Making Disciples: Moving Beyond Decisions
Somewhere along the way, many churches in North America—especially in Canada—have equated success with attendance and decisions. We’ve counted raised hands, filled-out cards, and salvations as the ultimate win. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing more beautiful than seeing someone make a commitment to follow Jesus. Heaven rejoices every time a lost soul comes home.
But if we stop there, we miss the very heart of Jesus’ mission. Jesus didn’t just call us to make converts. He called us to make disciples.
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…”
The Great Commission is not a call to create a crowd; it’s a call to cultivate followers. Discipleship is the difference between a moment of emotion and a lifetime of transformation. And for the Church today, this must be our renewed focus.
Conversion Is the Beginning, Not the Goal
When Jesus called His first disciples, He didn’t hand them a “decision card.” He invited them into a relationship: “Come, follow Me.” It was an invitation to a new way of living, thinking, loving, and leading.
Somewhere in our rush to grow our churches, we’ve forgotten that Jesus wasn’t trying to build an audience; He was building an army of apprentices who would carry His mission forward.
That’s why our churches can’t just celebrate commitments; we must cultivate maturity.
A person who prays a salvation prayer on Sunday and then never learns to pray, read Scripture, or serve others is like a baby left at the hospital after birth. The birth is beautiful, but the journey has only begun.
Our calling as pastors and leaders is to help people grow up in Christ.
What Is Discipleship, Really?
Discipleship isn’t about stuffing people’s heads with Bible knowledge or getting them to attend another class. It’s not even primarily a program.
Discipleship is spiritual formation, the ongoing process of becoming more like Jesus in every area of life. It’s learning to think, act, and love the way He did. It’s helping people discover how to live their faith in the everyday realities of work, family, relationships, and community.
Dallas Willard said, “The greatest issue facing the world today… is whether those who identify as Christians will become disciples—students, apprentices, practitioners—of Jesus Christ.”
That’s our challenge. To not just preach to people, but walk with them.
Intentional Pathways, Not Accidental Growth
Growth doesn’t happen by accident. If our churches don’t have a clear pathway for discipleship, we shouldn’t be surprised when people stay spiritually immature.
Many pastors know what needs to happen, discipleship, but they don’t know how to structure it. That’s where intentionality comes in.
Think of a discipleship pathway as a simple, clear journey that helps people take their next step in following Jesus. It’s not a one-size-fits-all formula, but it gives direction.
Here’s a practical framework you could adapt for your context:
Connect – Help people belong before they believe. Relationships are the soil where discipleship grows. Build community through small groups, hospitality, and mentorship.
Grow – Teach them how to walk with God personally: prayer, Scripture, obedience, and listening to the Spirit. Give them simple tools, not just information.
Serve – Help them discover their gifts and use them in the church and community. Serving grows spiritual muscles.
Go – Empower them to share their faith and disciple others. A true disciple makes more disciples.
The key is clarity. People need to know what their next step is. As pastors, we can’t assume they’ll just “figure it out.” Jesus didn’t leave His disciples guessing; He walked with them every step of the way.
How to Build This Without Overcomplicating It
Let’s be honest, many pastors hear the word discipleship strategy and instantly feel overwhelmed. You’re already spinning multiple plates: preaching, caring for people, leading volunteers, and putting out fires. The last thing you need is another complex system.
Here’s the good news: you don’t need a new program, just a new priority.
Discipleship doesn’t require more meetings; it requires more intentionality. It’s about weaving spiritual formation into the natural rhythms of church life.
Here are a few ways to start building a culture of discipleship without overcomplicating it:
1. Start With the Few
Jesus didn’t disciple the 5,000; He discipled the 12. Then, He invested even more deeply in three. Start with a handful of people you can pour into personally: leaders, volunteers, or new believers. Teach them what you know, share your faith practices, pray with them, and model authenticity.
When they begin to grow, challenge them to do the same with others. That’s multiplication. That’s movement.
2. Build Discipleship Into What You’re Already Doing
You don’t have to reinvent your church calendar. You can disciple people through the ministries you already have.
In your sermons: Preach with transformation in mind. End each message with a next step, not just a takeaway.
In your small groups: Train leaders to move from content to conversation to application.
In your serving teams: Use those ministry moments—greeters, worship, tech—as discipling environments. People learn best when they serve together.
When discipleship becomes the why behind everything you do, every ministry becomes a formation opportunity.
3. Train Your Leaders to Shepherd, Not Just Serve
Often, our leaders know how to “do” ministry, but not how to “disciple” people. Equip them with three simple habits:
Ask good spiritual questions (“What is God teaching you right now?”).
Pray intentionally with their teams.
Encourage obedience, not just attendance.
You don’t need a manual, just a mindset shift. When your leaders become spiritual mentors, your church becomes a disciple-making ecosystem.
4. Keep It Relational and Reproducible
If something can’t be reproduced by the average believer, it’s probably too complicated. Keep discipleship simple enough that anyone can do it.
A kitchen table, a Bible, and an open heart are all the ingredients you need.
Making Disciples in Real Life
Discipleship begins with us. People don’t grow from our sermons as much as they grow from our example. Let your congregation see your hunger for Jesus. Be honest about your struggles. Share how you’re growing.
Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” That’s not arrogance, it’s authenticity. Discipleship begins when leaders go first.
And remember: transformation happens best in relationships. Classes and studies can supplement discipleship, but they can’t substitute for it. The real work happens over coffee, in homes, and through shared experiences of prayer, service, and life.
Celebrate stories of growth, not just attendance. When you highlight a life changed, a marriage restored, or a believer stepping into leadership, you’re saying to your church, “This is what matters most.”
A Church That Forms Christ in People
Imagine a church where people don’t just attend but abide.
Where faith isn’t a weekend event but a daily walk.
Where new believers are nurtured, not neglected.
That’s the kind of church that changes communities, towns, and cities.
The future of the church in Canada won’t be built on celebrity pastors or flashy programs; it will be built on ordinary believers who are being transformed by an extraordinary Saviour.
Jesus’ method still works. He invested deeply in a few who multiplied into many. It’s slower, messier, and less glamorous than event-based ministry, but it’s the way of the Kingdom.
“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.”
Discipleship takes patience, humility, and faith. It’s planting seeds that might not sprout for years. But when they do, they produce fruit that lasts.
That’s our calling: to see Christ formed in people. Not just believed in, but reflected in every part of life.
Final Thought
If you’re a pastor reading this and feeling overwhelmed, take heart. You don’t have to overhaul your church overnight. Start by discipling one or two people intentionally. Then teach them to do the same.
Pray for God to give you eyes for the few who are ready to grow deep. Discipleship isn’t about speed; it’s about depth.
When our churches become places that truly form followers of Jesus, we’ll see transformation ripple through our families, communities, and nation.
Let’s not settle for decisions when Jesus called us to make disciples.
Jeremiah works as Church Coach, Communications & Resource Lead with the ABNWT District of the PAOC. He is a passionate and creative leader who believes that the church is the hope of the world. He uses collaboration, innovation, and inspiration to challenge churches and their leadership to engage in the only mission Jesus ever sent his church on: making disciples.