To become a disciple-maker means taking what you’ve received from Jesus and intentionally passing it on to someone else. A disciple-maker isn’t a professional minister but an ordinary follower of Jesus who invests in another person, usually through a mentoring relationship, so that person can grow in faith and eventually help someone else do the same.
Discipleship Is a Gift You Pass On
Every Christian has been given something worth sharing. Somewhere along the way, someone told you about Jesus, answered your questions or showed you what it looks like to trust God in real life. That investment was a gift, and gifts like that were never meant to stop with us.
Jesus made this clear in his final words to his followers. He didn’t give the Great Commission only to apostles or pastors; he gave it to everyone who would follow him.
Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Notice that the job is to make disciples, not just converts or church attenders. A disciple is someone who is learning to obey everything Jesus commanded, and that kind of growth takes time, teaching and example. The good news is that Jesus promises to be with us every step of the way, so we don’t have to feel fully qualified before we begin.
Discipleship Happens Best Through Mentoring
Sermons, books and classes all have their place, but most people grow best when someone walks alongside them. Jesus preached to crowds, yet he invested most deeply in a small group of men who spent their days with him. They watched how he prayed, how he treated people and how he handled pressure.
Mark 3:14-15 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.
Notice the order: Jesus called them to be with him first, and then he sent them out. Mentoring follows the same pattern. A good mentor doesn’t just hand out information but shares life, opens the Bible together, asks good questions and offers steady encouragement. That’s why simple, consistent meetings over coffee or lunch can be so powerful. Over time, the person you’re mentoring sees up close what a faithful life looks like.
Disciples Make Other Disciple-Makers
The goal of mentoring isn’t to create someone who depends on you forever. The goal is to help them become a disciple-maker too. The apostle Paul understood this. Near the end of his life, he wrote to Timothy, a younger leader he had invested in for years, and urged him to keep the chain going.
2 Timothy 2:1-2 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
There are four generations of disciples in that one sentence: Paul, Timothy, reliable people and others. That’s how the gospel has spread for two thousand years, one life investing in another. When you mentor someone with the end in mind, you’re not just helping one person; you’re helping launch a whole line of disciple-makers who will reach people you’ll never meet.
You don’t need all the answers to start. Begin by praying for one person God might want you to invest in, then invite them to meet regularly, read Scripture together and talk honestly about life. Be patient, because growth takes time, and keep pointing them to Jesus rather than to yourself.
The Takeaway
To become a disciple-maker is to pass on the gift of faith you’ve received, walk alongside someone through mentoring and help them learn to do the same for others. It’s an everyday calling for every follower of Jesus, and he promises to be with you as you go.
