For a Winkler pastor, the creation of a new discipleship school is the fulfillment of a decade-long dream, helped along by a somewhat reluctant prophecy.

Pastor Cory Kehler explains the dream for facilitating deeper discipleship with young adults has been on his heart for many years. But after a decade in youth ministry, Kehler was looking forward to a new season in life and ministry.

However, at a conference in 2015, he found himself picked out from the back of the sanctuary by a prophetic speaker with a message Kehler wasn't expecting.

"He comes walking down the side aisle right back to the very corner, and I'm quite convinced he's coming for someone else, and he finds me kind of hiding out," Kehler explains. "Then he just began to speak over me about a new season coming where I would have an impact on young adults... and here I'm sitting, thinking, 'wow, you have no idea, I actually just said goodbye to that life.'

"I didn't think much of it and moved on with life."

A year later, Kehler joined the staff at Gospel Mission Church in Winkler and found himself drawn into conversations with the congregation about developing a discipleship school.

"The first thing that came into my head was those prophetic words, which I had saved and ran back to," he says. "I didn't expect to be here... you never quite know where, when you say "yes" to God, where He takes us and the surprises that come. But I'm very excited."

The timing was also ripe, Kehler explains. "Through church growth and recognizing that some of the other discipleship schools in the area, for various reasons, were no longer running, we just felt the timing was right to begin the process."

While many discipleship programs have a focus on travel and international missions, Kehler says they've intentionally kept their focus on the local community.

"There's a good number of young adults that stay in our community... but we felt there was something missing. Our desire was to provide students a place where, when they're done school, they're plugged in, they're connected."

The program is also part-time, classes run Tuesday to Thursday from 8:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m to provide students a chance to build relationships and work to answer the question, "how do we do life well?" and "what does it mean to model Christ while working a part-time job and interacting with my family and my friends?"

A mix of instruction and guest speakers will teach on what it looks like to live as a healthy follower of Christ, "and even just a healthy person," Kehler explains. The curriculum will cover everything from prayer, Bible study, becoming a leader, preparing to manage finances well and nurturing healthy relationships.

"We're looking at very practical and spiritual topics," he says. "Doing our best to help students navigate life as a healthy, whole, person."

The school starts on September 10 and ends in April.