01 / EXPOSITORY TEACHING
Expository teaching.
We slow down in Scripture and take the text seriously, tracing what it says, how it fits into the whole biblical story, and how it points us to Jesus.
THE SCHOOL
A school of apprentices.
A free, intentionally small community where young adults learn to walk in the way of Jesus together. Sunday nights, with biblical teaching and honest discussion woven throughout the night.
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01
What we do.
We help young adults learn to follow the way of Jesus.
We’re a free (donor-supported), intentionally small school built around one thing: helping young adults become apprentices of Jesus.
Each week, we gather for food, fellowship, biblical teaching, guided discussion, honest questions, and relational discipleship. The goal is to help students become people who follow Jesus with wisdom, courage, humility, and love.
formation happens up close
Intentionally personal.
The School only grows as far as we can continue to know, mentor, and care for students well.
Personal care belongs inside the vision itself. As more trusted leaders join the work, we can welcome more students without allowing anyone to disappear into the room.
02
An older kind of school.
When we call this a “school,” we do not mean grades, exams, or a modern academic institution. We mean returning to the forgotten ways: a community gathered around a teacher, a way of life, and the pursuit of wisdom.
We are drawing from an older model of apprenticeship: students learning in community from teachers whose lives they can see up close. Think less modern classroom, more Justin Martyr’s School of Philosophers.
Serious Christian thought, honest questions, shared life, and discipleship that happens close enough to be embodied.
This is more than a quick Bible study with a few takeaways. The School is a guided conversation around Scripture, where students learn to ask better questions, see the Bible as a unified story, and connect the teachings of Jesus to the actual situations they are facing.
See also: Influences
the aim of the whole thing
What we are really after.
We want to give students a deep sense of who Jesus is, what he taught, the big story of the Bible, and how their lives fit inside that story. We want them to treat Jesus as Rabbi, Teacher, Lord, and King, and to follow him in ordinary life.
That is why we linger so long in the Sermon on the Mount. It is Jesus’ own vision for a disciple’s life, his kingdom manifesto for the narrow road.
03
Why this matters.
Young adults are drowning in content. YouTube, TikTok, and podcasts never stop talking. But many are starving for rooted community.
A lot of students graduate youth group and quietly get lost in the shuffle. They are no longer kids, but they are not always sure where to go, who will walk with them, or how to keep growing when the structures that held them disappear.
They need theological depth, mentors who can walk through difficult questions without shaming them, and a community of actual Christ followers invested in their lives.
GoodLion lives in that gap.
one evening / one table
What a gathering looks like.
Most gatherings happen Sunday nights from 6–9 PM. The evening begins with about 30 minutes of food and fellowship, then moves into roughly two and a half hours of biblical teaching and discussion, woven together throughout the night.
Rather than hearing a lecture and going straight home, we believe a greater opportunity for deep formation happens through discussion! Our teaching is structured but interactive: we prepare in-depth lessons, then break frequently for real conversation. Students ask questions, push back, and participate throughout. We want these truths not just taught, but caught.
SEE WHAT IS COMING UPhow we teach
02 / BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
Biblical theology.
We follow the big themes of Scripture: creation, covenant, kingdom, exile, Messiah, church, new creation, and the way of Jesus.
03 / VISUAL RESOURCES
Visual resources.
We use slides, images, and short videos from trusted sources like BibleProject to make complex ideas easier to see and discuss.
04 / HONEST DISCUSSION
Honest discussion.
A major part of the School is conversation. Hard questions, doubts, and the practical realities of following Jesus are welcomed into the room.
A room where honest questions can be spoken without shame.
Students can ask questions, interrupt, wrestle with an idea, follow a thread, disagree honestly, and bring the teaching into real life as we go.
The School continues between Sundays through a cohort group chat used for theological discussion, prayer, encouragement, follow-up questions, and the ordinary friendship that turns a class into a community.
04
Who this is for.
The School is primarily built for young adults ages 18–25.
This is the fragile transition between youth group and adult discipleship. It is the season when many young people are asking bigger questions, carrying heavier doubts, making major life decisions, and deciding whether faith in Jesus will become their own.
Who should come as a student?
- Young adults ages 18–25
- High school graduates stepping into adult life
- College-aged students and emerging adults
- Young believers who want deeper roots
- Students who are hungry for Scripture, honest questions, and real Christian community
What about younger students?
Mature students ages 16–17 may be considered when they are recommended by a parent or pastor and ready for a deeper formation environment. For a minor to participate, their church also needs to send an adult leader who participates in the group and takes responsibility for that student. Learn more about younger students.
What about adults 26+?
Some adults outside the primary student range may participate as learners case by case. We especially invite older adults into mentoring, volunteering, discussion leadership, teaching, or other support roles that strengthen the room for the next generation. See how adults 26+ fit.
Is this only available to certain denominations or groups?
Students from different churches and traditions within the historic Christian faith are welcome.
The common thread is hunger: a desire to learn, grow, ask, listen, and follow Jesus more deeply.
the end of the work
What we hope students become.
- Deeply rooted in Scripture
- Honest about their questions
- Loyal to Jesus
- Faithful in the local church
- Wise in a post-Christian world
- Humble enough to learn
- Courageous enough to serve
05
the simple version
Formation takes more than content.
- 01
Study Scripture.
Slowly, seriously, in its own context.
- 02
Follow Jesus.
As Rabbi, Teacher, Lord, and King.
- 03
Ask honest questions.
Doubts and hard things, out loud.
- 04
Practice the way.
Turn biblical understanding into a lived way of life.
- 05
Do it together.
In a room where you are known.
Young adults today are drowning in media. They have endless access to Christian content across multiple platforms. What is rarer and harder to find is patient, consistent mentorship and a community that knows them deeply.
We form apprentices.
plain answers / no fine print
Questions people usually ask.
01Do I have to be religious, or have it all figured out?+
No. Bring curiosity and honesty. Doubts and hard questions are welcome. You do not need the right vocabulary or a settled faith to belong here.
02How big a commitment is it?+
The full formation pathway typically takes around three years, gathering on Sunday nights. That is a realistic estimate rather than a fixed graduation date: guest teachers, special gatherings, breaks, and the needs of the cohort shape the Cohort Schedule along the way.
03Can I join after the cohort has already started?+
Yes. We hope to begin Cohort 02 with a committed core group, but the cohort remains open as the journey continues. If you find us later, reach out and we will help you find your place in the pathway.
04What if I miss a week?+
Life happens. We ask students to attend consistently and communicate when they cannot. When they miss a night, they can review the material as it becomes available.
05Do I need any Bible background?+
None at all. We start with foundations and build from there, together.
06Is there tuition?+
No. Students are not charged tuition. The School is sustained by donors, ministry partners, and our leadership team doing bivocational work to support both their families and the ministry.
07Where and when does it meet?+
The OKC area. Most gatherings happen Sunday nights from 6–9 PM. The exact venue for Cohort 02 goes out to everyone on the interest list, and the Cohort Schedule page always shows the latest published calendar.
there’s a chair at the table
Come and see.
If you want more than surface-level faith, pull up a chair. Cohort 02 begins in early 2027 and remains open as the journey continues.
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