In this episode of the Disciple-Making Leader Podcast, Ben Borgman, Craig Etheredge, and Glenn Underhill move from identifying the problem in discipleship to offering a clear solution: a defined pathway rooted in the life of Jesus.
They unpack why many pastors feel uncertain about whether discipleship is actually happening – and how that uncertainty often comes from lacking both a clear definition of a disciple and a process to develop one. Drawing from Jesus’ ministry and the Great Commission, the conversation highlights how a disciple-making pathway brings clarity, alignment, and measurable progress to the life of a church.
Rather than offering a menu of disconnected programs, Jesus modeled a map – an intentional, relational, and reproducible process that moves people from exploring faith to multiplying disciples.
Key Topics
- Why pastors struggle to measure discipleship effectiveness
- The importance of defining what a disciple actually is
- The “3D” framework: Devoted, Developing, Deployed
- What a disciple-making pathway is (and what it’s not)
- How Jesus’ life reveals a clear, repeatable process
- Moving from a “menu” of programs to a “map” for transformation
- Aligning church ministries around a unified pathway
- Common challenges in implementing and sustaining disciple-making
Core Insight
A disciple-making pathway is Jesus’ strategic process for moving people from irreligious to multiplying disciples. Without it, churches often lack clarity, alignment, and the ability to measure true spiritual growth.
Overview:
- 00:00 Challenges in measuring discipleship success
- 04:36 Realizing a new church approach
- 08:44 Importance of clear definitions
- 12:45 Studying the harmony of the Gospels
- 15:34 Rediscovering biblical harmonies
- 17:37 Exploring phases of discipleship
- 20:28 Supernatural process and intentionality
- 23:26 Jesus and relational investment
- 29:17 Customized fitness training vs. general gym usage
- 32:01 Evaluating and improving processes
- 34:12 Celebrating milestones and growth
- 38:56 Understanding Jesus through key events
- 42:14 Encouragement to seek spiritual guidance
- 45:15 Working with diverse church groups
- 47:11 Challenges in spiritual growth paths
- 49:33 Discipleship and staying connected
- 53:03 Discussing Lifeway discipleship study
Discussion Questions:
- Why do you think clarity on defining and measuring discipleship is such a widespread challenge in churches today?
- What are some distinctions or obstacles they encountered, and how did they address them?
- How does having a succinct and actionable definition impact a church’s disciple-making efforts?
- What do you think about the “3Ds” (Devoted, Developing, Deployed) framework? Are there aspects you would add or clarify?
- Why is the menu versus map analogy significant, and how can this perspective shift benefit a church or ministry?
- The importance of studying the “harmony of the Gospels” is discussed as a means of uncovering Jesus’ own disciple-making pattern. How might this approach change one’s view of ministry strategy and church programming?
- How do you balance planned, strategic disciple-making processes with an openness to the unpredictable work of God’s Spirit?
- What insights do you draw from the episode about leading change and overcoming resistance?
- The episode mentions various benefits of having a defined pathway, such as alignment, evaluative clarity, and celebratory milestones. Which of these benefits do you find most compelling or challenging to realize in your ministry setting?
- What practical steps from Craig Etheredge and Glenn Underhill’s experiences could you apply to sustain movement and momentum in disciple-making in your context?
