Many pastors and ministry leaders feel the tension between busy church life and the true mission of making disciples. Sometimes there is lots of motion but little spiritual multiplication. You alone can’t be solely responsible for bringing new believers into your church. Disciplemaking is a job for the whole congregation. Here are some ways to boost disciplemaking in your church.
5 Ways to Boost Disciplemaking in Your Church
1. Foster Spiritual Conversations
Disciplemaking begins with meaningful spiritual conversations, especially with those who are not yet followers of Jesus. Rather than focusing on monologues or lectures, prioritize listening, asking thoughtful questions, and engaging in genuine dialogue. Respectful, curious conversations open doors for the Holy Spirit to work and for relationships to deepen.
Try this: Brainstorm and practice open-ended questions that invite others to share their spiritual journey.
2. Simplify and Share the Gospel
Equip your congregation to clearly and simply explain the good news of Jesus. Many people feel unprepared to articulate their faith, so provide tools and practice opportunities to make the essentials of the gospel accessible and relevant.
Try this: Host workshops where members practice sharing the gospel in a few sentences, using relatable stories or images.
3. Build Relationships
Move beyond programs by creating relational environments—such as small groups, triads, mentoring pairs, or coaching relationships where disciplemaking happens naturally. These settings encourage accountability, spiritual growth, and multiplication in ways that large gatherings cannot.
Try this: Evaluate your current ministries and identify where deeper relationships can be cultivated for intentional disciplemaking.
4. Connect New Believers to Community
Help new followers of Jesus become rooted in a supportive faith community while also encouraging them to maintain connections with their natural networks. This dual approach ensures they receive encouragement and accountability, and it keeps the door open for the gospel to spread through their relationships.
Try this: Walk through your church with the eyes of a new person. What is the general vibe? Who are they encountering? How do they know where to go? Where do they fit in?
5. Encourage Multiplication, Not Just Addition
Disciplemaking is about multiplication—helping new followers become disciplemakers themselves. Cast a vision for generational impact, provide training, and celebrate stories of multiplication. Even small beginnings can lead to exponential growth over time.
Try this: Challenge those you disciple to invest in people outside of the church, and create opportunities for them to lead and teach to help them build confidence and ownership in disciplemaking.
Understand Where You Stand
Creating a disciplemaking culture is a journey, not a one-time event. When people know where they are in their discipleship journey, they can grow intentionally. We developed an online tool that provides a snapshot of personal strengths and opportunities across eight areas that Jesus intentionally developed in his disciples. Explore the FREE Disciple Assessment at discipleassessment.com.
For a snapshot of the 8 dimensions of discipleship, download the FREE Map of Discipleship.