In Part 2 of Episode 6, Jason Phelps and Brian Phipps continue naming the cultural syndromes that stall disciple multiplication before it starts.

This episode explores three good things that can quietly become barriers to multiplication: teaching environments, church budgets, and community. The issue is not that classrooms, financial stewardship, or relationships are bad. The issue is what happens when they become central systems that train people to depend on the church instead of becoming mature disciples who walk with Jesus and help others do the same.

Jason and Brian unpack the Classroom Effect, Financial Handcuffs, and Community Is King syndromes — and invite leaders to consider whether their systems are forming consumers or multiplying disciples.

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 disciple multiplication before it starts.

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.

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.

What if the greatest obstacle to disciple multiplication is not failure… but success? In this episode, Brian Phipps and Jason Phelps explore the powerful deception of successful addition and why bigger doesn’t automatically mean deeper. Discover how churches can experience visible growth while still struggling to produce multiplying disciples—and why the metrics we celebrate quietly shape the culture we build.

What question is quietly shaping your church?

Most leaders ask, “How many people came?” And that question matters. But if it becomes the dominant question, it will shape what your church prioritizes and produces.

In this episode, Brian Phipps and Jason Phelps compare two questions: “How many came?” and “Who is becoming more like Jesus?”

One builds a gathering engine.

The other begins to build a formation engine.

This conversation will help church leaders examine the questions driving their meetings, metrics, and celebrations—because the questions you repeat don’t just measure culture. They aim it.

What is your church really keeping score of?

In this episode, Jason Phelps and Brian Phipps expose the hidden scoreboard shaping church culture. What you measure, celebrate, and discuss most often will quietly define what your church becomes.

If your system rewards attendance, activity, and programs, you’ll keep producing addition. But if you want disciple multiplication, your scoreboard has to change.

This episode will help church leaders see what their current systems are producing—and what needs to shift.

What if your church is growing… but disciples aren’t multiplying?

Most leaders want multiplication. But desire doesn’t produce it—systems do.

This season of the Disciples Made Podcast exposes the hidden scoreboards, assumptions, and patterns that keep churches stuck in addition instead of multiplication.

This isn’t about doing more.

It’s about seeing clearly.

Take the Disciple Multiplication Capacity Assessment:
https://disciplesmade.com/assessment

Follow the Disciples Made Podcast so you don’t miss Episode 1: The Addiction We Don’t See: Growth vs. Multiplication.

Because once you see it… you won’t be able to unsee it.

What if acceleration isn’t enough?

In this vision-casting conversation, Brian Phipps and Jason Phelps unpack a pivotal shift for Disciples Made in 2026: moving from acceleration to a flywheel.

Acceleration can create movement. But a flywheel creates sustainable momentum—slow, steady, faithful momentum built through relationships, coaching, cohorts, and culture change.

This episode names why growth by addition can wear leaders out, why real multiplication takes time, and why steady obedience compounds into long-term Kingdom impact. Brian and Jason also look back on a year of prayer, clarity, and bold decisions as Disciples Made re-centers its mission around equipping church leaders to build disciple-making cultures that last.

If you’re a pastor, church leader, or disciple-maker who is hungry, humble, and ready to move beyond programs toward generational impact, this conversation will give you clarity, courage, and a next step.

The flywheel is turning.

In this month’s Disciples Made Podcast, Jason Phelps and Brian Phipps unpack what it truly means to live and lead like Jesus through an incarnational approach to discipleship. Rather than staying at a distance, Jesus stepped directly into people’s real stories—present, attentive, and fully engaged.

This episode highlights why proximity is the catalyst for genuine transformation and how modern disciple-makers can cultivate Jesus-shaped habits that are practical, relational, and sustainable. Drawing wisdom from Hugh Halter’s FLESH, the conversation equips leaders with actionable steps to deepen their influence and guide others toward a Fully Alive life.

In this episode, Brian Phipps and Jason Phelps unpack how true disciple-making flows from love for Jesus, not leadership obligation. Learn how abiding, accountability, and obedience transform ministry from burnout to worship that multiplies Fully Alive disciples.

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.

After nearly 20 years in ministry, Jason Phelps found himself exhausted from carrying the weight of leadership alone. In this episode, he and Disciples Made founder Brian Phipps share how a 12-month coaching journey sparked spiritual renewal, raised up everyday disciple-makers, and helped shift an entire church culture. If you're ready to move from burnout to breakthrough, this conversation is for you.

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.

Too often, churches celebrate activity over transformation. But thriving disciple-makers know that clarifying and celebrating the right wins—those rooted in character and calling—shapes culture and multiplies impact. Discover practical ways to shift your focus and fuel real Kingdom growth.

Obedience is greater than competence—and in this episode, the Disciples Made team unpacks what it means to follow Jesus in real-time, Spirit-led ways that transform character and calling.

Through powerful stories and practical insight, you’ll discover how simple obedience—not expertise—leads to a fully alive life of impact.

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!

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!

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. 

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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.

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