The Disciple-Making Church profile reflects the combined strengths of Leadership and Formation within the Encourager LIFE framework. These churches often demonstrate a strong commitment to helping people grow in Christ while also developing leaders who can guide, equip, and multiply disciples.
As a Disciple-Making Church, you are often energized by spiritual maturity, biblical teaching, leadership development, and intentional growth pathways. You value helping people move from belief to obedience, from attendance to participation, and from learning to faithful living.
Disciple-Making Churches frequently become places where people are taught, trained, mentored, and equipped for long-term faithfulness in Christ.
How LIFE Shapes This Expression
Encourager LIFE is built around four emphases of church flourishing: Leadership, Influence, Formation, and Engagement. The Disciple-Making Church combines the strengths of Leadership and Formation, creating churches that develop both mature disciples and faithful leaders.
Common Strengths
- Creates intentional discipleship pathways
- Develops spiritually mature leaders
- Values Scripture, prayer, and obedience
- Equips people for ministry and service
- Connects biblical teaching with practical life
- Mentors and trains emerging leaders
- Helps people grow beyond attendance into maturity
- Encourages long-term faithfulness and Christlike character
Potential Growth Areas
- May become more classroom-focused than mission-focused
- Can overemphasize training without enough practical activation
- May struggle to create easy entry points for new people
- Can become dependent on a few gifted teachers or leaders
- May need stronger community engagement pathways
- Can unintentionally measure knowledge more than transformation
- Needs to connect discipleship with outward witness and service
Disciple-Making Themes Often Associated with This Profile
Recommended Next Steps
Practices and opportunities that often help Disciple-Making Churches flourish include:
Biblical Examples
Jesus and the Twelve
Scripture: Mark 3:13–15; Matthew 28:18–20
Jesus formed disciples by calling them to be with Him, teaching them the ways of the Kingdom, and sending them to continue His mission.
Paul and Timothy
Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:5–7; 2 Timothy 2:2
Paul invested deeply in Timothy, encouraging him to guard the faith, grow in courage, and entrust what he had received to faithful people who could teach others.
The Ephesian Church
Scripture: Acts 20:17–32; Ephesians 4:11–16
The church in Ephesus was strengthened through teaching, leadership, equipping, and the call for the whole body to grow toward maturity in Christ.
LIFE in Church Ministry
The Disciple-Making Church profile does not suggest that discipleship is limited to classes, programs, or curriculum. True discipleship involves life with Jesus, obedience to His Word, participation in His mission, and growth in Christlike love.
Healthy Disciple-Making Churches recognize that formation should produce faithful leaders, mature believers, active servants, and disciples who help others follow Jesus.
Making Disciples
Key Verse: Matthew 28:19–20
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them… and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
The calling of a Disciple-Making Church is to help people follow Jesus, obey His teaching, grow in maturity, and participate in making disciples of others.
As Disciple-Making Churches mature, teaching becomes transformation, leadership becomes equipping, and formation becomes a shared life of following Jesus together.