The Disciple Maker‘s Podcast

Pastor DZ of Good Hope Missionary Baptist (Houston) joins the Disciplemakers podcast to share how he shifted a traditional, 153-year-old church from an attractional 'churchtainment' model to a disciple-making culture. He discusses raising expectations for membership, making discipleship a requirement, using life groups and digital tools, and investing in leadership to grow spiritually mature believers who make other disciples. They also talk about the National Disciplemaking Forum, practical first steps for leaders wanting to reset their church’s operating system, and the joy and renewed purpose that comes from aligning ministry with Jesus’ call to make disciples.

Join us for the 2026 National Disciple Making Forum: https://discipleship.org/2026-national-disciple-making-forum/ In this episode Ed Kang shares a 40-year story of collegiate church planting and life-on-life discipleship, explaining how close proximity, daily rhythms, and practical ministry contexts multiply disciples and launch churches. He contrasts program-focused church culture with relational, obedience-based training, and invites leaders to embrace community, authority, and team-based disciple making.

Join us for the 2026 National Disciple Making Forum: https://discipleship.org/2026-national-disciple-making-forum/ Check out the Church Disciple Making Culture Assessment: https://discipleship.org/disciple-making-culture/  Stay informed - Get our newsletter:  http://eepurl.com/hPViAr In this episode Josh and Bobby Harrington continue their conversation on the seven practices of disciple making churches, drawn from a study of nine high‑impact congregations. They unpack each practice. Listeners will find actionable guidance, real church stories, and resources (including the book and a national forum) to help their church move from attractional programming to a culture of disciples who make disciples.

Join us for the 2026 National Disciple Making Forum: https://discipleship.org/2026-national-disciple-making-forum/ Check out the Church Disciple Making Culture Assessment: https://discipleship.org/disciple-making-culture/  Stay informed - Get our newsletter:  http://eepurl.com/hPViAr   Josh Howard and Dr. Bobby Harrington discuss their new book, The Seven Practices of Disciple Making, and the research that uncovered North American churches that actually multiply disciples. They explain the level system, the surprising finding that fewer than 5% of churches had reproducing disciple making cultures, and how nine Level 5 churches were identified through objective assessment and interviews. The episode highlights practical takeaways for church leaders: define what a disciple is, mobilize everyday members (not just paid staff), measure real disciple making outcomes, and explore resources like the National Disciple Making Forum and the book to help build a multiplying culture.

Join us for the 2026 National Disciple Making Forum: https://discipleship.org/2026-national-disciple-making-forum/ Stay informed - Get our newsletter:  http://eepurl.com/hPViAr   Join the Disciple Makers podcast LionShare session featuring Laurie Jarvis and Dr. Greg Campbell as they discuss how discipleship shapes their vocations in education and government. They share personal stories, practical strategies, and examples of multiplying disciple-makers across schools, law enforcement, prisons, and sports teams. Hear clear, actionable steps for pastors and church leaders to equip marketplace believers, simple tools to build discipleship habits, and inspiring testimonies of transformed lives and multiplying groups.

Join us for the 2026 National Disciple Making Forum: https://discipleship.org/2026-national-disciple-making-forum/ Stay informed - Get our newsletter:  http://eepurl.com/hPViAr   Dr. Greg Campbell recounts how a pastor’s intentional mentorship transformed his life—from inner-city roots to federal leadership—demonstrating how pastors can disciple marketplace leaders through trust, relationship, and practical coaching. This episode highlights a repeatable model: committed relationships, real-life demonstration, and systems of care that build character, multiply leadership, and extend faith beyond the church into families, careers, and missions.

Join us for the 2026 National Disciple Making Forum: https://discipleship.org/2026-national-disciple-making-forum/  Host Josh Howard interviews Alice Matagora from The Navigators about making disciple making accessible and repeatable. They discuss her journey, research from her book, and practical ways to invite others into everyday spiritual rhythms. Key takeaways: keep disciple making simple, start where you are (fumble forward), identify your personal "why," and invite people into real life so they can learn by watching and repeating. Alice also shares resources and will speak at the National Disciple making Forum in Houston.

Dr. Bobby Harrington, founder of Discipleship.org and Renew.org and longtime church planter, discusses Jesus-style disciple making and the five levels of disciple-making culture. He explains individual and church assessments, contrasts Level Four and Level Five cultures, and teases findings about emerging Level Five churches and practical resources to help churches reproduce disciple-makers.

Join us for the 2026 National Disciple Making Forum: https://discipleship.org/2026-national-disciple-making-forum/ In this session from the DiscipleMakers podcast, Dave Buehring explains how churches can help marketplace leaders catch Jesus’ kingdom vision for their vocations and live on mission where they work. You'll explore practical steps to envision, equip, and engage vocational teams, create a disciple-making culture, and mobilize professionals—teachers, doctors, business leaders, artists, and more—to reflect God’s character and advance the kingdom in their spheres.

Join us for the 2026 National Disciple Making Forum: https://discipleship.org/2026-national-disciple-making-forum/ Get Jim Putman's new book -- Homegrown Leaders: Creating a Unified Leadership Development Culture for Staff and Elders:  https://a.co/d/0eg1Z01k In this episode Jim Putman explains the principles behind his new book, Homegrown Leaders, and shows how churches can raise leaders from within through relational disciple-making, shared training for staff and elders, and a long-term coaching mindset rather than hiring from outside. Jim contrasts broken systems with a homegrown approach, offers practical first steps leaders can take, and points listeners to resources like the Relational Discipleship Network and discipleship.org for further help.