, an organization that’s rethinking global missions in all the right ways.

Here’s what I love about their model: They don’t just step into a community and create long-term dependency. They invest in local leaders, build sustainable plans, and have a clear exit strategy—empowering people rather than creating a system where they always need outside help. As a pastor, I spent a long time looking for a global mission partner that actually helps without hurting, and HopeChest checks all the right boxes.

Global mission work isn’t optional for the Church—it’s part of our calling. So if your church doesn’t have a solid global partner yet (or if you’re looking for one that actually works), it’s time to get in the game. How? Start with a vision trip. This summer, HopeChest is leading trips to Guatemala, Uganda, and Ethiopia—and you should go.

Check them out and sign up at www.hopechest.org/lutheran.

Huge thanks to HopeChest for sponsoring Season 8 and for doing missions the right way.

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Resources mentioned in the episode:

Thinq Media

Way Church

The Passion Generation: The Seemingly Reckless, Definitely Disruptive, But Far From Hopeless Millennials By Grant Skeldon

Key insights from the episode:

We treat salvation like it is the finish line; instead, it’s the launching pad. - Grant Skeldon

Mentorship is adding something to your calendar, but discipleship is adding someone to your calendar. - Grant Skeldon

If you want to be mentored by someone, find out what they like to do and join them.

Young people are more motivated to make a difference in the world. - Grant Skeldon

Don’t use Jesus as a stepping stone to build your wealth, platform, and purpose. - Grant Skeldon

Get the most influential young people to hang with the most influential older folks and do a retreat. - Grant Skeldon

Grant Skeldon’s Challenge: Text the older person who had an impact on you, and say thank you.

Are you following Jesus?

Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. We extensively studied everything Jesus commanded of us and located five key targets to which Jesus invited His followers. The five targets are Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.

In partnership with LifeWay Research, we created a Red Letter Challenge Assessment that will measure you according to these five targets. And the best news of all: it’s free! You will receive your results immediately and be presented with the next steps to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.

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