Discipleship

Discipleship at EDA is rooted in the charge found in Matthew 28:19—20— making disciples of all nations. It is not a quick or transactional process. It is a lived experience marked by deep relationships, intentional growth, and holistic transformation.

It is a residential program designed to develop Disciple-Making Leaders among young Christian adults. Located in the serene environment of Kajjansi Town Council, Wakiso District in Uganda, it provides a holistic, immersive discipleship experience rooted in the teachings and person of Jesus the Saving King. Our program selected participants live, learn, and grow in community through spiritual disciplines, practical life skills, and mentorship. EDA is not another discipleship initiative; it is a ministry shaped by intentional relationships and a commitment to transformation that begins with communion with God.

What sets the Discipleship at EDA apart

• Relational Approach: Participants live together in a community, learning, sharing, and growing daily.
• Spiritual Disciplines: Daily practice in unhurriedness, prayer, worship, scripture reading, solitude, and more.
• Life-on-Life Mentorship: Guidance from experienced leaders and mentors who model Christlikeness in word and deed.
• Holistic Training: Participants are equipped spiritually, emotionally, and practically, including vocational skills like crafts and soap making.
• Multiplication Focus: Every participant is challenged and equipped to disciple two others beyond the program.

Spiritual Disciplines Practiced

• Unhurriedness
• Prayer
• Worship
• Bible Reading
• Silence and Solitude
• Meditation
• Gratitude
• Confession and Forgiveness
• Sabbath
• Fasting
• Generosity

Participants are not only formed spiritually but are also equipped to live out their faith practically. By abiding in Jesus and committing to these practices, they experience deep transformation and become agents of transformation in their communities.

What Co-hort Participants Are Saying

Ageno Defrone (Age 20,)
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Compassion for accepting me to be a part of Emmanuel Discipleship Academy. I really do not take it for granted. May God bless you so much. During my stay, I have learnt what it means to be a true disciple. I have also learnt spiritual disciplines like worship, silence, meditation, prayer, unhurriedness, gratitude, repentance, and quiet time. Above all, special thanks to Emmanuel Discipleship Academy for all the knowledge they have imparted to me. I believe it was not a waste, and I hope to extend it to my fellow peers. Thanks so much.

Allen Lonnah Hellen (Age 20)
It has been a great pleasure for me to be part of the Emmanuel Discipleship Academy (EDA) family. Before I joined the EDA course, I thought being a Christian was just going to church and trying to be a good person. But throughout the course, God has really opened my eyes. I have learnt that being a disciple means being a follower of Jesus and surrendering every part of my life to Jesus. One of the biggest changes was in my relationship with the Word. Before, I struggled to even open my Bible regularly. Now, reading scripture has become part of my daily life. I don’t just read because I have to, but because I want to hear God’s Word, and it has helped me fight temptations with truth instead of doubt. Now I know that without doubt,t I will never be the same again.

Alwedo Rebecca (Age 19)
I extend my sincere appreciation and gratitude to God for such a great opportunity to be part of this journey at EDA. I hereby take this great chance to express my grateful heart and mind towards the Compassion community for the opportunity that I received towards this transformational camp at EDA, and I pray blessings upon you. During this second cohort, I have been impacted spiritually through the different topics we have learnt during this season. I will do my best to extend the knowledge to my fellow peers out there, to ensure that all this work done by me does not end in vain. I also want to thank God for the good, compassionate heart that He has given to the EDA community.

Atwijukire David (Age 19)
I want to thank Compassion International for granting me this great opportunity among the many people so that I am able to attend this discipleship training. My stay at Emmanuel Discipleship Academy (EDA) has been a long and impactful journey in my life. Firstly, my understanding of God has been challenged. It is at EDA that I came to learn more about the true gospel. Secondly, I have improved in my biblical understanding, and mostly what the Bible commands me to do, which has deepened my relationship with God. I have also received mentorship on different aspects of life and learnt how to manage different situations. I have also acquired some life skills, and physically, I have learnt different types of games. Lastly, I am happy to have been given an opportunity to come to EDA, where I met friends who have become family not by blood but by love, peace, and joy. I am so grateful for this opportunity. Thank you.

Atulinda Moses (Age 19)
I take this opportunity to thank both EDA and Compassion International for the chance they have given me to develop my spiritual discipline. Before I came to EDA, I never knew what being a disciple meant, but now I am able to tell what a disciple means and am ready to do what a disciple is expected to do. I again thank EDA for it has helped to strengthen my relationship with God through communing with Him through spiritual disciplines like worship, prayer, unhurriedness, silence, and solitude, among others. And I thank all those who have sacrificed time and money to enable our well-being both physically and spiritually. May God bless you.

Amutuhaire Josephine (Age 20)
II take this golden opportunity to thank Compassion International for having given me an opportunity to be one of the participants in this amazing discipleship program of Emmanuel Discipleship Academy in Spring Season Cohort 2. On another key and special note, I joyfully submit my message full of gratitude with no doubt to the EDA Fraternity for having helped me to know my role as a follower of Jesus Christ. More so, understanding more about the Bible, especially in terms of the proper contextuality of the scriptures. Finally, through EDA, I believe that with Christ in me, and obeying the great commission of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 1-28:18-20, I will be able to transform individuals who will transform communities. Long live Compassion International. Long live the EDA fraternity.

Mandali Derrick (Age 22)
I am grateful to God for having been given an opportunity through Compassion to come to Emmanuel Discipleship Academy. This has helped me to grow both spiritually and socially. Initially, I didn’t know what being a disciple meant. I now understand that being a disciple is to live a life like that of Jesus. I can now practice some of the spiritual disciplines such as worship, unhurriedness, silence, and not forgetting obedience, which leads to communing with God, thus transformation. Socially, we have lived as a family, which has enabled me to develop love as Jesus commanded. Thank you.

Kakuru Joshua (Age 19)
I want to forward my whole-hearted appreciation to the entire EDA community for the great opportunity which I know was not automatic to have chosen me from the many to be part of those participating in the whole spiritual growth on my vacation. I take the honor as one of a kind for all I have obtained at my stay here including the quiet time, spiritual disciplines (prayer, unhurriedness, silence, and many others) and also for the general hard work I have obtained through the different skills like cooking, cake making, and many others as per the different mentors. I promise to remain focused as I look for my other two disciples.

Ngolobe Paul (Age 18)
I am so glad and happy for the opportunity that was given to me to be part of Emmanuel Discipleship Academy (EDA) as a participant in the year 2025. The training has been so good on my side because it has changed me a lot in my spiritual life. It has helped me to grow more in my spiritual life and understand more about Christianity and discipleship. Before EDA, I used to think that a disciple is just a follower of Jesus, but I got to learn that a disciple is a learner who is able to walk with Jesus Christ and is also willing to live like Him. This understanding helps in communing and abiding with God which leads to spiritual transformation through bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit in my life, including love and many others. Love you all.

Ochola Max (Age 19)
I’m honored to write to you today, humbled by the experience I’ve had in this discipleship program. I have learned so much about faith, community, and serving others. I’m grateful for the mentors, peers, and everyone who supported me on this journey. This program has deepened my understanding and commitment to my faith, and I’m excited to apply these lessons in my life and share them with others. Attending this discipleship program has been a transformative experience for me. I have grown in my faith, gained new perspectives, and developed meaningful relationships. I have learned the value of perseverance, compassion, and humility. I’m excited to continue on this journey, applying the lessons I have learned to make a positive impact in my community and beyond. As I reflect on my time in this discipleship program, I’m reminded of the importance of living out our faith in practical ways. I have learned that discipleship isn’t just about knowledge but about action. I encourage each of you to consider how you can serve others, share your faith, and make a difference in your community. I’m committed to extending this experience to others as encouraged in 2 Timothy 2:2. I take this great honor to appreciate Compassion International and EDA for the privilege to attend this program; may the Almighty God bless you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Wanyana Shamirah (Age 18)
I thank God for my stay at Emmanuel Discipleship Academy (EDA), for it has been a really great opportunity in both my physical and spiritual life. For real, it has caused a different and great positive change in my life. I am full of gratitude for having been able to understand deeply how I can commune with God through the practice of spiritual disciplines such as meditation and silence. I also learnt the clear meaning of prayer, which I usually misunderstood. Not only have I benefited spiritually, but also physically, socially, and mentally. May God sustain this program to continue helping other young adults to become disciple-making leaders, as it has helped me.