How One Church Built a Disciple-Making Movement | Joey McLaughlin

What if the key to building a thriving church isn't attracting bigger crowds, but making disciples who make disciples? In this episode of the Disciple Makers Podcast, Josh Howard sits down with Joey McLaughlin, pastor of Elevate City Church, to unpack how his church transitioned from traditional, attractional ministry methods to a culture centered on intentional disciple making and multiplication. When Elevate City launched in 2020, Joey and his team initially focused on creating engaging Sunday experiences, growing attendance, and building a successful church. But after several years, Joey began asking a different question: Were they actually making disciples the way Jesus commanded? That question sparked a major transformation. Joey shares how his church began reevaluating its priorities, simplifying ministry programs, and developing a clear, reproducible discipleship pathway designed to help everyday believers grow in their relationship with Jesus and disciple others. At the center of this transformation is Elevate City's Know, Follow, Lead discipleship pathway, which includes practical outreach, spiritual formation, intentional relationships, and leadership development. Joey also explains how their Equip and Equip X programs are helping believers move beyond simply attending church to actively sharing their faith, investing in others, and multiplying disciples across multiple generations. Josh and Joey discuss why disciple making must begin with church leaders personally living out the mission, why churches sometimes need to eliminate good programs to prioritize the best things, and how a simple, repeatable process can lead to lasting spiritual transformation. This conversation is filled with practical insights for pastors, ministry leaders, and anyone passionate about fulfilling the Great Commission. The challenge is simple: Are we building churches filled with attendees, or are we making disciples who will make more disciples? Discover what it looks like to move beyond church growth and build a culture of disciple making that multiplies. Learn More: Discipleship.org: https://discipleship.org Elevate City Church: https://elevatecc.church