The Disciples Made Podcast

What if your church’s next step is not another meeting, another sermon series, or another program — but an honest baseline? In the Season 5 finale of Breaking the Addition Addiction, Jason and Brian bring the entire season to a practical and hopeful landing. This season has helped leaders see the difference between addition and multiplication, name the scorecards shaping their systems, identify th...

Throughout Season 5 of Breaking the Addition Addiction, we've challenged some of the most common assumptions about church growth, disciple-making, and multiplication. We've explored the difference between addition and multiplication, examined why programs don't automatically produce disciples, and discussed how churches can unintentionally build systems that reinforce attendance rather than reprod...

What happens when you finally see the truth? Throughout Season 5, we've exposed the hidden assumptions, scorecards, systems, and cultural patterns that keep many churches trapped in addition thinking. But awareness alone doesn't create change. In this episode, Jason Phelps and Brian Phipps explore the uncomfortable reality that clarity often creates tension before it creates transformation. Becaus...

What if the deepest barrier to disciple multiplication is not a lack of content, programs, theology, or community — but a culture of dependence? In Part 3 of Episode 6 of Breaking the Addition Addiction, Jason Phelps and Brian Phipps land the deeper thread underneath the five syndromes that stall disciple multiplication before it starts: the “You Need Us” Syndrome. This is the subtle, often uninte...

What if some of the best things in your church are quietly creating dependence instead of multiplication? In Part 2 of Episode 6 of Breaking the Addition Addiction, Jason Phelps and Brian Phipps continue naming the cultural syndromes that stall disciple multiplication before it starts. In Part 1, they explored the culture underneath the scorecard and named the first two syndromes: If It Ain’t Brok...

What if your church does not need better discipleship content? What if you already have enough sermons, studies, curriculum, programs, and theological language — but the culture is still quietly training people not to multiply? In this episode of Breaking the Addition Addiction on The Disciples Made Podcast, Jason Phelps and Brian Phipps begin naming the hidden cultural syndromes that stall discip...

What if the greatest obstacle to disciple multiplication is not your preaching, your programs, or your people — but your scorecard? In this episode of Breaking the Addition Addiction on The Disciples Made Podcast, Brian Phipps and Jason Phelps talk about one of the most important battlegrounds in the shift from addition to multiplication: what your church actually measures. Every church already ha...

What if your church is incredibly active, but not actually producing transformation? In this episode of Breaking the Addition Addiction, Brian Phipps and Jason Phelps talk about the gap between activity and transformation—and why programs alone do not multiply disciples. Full calendars, busy volunteers, Bible studies, classes, events, and ministry programs can all look like progress. But activity...

Season 5, Episode 3 — The Powerful Deception of Successful Addition Why Bigger Doesn’t Mean Deeper What if visible success is quietly hiding a disciple-making problem? In this episode of the Disciples Made Podcast, Brian Phipps and Jason Phelps explore one of the most dangerous tensions in modern church leadership: Addition can look so successful that leaders never stop to ask whether multiplicati...

What question is quietly shaping your church? Most church leaders ask some version of this question every week: “How many people came?” It is not a bad question. Attendance matters. Gathering matters. But when that question becomes the dominant question, it can quietly shape what your church prioritizes, rewards, celebrates, and ultimately produces. In this episode of Breaking the Addition Addicti...

The Hidden Scoreboard of Your Church: Are You Multiplying or Just Adding? In this episode, Jason Phelps and Brian Phipps dive deep into the unseen architecture of church leadership. They explore the concept of church scoreboards, examining how the metrics we choose to track ultimately define the health of our organizations. By contrasting traditional addition-based metrics with multiplication-focu...

What if your church is growing… but disciples aren’t multiplying? Most leaders want multiplication. But very few have systems designed for it. And that’s the problem. Many churches are seeing growth—more people, more programs, more activity. But beneath the surface, something isn’t reproducing. Because you don’t get what you intend. You get what your system is designed to produce. In this season,...

What if acceleration isn’t enough? In this vision-casting episode of the Disciples Made Podcast, Brian Phipps, Founder of Disciples Made, and Jason Phelps unpack a pivotal shift for 2026: moving from acceleration to a flywheel. A flywheel is slower, steadier, and more sustainable. It builds momentum through relationships, coaching, cohorts, and culture change—not hype, pressure, or quick wins. Loo...

In this month’s Disciples Made Podcast, Jason Phelps and Brian Phipps explore what it means to live and lead like Jesus in an incarnational way. Instead of discipling from a distance, Jesus stepped into people’s real lives—up close, personal, and fully present. In this episode, you’ll discover why proximity is the engine of transformation and how disciple-makers today can model the life of Jesus i...

In this month’s episode, Discipleship as Worship, Brian Phipps (Founder of Disciples Made) and Jason Phelps (Houston-based Disciples Made Coach) dive deep into Key #3 to Leaving a Disciple-Making Legacy — remembering that discipleship is worship. They unpack how Romans 12:1 and John 21 redefine what it means to serve God — not as performance or obligation, but as an act of love and surrender. Draw...

What if accountability helped you grow, not feel guilty? In this episode, Brian Phipps and the Disciples Made team redefine accountability as a 360° support circle that fuels your spiritual legacy. 🔹 Learn the 3 key relationships: Paul, Barnabas, Timothy   🔹 Hear stories of real-life transformation   🔹 Understand how to give and receive life-giving accountability   🔹 Learn how to build a lasti...

What story are you living in? In this episode of The Disciples Made Podcast, host Jason Phelps is joined by Brian Phipps and Myra Schraeder to explore how understanding the unified story of God — from creation to restoration — transforms our faith, leadership, and disciple-making. Together, we unpack the four movements of God’s grand narrative and discover why Jesus is the center of the story. You...

Feeling burned out in ministry? You’re not alone—and you don’t have to lead alone either. In this episode, host Jason Phelps sits down with Brian Phipps, founder of Disciples Made, to unpack the why behind their 12-month Platinum Coaching Journey. Discover how churches across the country are raising up everyday disciple-makers, renewing their culture, and sharing the load of ministry. Whether you’...

Leveraging Assimilation to Fuel Disciple-Making: Why Clear Pathways, Not Just Programs, Lead to Multiplication In this powerful episode of the Disciples Made Podcast, host Brian Phipps is joined by special guest Joe Klassen, Pastor at Westside Family Church in Leavenworth, KS, as well as the Disciples made coaching team to explore the critical distinction—and synergy—between assimilation and disci...

In this episode of the Disciples Made podcast, the Disciples Made team explores Key #2 to Thriving as a Disciple-Maker: Clarifying and Celebrating Wins. Too often, churches celebrate activity—programs, attendance, events—without knowing if transformation is really happening. This conversation unpacks why clarity matters, how to identify true disciple-making wins rooted in character and calling, an...

In this episode of the Disciples Made Podcast, Jason Phelps is joined by coaches Tiffany Danley, Myra Schraeder, and Craig Watson to explore April’s theme: “Obedience is greater than competence.” This conversation will challenge and encourage you to step into the kind of obedience Jesus modeled—relational, Spirit-led, and rooted in abiding—not rule-following or performance. You’ll hear powerful st...

Many believers struggle to connect their faith with their everyday lives, leaving their true calling undiscovered. In this episode, we equip pastors and church leaders with tools to help their people find and step into their God-given mission. We unpack the My Impact Equation (Character x Calling = Impact) and explore how understanding spiritual gifts, passions, and life experiences leads to power...

How does neuroscience shape our faith and disciple-making? In this thought-provoking episode of The Disciples Made Podcast, Brian Phipps sits down with Dr. Stan Wallace to explore the fascinating intersection of neuroscience, neurotheology, and spiritual formation. They dive into groundbreaking discoveries about the brain’s role in belief, the power of neuroplasticity, and why understanding both b...

Today's conversation revolves around the importance of discipleship and the need for the older generation to invest in the next generation. Brian Phipps and Jason Phelps interview Grant Skeldon and Noah Herrin as they share their personal experiences and how they were inspired to prioritize disciple making. They emphasize the need for older generations to believe in and honor the younger generatio...

Ready to reshape how you think about & engage disciple-making & leadership development? Join us August 29, 2024 at our Work Smarter Not Harder Webinar. Sign up by clicking here.  On today’s episode Brian Phipps welcomes Mandy Smith in the Disciples Made Studio today! Mandy is a pastor and speaker. She has also authored The Vulnerable Pastor, Unfettered, and her newest book Confessions of a...