Dear Discipleship-first Friends,
What is the reason disciple making stalls in our churches?… Is it because we’re measuring the wrong things?
Most churches don’t set out to lose focus. We track attendance, giving, baptisms, building projects—all good things. But over time, these metrics can become the mission instead of serving it.
That’s why disciple making Principle #10, is so important:
We must reinvent our scorecard to reflect true disciple making.
Why? Because people will aspire to that which we celebrate. And what we track is what people will work toward.
A New Kind of Scorecard
Let’s be honest—most churches are still tracking what’s easiest to count:
👥 Attendance
💵 Giving
🕍 Buildings
🗓️ Events
💧 Baptisms
But Jesus didn’t say, “Go and get more people in the seats.” He said, “Go and make disciples.”
In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul says:
“You yourselves are our letter… written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God… on human hearts.”
Disciples with changed hearts—that’s the scorecard of a disciple making movement.
What This Looks Like in Real Life
Josh shares in the video on this same principle, that in his India disciple making network, they shifted what they celebrated.
They didn’t stop tracking baptisms—but they also tracked baptizers.
They didn’t just count church attendance—they looked for disciple makers.
They asked:
✅ Who’s sharing their faith weekly?
✅ Who’s leading Discovery Bible Studies?
✅ Who’s raising up new disciple makers?
✅ How many groups are multiplying—and how far?
They also taught people to separate what only God can do (like heart transformation), from what we are responsible for (like prayer, obedience, seed-sowing, and invitations).
Why This Matters for Leaders
If you’re leading a church or ministry, here’s the challenge:
Revisit your scorecard.
Ask hard questions.
And be bold enough to change what you count.
Because when disciple making becomes what we celebrate—it becomes what our people pursue.
Here’s how you can start:
- Track life-on-life discipling relationships
- Track raising new disciple makers
- Celebrate multiplication, not just attendance
- Elevate obedience, not just inspiration
And remember this encouragement from Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20:
“What is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?…” And then pointing to all the disciples Paul had raised up, he said, “Is it not you?”
The real scoreboard is people—disciples who walk with Jesus and help others do the same.
Want to Go Deeper?
We just released a brand new video teaching on Principle #10: Reinventing the Scorecard—filled with real stories and practical ways churches are shifting how they measure success.
🎥 WATCH NOW – “Reinventing Your Scorecard”
👉 https://discipleship.org/10-disciple-making-principles/
You’ll learn:
Why your current metrics may be holding you back
What disciple making churches around the world are tracking
How to build a culture of intentional, multiplying discipleship
Let’s stop counting what’s convenient—and start measuring what truly advances the Kingdom.
For King Jesus,