The Disciples Made Podcast

From Burnout to Breakthrough: Multiply Disciple-Makers, Not Ministry Stress

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’re a pastor, church leader, or marketplace missionary, this conversation will challenge and encourage you with real stories, practical tools, and a proven path to sustainable leadership.

In This Episode:

• Why so many pastors feel burned out

• How shared leadership leads to spiritual renewal

• What makes the Platinum Coaching Journey unique

• How one church moved from surviving to multiplying

• Next steps for your church or ministry team

Resources:

• Learn more: Platinum Coaching Package at disciplesmade.com

• Watch the full webinar on YouTube

• Contact us: disciplesmade.com/contact

Subscribe, rate, and share if this episode encouraged you.

Leveraging Assimilation to Fuel Disciple-Making

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 disciple-making pathways. You’ll hear real stories, biblical insights, and practical strategies to help your church or ministry move beyond connection and into true spiritual multiplication.

Whether you're a pastor, volunteer leader, or disciple-making catalyst, this conversation will challenge and equip you to clarify your next steps, contextualize your process, and cultivate a disciple-making culture where every believer lives Fully Alive.

Top Takeaways:

• Intentionality is crucial in disciple-making.
• Assimilation and disciple-making pathways serve different but interconnected purposes.
• Measuring success is essential for ministry health.
• Every believer has a role in the Great Commission.
• Effective pathways must be clear, contextualized, and reproducible.
• Assimilation should fuel discipleship—not be mistaken for it.
• Disciple multiplication leads to exponential growth and community transformation.

Next Steps:

Ready to Multiply Disciple-Makers in Your Church?

If you’ve been longing for a more sustainable, Spirit-led approach to discipleship—one that transforms passive attendance into multiplying movement—the Platinum Coaching Package from Disciples Made is your next step.

This 12-month coaching journey is built to elevate your disciple-making strategy with measurable spiritual impact and the tools to raise up new leaders from within your church. You’ll walk alongside a coach and a peer cohort through a proven process that includes immersive leader training, digital resources via the Fully Alive app, and influence-level IDEs—designed to create a culture of transformation that lasts.

Imagine seeing a 25% boost in spiritual vitality and 1–2 new disciple-makers emerge for every 10 trained. This isn’t theory—it’s proven.

With only 30 spots available for our Fall 2025 Promo ($6,000 total value), now’s the time to register your team and begin the mission mapping process.

Secure your spot with a $500 Mission Mapping Call today. Begin building a fourth-generation disciple-making culture that multiplies long after the programs end.

Learn more and register now at DisciplesMade.com

If You Want More Disciple-Makers, Celebrate Better Wins w/ The Disciples Made Team

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, and how intentional celebration can shift your culture from passive participation to spiritual multiplication.

🎯 You’ll discover:

• Why celebrating the wrong wins leads to burnout and confusion

• How character x calling = impact

• Practical ways to celebrate transformation in your church, groups, and teams

• How clear wins energize your leaders and catalyze multiplication

Whether you're a pastor, group leader, or discipleship director, this episode will help you define success the way Jesus does—and build a thriving disciple-making culture.

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👉 Ready to multiply Fully Alive disciple-makers in your church? Book a Discovery Call with the Disciples Made team today.

#DiscipleMakingWins #FullyAliveLeadership #MultiplyDisciples

Obedience Over Competence: The Key to Thriving as a Disciple

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 stories of real-time, reflexive obedience and discover practical ways to shift from busyness to purpose.

✅ Learn the difference between checklist obedience and Kingdom obedience
✅ Hear four types of obedience: general, specific, situational, and reflexive
✅ Discover how to grow in obedience even when you're unsure or unqualified
✅ Reimagine your role in the church—not just to fill roles but to fulfill your personal calling
✅ Get inspired to “Pray Big. Obey Small.”

This episode is for everyday people, disciple-makers, and leaders longing to live with deeper impact and freedom.

🔗 Join the movement and access free discipleship tools at gofullyalive.com

From Pews to Purpose: Unlocking Calling in Your Church

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 powerful disciple-making. You’ll learn how to overcome common misconceptions about calling, make decisions aligned with purpose, and empower your church to move from sitting in the pews to engaging in mission. Don’t miss this transformative conversation with the Disciples Made Team!

• Free resources and Leadership Community at gofullyalive.com
• Take the free GPS Assessment to discover your Masterpiece Mission at giftpassionstory.com
• Coaching and training available at disciplesmade.com

Mind, Soul, and Discipleship: How Neuroscience Shapes Spiritual Formation with Dr. Stan Wallace

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 body and soul is essential for human flourishing. Drawing from his book Have We Lost Our Minds?, Dr. Wallace unpacks the significance of holistic dualism and the impact Christian professors can have in shaping faith within academia. If you're passionate about discipleship, spiritual growth, and the science behind transformation, this episode is for you!

 

• For more information on Dr. Stan Wallace and his book "Have We Lost Our Minds?" visit: stanwallace.org
• Are you a church, business, or network leader needing a strategic partner to help make and multiply disciples? Visit disciplesmade.com
• Are you a follower of Jesus wanting to live more fully alive? Download our Fully Alive by Disciples Made app!

Spiritual Habits and Gen-Z with Noah Herrin & Grant Skeldon

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 generation, and for the younger generation to honor and appreciate the wisdom of the older generation. They also highlight the significance of spiritual habits in personal growth and relationship with God. The conversation concludes with a discussion on future trends in disciple-making, including the importance of biblical literacy, transformation of the heart, and bold preaching of the gospel. There is a lot to unpack in this conversation and we are excited for you to listen to it! 

 

https://www.noahherrin.org/

 

https://www.grantskeldon.com/

 

DisciplesMade.com

 

Book: Confessions of an Amatuer Saint

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 an Amateur Saint. Brian and Mandy chat about her book and how leaders can use the art of confession to avoid burnout and chase a life that is completely dependent on God. We can’t wait to hear about all the ways this book has made an impact. Learn more at https://thewayistheway.org. 

 

disciplesmade.com

The Highs & Lows of Being a Disciple-Making Pastor

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. 

 

In this conversation, Brian Phipps interviews Jason Phelps about the highs and lows of being a disciple-making pastor. They discuss Jason's background, his passion for disciple-making, and pivotal moments in his life that shaped his journey. Jason shares his experiences in various ministry roles, including youth ministry, worship leading, church planting, and teaching. He also highlights the importance of intentional disciple-making relationships and the transformation it brings. The conversation emphasizes the value of pouring into one another, holding each other accountable, and seeing lives changed through disciple-making. In this conversation, Brian Phipps and Jason Phelps discuss the challenges and joys of disciple making. They highlight the downsides of disciple making, such as the gravitational pull of traditional church metrics and the slow progress of intentional disciple making. They also discuss the importance of vulnerability and hard conversations in disciple making. On the upside, they share the joy of seeing disciples grow and multiply, and the support they have received from their senior leadership. Jason expresses his passion for equipping more churches and leaders to shift their paradigm and start movements of disciple making.

 

DisciplesMade.com

 

Where Have We Been?

What is with the crickets at Disciples Made?

 

It has been 11 months since our last episode, but we have not been napping. In fact, we have been preparing for our biggest season ever. Tune in to this brief episode to hear all of the ways we have upgraded our ability to serve you! 

 

The three biggies:  

 

1.  Our new App, the Fully Alive by Disciples Made App, is now available for a free download in the Apple Store and Google Play. 

 

2.  We are launching a new Podcast! Be sure to subscribe to the new Fully Alive Podcast.

 

3.  Still need a fall Small Group option for your church?  Join us for the FREE Live Fully Alive campaign this fall. 

 

Download the Fully Alive App on Apple and Android phones. You can join to community by clicking here.