In my role as Senior Director of Leadership and Church Development for the Assemblies of God, I help churches focus on creating a culture of multiplication. I believe Jesus wants to see healthy churches start up and grow stronger. Like many, I used to think about it only in terms of numeric growth. While numeric growth is one important indicator, it’s not the only important indicator. My thinking really changed when I read this quote from Barna:
 
“In virtually every study we conduct, representing thousands of interviews every year, born again Christians fail to display much attitudinal or behavioral evidence of transformed lives.”
David Kinnaman, unChristian
 
That quote hit me like a ton of bricks. It’s not about getting warm bodies through our doors and into our pews. It’s about the evidence of changed lives, in other words “being fruitful” (John 15). Bumper crops are nice, but we should expect better fruit. Would you rather have fifty bushels full of mealy, rotting apples, or one bushel full of the sweetest, ripest, richest red apples you’ve ever sunk your teeth into? The difference is better, not bigger.

It’s not about getting warm bodies through our doors and into our pews. It’s about the evidence of changed lives

What’s the plan?
 
In order to get better fruit, we need a better plan. There are many services you’d never use if they didn’t have a plan. Would you get on an airplane if the pilot didn’t have a plan for getting you to your destination? Would you go to a financial planner who didn’t care about planning for your retirement? Or what about a doctor visit that ended with no plan for your treatment?
 
Discipleship is all about movement. As influential leaders, our goal is for people to move from here to there, and creating discipleship pathways is the best way to accomplish it. 2 Peter 1:3-11 gives us some key indicators for how to create intentional pathways of discipleship:

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

There are three key words and phrases in this text I want to zero in on. These will clarify what it takes to create intentional discipleship pathways.
 
1. Make It Simple
Peter tells us that God’s divine power gives us everything we need to grow and produce better fruit. Our job is to “participate” (verse 4). That involves making it simple for people to walk through a discipleship pathway.
 
The enemy of simple is complicated. The more programs, the more difficult it is for new believers to get involved. And people simply don’t have time for complicated processes. Remember, if you wouldn’t want to do it, don’t ask other to do it.
 
Write down two or three things your church does really well. Keep your church’s mission in mind as you do this. What are the most important things? What would you do if you could only do two things? Now, make a list of those things your church needs to stop doing.
 
2. Make It Strategic
An effective discipleship pathway will result in “increasing measure” (verse 8). While the process of discipleship isn’t always linear, I’ve found it helpful to develop a linear path people can follow where their next steps are clear to see. Think through each step along the way of the discipleship pathway. What happens after someone accepts Christ? What are the key indicators of increasing measure in their lives? What is the next step, and then the step after that?

This is about creating a culture of discipleship in your church. It involves building multiple onramps for people to join. 

This is about creating a culture of discipleship in your church. It involves building multiple onramps for people to join. That doesn’t mean doing more things, but finding more ways for people to engage in what you’re currently doing. These onramps are just the first part of creating that culture. You also have to engage them once they’re on board. That means you preach it, you teach it and you expect it. As leaders, you articulate what it means to be a disciple and set the bar within reach. But you also have to model it letting them know it’s an ongoing process. Then measure it, marking the steps along the way, and celebrate it, letting them know the importance of their discipleship.
 
3. Make It Scalable
Peter tells us that following a discipleship pathway keeps us from being “ineffective and unproductive” (verse 8). Churches that are fruitful plan ahead. Make sure all areas of your ministry are ready for the next big move of God.
 
For instance, if discipleship only happens within the four walls of your building, consider moving to a decentralized model to allow for more growth. Make sure that you have a key staff person in charge of discipleship, or that each staff member knows what’s expected of them in growing disciples. Put systems in place that are easily replicated no matter the number of people involved so that you can scale up your discipleship more effectively.
 
So, what is holding you back? What is the number one barrier keeping your church from making more and better disciples? I would love to see you blast through that barrier and see bigger and better growth than you’ve ever experienced before. It all starts with building discipleship pathways.