If you had asked me at any point in my life if I would be making disciples, I would have said either “no way!” or “what exactly do you mean by that?” I was clueless. Yet, I was faithful. Most of my life, I attended church, Bible studies, small groups, and served in various ministries. But, I was not “making disciples.”

The Great Commission? I was familiar with this scripture, but I did not take it to heart. I did not think that it was addressed to ME!

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

But if not me, then who? Jesus was talking to his disciples/apostles. Thankfully, those twelve DID take it to heart and did obey. But, He couldn’t have been talking ONLY to those twelve. If so, how did we in 2026 come to faith? Generations of disciplemakers, over 2,000 years, beginning with these original disciples, have made it possible for you and me to have faith in Christ, and to know the joy of walking with Him, as well as the assurance of our eternal salvation.

Making disciples goes beyond saying the sinner’s prayer and accepting Christ. It’s loving and following Jesus, making Him known to others, and helping others do the same. It’s an extension of the Great Commandment, summarized as loving God and loving others (Matthew 22:36-40). How much more can we love others than by discipling them in the faith, so that they can in turn disciple others? How else will future generations have a deep, abiding, transforming faith in Christ?

To be fair, I had not been discipled, individually, by anyone. Yes, I was influenced by various pastors, Sunday School teachers, and fellow Christians, but not in an intentional way that helped me to grow deep in my faith. Thankfully, I stayed connected with Jesus enough so that 8 years ago I was open to being discipled. Gaps in my faith that I didn’t even realize were there were filled. I saw the value of relational, intentional disciplemaking, and God grew in me a heart for discipling others.

My heart for disciplemaking led me to want to learn more and to grow in finding tools and resources that would allow me to come alongside believers where they are. Through my affiliation with Navigators, I am now better equipped to intentionally disciple others in their faith walk and equip them to do the same. It is a true joy to see friends in the faith grow in their heart, vision, and skills for disciplemaking!

How about you? Have you taken the Great Commission to heart? Do you hear Jesus speaking to you in these scriptures? Do you see this as someone else’s responsibility, or your own, even if you might still feel ill-equipped? No worries, we all start out ill-equipped! This is why we each need a disciplemaker in our lives, and others need us to disciple them!

If God is tugging on your heart to respond to His Great Commission, consider these next steps.

Pray. Ask God directly if He is calling you to learn and grow in the area of disciplemaking. Perhaps He wants you to first be discipled, or perhaps He wants you to talk with an experienced disciplemaker to learn how you can get started. God has a plan for you, for each of us, to serve and help grow His Kingdom. Just ask!

Search and meditate on scriptures. God’s Word is living and active, and God will speak to you through it, challenge you, and even direct you. Here are some verses to consider:
2 Timothy 2:2
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Acts 1:8
Galatians 2:20
Romans 1:16
John 14:21

Talk with an active disciplemaker. Learn more about this from others who are doing it! Most of us have a similar story to mine. Disciplemaking is modeled, first by Jesus, and then by one who is modeling Jesus. I or any of us from the Navigators Church Ministries Team in Springfield, or nationally, would love to talk with you more about this. We each are passionate about making disciples who make disciples!

Consider the WHY. Why am I discipling, and why are others discipling? Because Jesus discipled and His way is the best way. Because I love and follow Jesus, I want to please Him by obeying His commands. I want others to know the joy and peace that I have in following Him. What is YOUR Why?

As we are bombarded every day by alarming headlines and troubling events in our world, and as we see dysfunction in our families, communities, and yes, even churches, let’s consider how all of this might be transformed by more people loving and following Jesus. And in so doing, we are building God’s Kingdom to His glory.

My answer to the first question of this article? Yes, I am a disciplemaker!

Ellen Dudney

Ellen Dudney is a retired nurse, who has been discipling in Springfield, Ohio for 4 years. She recently joined Navigators Church Ministries as an Associate Field Staff, along with her husband, Jerry. They have 2 daughters, and 2 young grandsons, who bring them great joy. Ellen appreciates the adventures that God brings her way!

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