S6 Episode 6: From Assimilation to Disciple Multiplication — Part 2 (Equipping People to Develop Others)

When a faithful volunteer is ready to grow, do you give them more tasks—or help them develop someone else? In Part 2 of From Assimilation to Disciple Multiplication, Jason Phelps and Brian Phipps explore how you can help people move beyond participation into their calling as disciples who make disciples. Drawing on Ephesians 4 and the way Jesus developed his disciples, they discuss why equipping others belongs at the center of ministry leadership. They also unpack Explore, Develop, Influence—a way to describe growth in character, calling, and the ability to help others follow Jesus alongside your church’s existing connection pathway. In this episode: Why obedience helps people develop competence. How to encourage initiative while maintaining meaningful connection to the local church. The difference between managing volunteer positions and stewarding people. Why participation alone doesn’t tell you whether disciples are growing. How to build disciple-making practice into ministries you already have. Your next step Draw your church’s current pathway. Where does it end, and what development happens next? Choose one gap you can address through an existing ministry or relationship. For a broader look at your church’s disciple-making capacity, take the Disciple Multiplication Capacity Assessment. “Don’t measure your leadership by how many people you can recruit to ministry. Measure it by how many people you equip and release into theirs.” — Brian Phipps