Discipling the Non-Believer

July 22, 2026 / by Eric Jenkins

Growing up in the church, I always looked at discipleship as something that occurred between believers…typically new believers. Serving in ministry at Salem4Youth (A Christian boarding school) for the past 10 years has taught me how one can also disciple those who don’t believe…even teenage boys outwardly opposed to the things of God.

At Salem4Youth we disciple through Relational Evangelism. Salem prioritizes the cultivation of sincere, loving relationships by establishing a foundation of trust and mutual respect, which then enables authentic and significant discussions about faith. The objective is to exemplify Christ’s love through our daily interactions, creating meaningful opportunities to share the gospel in a personal and impactful way. So, while traditional ministry focuses on discipling after conversion, relational evangelism focuses on discipling to conversion. Focusing on a long-term relationship journey rather than a quick ‘presentation’.

When I began serving at Salem4Youth, I felt God had called me ‘to help them boys’. I quickly realized that God had called me to this ministry to work on me, and let the boys watch. This realization came with a little trepidation, as my ‘walk’ would constantly be on display. Was I modeling Christ in the way that I worked, in how I interacted with people, in how I handled problems, and dealt with my emotions? When I did fail, was I responding in a God-honoring way? Letting them see how my faith directly impacts my choices, and being honest with them about my failures is how I begin to establish that trust, and my openness can often make them feel comfortable enough to share what they are thinking and feeling with me.

An advantage we have at Salem4Youth is that the boys live here on campus (captive audience) which gives us many opportunities to build these relationships, and the boys see a wide demographic of Christians who, although different in many ways, live out the same gospel.
I encourage you to think about all the people that you do life with that do not know the Lord…at work, at school, and at home. Work on building relationships that will ultimately lead to gospel conversations.

Eric and his wife, Emily, have been married for 34 years. They have two daughters, Erica and Ellie, who are grown and married, and 4 grandchildren: Mylie, Eden, Madden, and Raiden. Eric and Emily have been involved in the nursery ministry for over 20 years and Eric served as Maintenance Director at East White Oak from 2000 to 2017 when he left to pursue full time ministry at Salem4Youth. Eric enjoys photography, bowhunting, and disc golf.