Making Disciples with Replicate Podcast
#187: 5 Lessons We've Learned From 17 Years of Training Churches in Disciple-Making
· Summarized
Key takeaways
- True disciple-making involves transforming both strategy and culture within the church.
- Engagement strategies alone will not lead to sustainable disciple-making.
- Shared vision among all church members is crucial for effective multiplication.
- Patience and a long-term commitment are necessary for successful disciple-making movements.
- Discipleship is not just a program; it involves changing lives and cultivating a supportive community.
Summary
Introduction and Overview of Disciple-Making
In this episode, hosts Vick Green and Jeremy Smith reflect on 17 years of experience in disciple-making ministry. They emphasize the heart behind their newly developed 'Movement-Ready Church' initiative and share excitement about a revival seen in various churches. The conversation sets the stage for discussing crucial lessons learned during this extensive experience with the aim of transforming church leaders' perspectives on disciple-making.
Lesson 1: Multiplication is Counterintuitive
The hosts discuss the first major lesson learned over 17 years: multiplication tends to be counterintuitive. They emphasize that while church leaders may instinctively believe they are equipping their congregants effectively, many, especially pastors, have never been personally discipled. This gap leads to engagement-focused strategies that typically fail to empower individuals for genuine disciple-making outside of church programs.
Lesson 2: Culture Trumps Strategy
One of the key insights shared is that multiplication strategy without a conducive disciple-making culture will not sustain long-term results. The hosts recount how their previous focus on strategies ignored the importance of instilling a disciple-making culture, which is essential for meaningful and lasting transformation within churches.
Lesson 3: Shared Vision and Organizational Clarity
The third lesson emphasizes the need for a clear vision that extends beyond just the lead pastor. While a multiplication vision might exist, it often fails to translate into actionable strategies for all church members. To empower individuals at every level and departmental role, the church must create shared vision where members clearly understand their role and how they contribute to the disciple-making mission.
Lesson 4: Patience and Grit Required for Multiplication
Finally, the hosts note that multiplication requires more time and commitment than many church leaders expect. They discuss how change often takes years to materialize and can come with significant challenges. Effective leaders demonstrate grit and perseverance, accepting that setbacks are part of the journey toward meaningful disciple-making.
Sponsors
- Replicate Ministries · Most churches have a passion for multiplication, they just don't know how to do it. After 17 years and working with over 4,000 churches, our team has found many ways to help the church better make disciples. We call this our movement ready church process. It helps your church create a disciple making culture, vision, and strategy that fits your unique context.
- Movement Ready Church Book · If you want more information about our movement ready church process, you can grab the book movement ready church at any place that books are sold. Also, you can join us for any of our movement-ready trainings. We host one-day trainings all across the country and we have a virtual on-demand course that you can go through as a team.
Show notes
In this episode of the Making Disciples podcast, Vick Green and Jeremy Smith unpack 17 years of hard-earned lessons in disciple making and introduce the heart behind the new Movement-Ready Church. They explore why multiplication is counterintuitive, why culture matters more than strategy alone, and why true disciple-making movements require grit and long-term faithfulness. If you’re a church leader who longs to see more than attendance growth—if you want to see real transformation and multiplication—this episode will challenge your thinking and give you a practical pathway forward.
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