Discipleship Starts Small but Lasts

Jesus builds his kingdom by forming
ordinary people into disciples.

Kingdom Culture involves forming disciples who live sent. Below are some key questions for your leadership to consider. They are summarized from Rev. Dr. Eun Strawser’s interview, Part 3. Listen to the full GC Podcast here.

Join the self-paced book club based on Strawser’s book, Centering Discipleship.

1. Do you need to admit that discipleship is peripheral?

Change begins with humble honesty. Examine:

• • Your assumptions about the congregation
  • Your assumptions about yourselves
  • Your pride

Humility is not optional; it is foundational to Christlike leadership.

2. What does our members’ behavior reveal about our priorities?

Structures and systems matter, but behavior tells the truth. What assumptions about “how church works” might need to be uprooted? Examine:

• • What assumptions our systems reinforce
  • Whether those systems actually produce Christlike lives

This is “humble work” — but it produces concrete next steps.

3. Can we agree to start small?

If we started small, what would a first discipleship core look like in our context? Who should be invited? For established churches:

• • Do not roll out a massive new program.
  • Start with a small discipleship core.
  • Experiment.
  • Learn.
  • Build credibility through lived examples.

This is both strategic and kind.

4. Where are the people already burning with mission but needing clarity and support?

Begin with specific types of people:

• • Those with decision-making authority
  • Those with relational authority (trusted influencers)
  • Those with scriptural authority (spiritually respected)
  • Those already living missionally outside church walls

When these people are discipled intentionally, they become future disciple-makers and catalysts for multiplication.

---

Jesus builds his kingdom by forming ordinary people into disciples. Discipleship is about becoming people whose lives reflect Christ’s character, wisdom, theology, and sent-ness.