In most modern English translations of the New Testament, there are three places where the phrase “make disciples” shows up.

When I was moving to South Asia to be a missionary, I got on the airplane ready to take on the world. I couldn’t wait to save as many lost people as possible. 
About 17 hours later, when we landed in South Asia, I discovered the dirty secret of the mission field.

Some missionaries today stress the importance of this passage for missionary evangelism and practice today. But others disagree strongly, arguing that these instructions were only intended for the specific time and place that Jesus gave them. I want to examine these Scriptures with you and share why I believe these instructions are still applicable and instructive for our missions practices today.

Submitting to God’s Word and Spirit, God’s people become a church seeking to fulfill all God's commands in a covenantal and confessional relationship. These churches, over time, seek to make more disciples of Jesus and become healthy churches that continue to make and multiply disciples.

In the west, we are driven to radical individualism more and more. We are told that a reliance on one another is a weakness, so we pursue community only through play dates and occasional poker nights as long as they don’t overlap with our family life and what we would like to accomplish.

There is noticeable confusion in the Church regarding who should be involved in making and multiplying disciples.

Let’s look at three proven approaches for catalyzing others into the work of disciple-making and church-planting.

Because much speculation has been stirred up around Acts, modern church planters tend to lean on church history, personal experience, and preference rather than Scripture when considering how to plant a church.

Should cross-cultural workers prioritize or even approach strategic partnerships with existing believers and churches?

Scott looked at me from across the table with tears welling up in his eyes and asked, “Do you really think I have what it takes to do this?”