When Disciple-Making Becomes Worship: A Lifeline for Church Leaders
For years, I was a worship leader. I started leading worship as a high school student and continued for nearly two decades. Sunday after Sunday, I helped lead people into the presence of God through music, lights, production, and planning. It was meaningful. It was powerful. And for many seasons, it felt like the sweet spot of my calling.
But it wasn’t until I began my journey of discipleship through growing in character and calling that I discovered something deeper.
I realized that worship wasn’t limited to a stage or a setlist. It was meant to be lived out daily—and disciple-making is one of the most powerful expressions of it.
That revelation changed my life. And now, I want to share that with you, especially if you’re a pastor, ministry leader, or staff member wondering how to keep your soul anchored while leading others.
Disciple-Making Is Worship, Not Just Mission
The shift for me started with Romans 12:1. “In view of God’s mercy, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
This verse caused me to rethink worship entirely.
I had spent years preparing songs and services to help others worship, but I began to ask, “What does it look like for my actual life to be an act of worship?”
That’s when I began to see disciple-making through a different lens—not as just a ministry strategy, but as my response to God’s mercy. Loving others, walking with them, helping them grow in character and calling—this is worship when it flows from intimacy with Jesus.
And when I began living that way, I discovered something else: it’s not just more fruitful—it’s more sustainable.
Character Over Craft
In my worship ministry journey, I met a lot of gifted people. Talented musicians. Incredible vocalists. Flawless production leaders. But I also noticed something troubling: craft was often prioritized over character.
I say that with compassion, not criticism—because I lived in that tension myself.
When I started following Jesus more intentionally as a disciple-maker, I began to see how spiritual habits—Bible engagement, prayer, accountability, community—were forming me in ways that no stage ever could.
Disciple-making transformed me to become the man my wife and kids needed, not just the leader my church wanted.
And I came to this conclusion: if I had to choose, I’d rather be a man of character than a man of craft.
That’s the kind of shift we need in our churches—not abandoning excellence, but anchoring it in spiritual formation.
Abiding Is the Foundation of Multiplication
I’m often asked, “How do you keep disciple-making from becoming another task or burden?”
My answer is simple: abide.
If I’m not actively walking with Jesus—hearing from Him, being challenged by Him, confessing, worshiping, rejoicing—then disciple-making becomes mechanical. But when I’m abiding in Him, it becomes overflow.
That’s why I journal my “I believe” and “I will” statements. That’s why I stay in community. That’s why I hold space for soul-care and Scripture and solitude. Not because it makes me look holy, but because it keeps me with Jesus. And when I’m with Jesus, I see people differently. I love more deeply. I lead more faithfully.
Disciple-making is no longer something I have to do—it’s something I can’t stop doing.
The Moment It All Clicked
My friend and co-laborer Brian Phipps (Disciples Made founder) shared a moment in our latest podcast episode from his early ministry that stuck with me. He was serving faithfully, but deeply discouraged—getting criticized, stretched thin, and tempted to disengage. It was in that place, while reading John 21, that Jesus met him.
You know the passage. Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?”
Peter replies, “Yes, Lord.”
Jesus says, “Then feed my sheep.”
Brian told me he realized Jesus wasn’t asking him to love the sheep. He was asking him to love Him—and to express that love by feeding His sheep.
That truth reset Brian’s heart. And it reset mine, too.
Disciple-making isn’t about how lovable the people are. It’s about loving Jesus enough to serve them anyway. That’s worship.
Disciple-Making Protects Me From Burnout
Let me be honest: there are days I’m tired. There are days when disciple-making feels like work. But I’ve found that when I return to the truth—that this isn’t a job or a duty, but a love exchange—everything shifts.
When disciple-making becomes worship, I no longer have to produce fruit. I just need to stay connected to the Vine.
Worship fuels what ministry drains.
Abiding fills what leadership depletes.
Love sustains what obligation can’t.
That’s why I believe this message isn’t optional—it’s essential. Especially for those of us leading others.
A Challenge for Church Leaders
So, friend—fellow leader—fellow shepherd:
Is your disciple-making flowing from a love for Jesus?
Are you abiding deeply or just surviving?
Is your leadership formed more by strategy or by intimacy with God?
If you're feeling stretched, burned out, or misaligned, I get it. But I promise—there’s a better way. A way that doesn’t just preserve your ministry, but brings your soul back to life.
Make disciple-making your worship. Let your life be the offering.
Want to Go Deeper?
Brian and I recorded a conversation unpacking all of this called
“The Disciples Made Podcast: Feed My Sheep—How to Turn Disciple-Making from a Task into Worship.”
If anything in this blog stirred your heart, I invite you to check it out.
👉 disciplesmade.com/podcast
Let it encourage you.
Let it reframe your rhythms.
Let it invite you back to intimacy.
Then—go feed His sheep.
