How to Disciple People Who Will Actually Disciple Others
Summary:
In a small room with cement-block walls in Kathmandu, Cynthia sat on a mat with a young woman who had just been led to Christ — by a church planter who couldn't personally disciple her himself, since she was a young woman and he wasn't. So she came to live with Cynthia and Todd while attending school in the capital. Cynthia taught her to pray with short, simple prayers she could repeat, then took her along while sharing the gospel with others — modeling Bible stories until, eventually, she could tell them herself.
Within months, that young woman led a friend to Christ at school — and came to Cynthia asking her to step in and disciple her. Cynthia said no. That refusal, and three other deliberate choices Cynthia unpacks in this episode, are why the chain didn't stop at one generation: the friend went on to plant a church in her own home village, among a people group that had never had a gospel witness before, and led her own brothers to Christ. (Cynthia and Todd are actually going to visit her and her grown family in a few weeks.)
Cynthia traces the same pattern in Scripture — Paul's years of working life alongside Priscilla and Aquila in Acts 18, who go on to correct and mentor Apollos, who then "greatly helps" an entire region (1 Corinthians 3:6). Same shape, centuries apart: invest deeply in a few, refuse to take over what they've started, and let it travel further than you ever could alone.
Cynthia is direct about what this means for most discipleship in the West: it happens in a classroom or a meeting, when it actually requires life lived alongside people. Whether you lead a congregation of thousands or are quietly discipling one person, this episode's action step is simple — bring someone with you the next time you teach, pray for someone, or even run an errand, and let them watch, assist, and eventually lead.
Watch the Episode
Key Points:
Nearly 90% of pastors use the sermon as one of their discipleship tools — but sermons alone don't produce disciples who make disciples.
The story of a young Nepali woman led to Christ by a church planter who couldn't personally disciple her — she came to live with Cynthia and Todd while attending school in Kathmandu.
Cynthia taught her to pray with short, simple prayers, then modeled Bible stories until she could tell them herself — "people catch discipleship far more than they're taught it."
Within months, that young woman led a friend to Christ — and asked Cynthia to step in and disciple her. Cynthia refused, and trained her to do it instead.
That second young woman went on to plant a church in her own home village — a people group with no prior gospel witness — and led her own brothers to Christ.
Four practices made the chain hold: keep it simple, model then immediately let them assist, refuse to disciple their disciple, and heavy life-on-life mentoring.
The same pattern shows up in Scripture: Paul invests years of working life into Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18), who correct and mentor Apollos, who goes on to "greatly help" an entire region (1 Corinthians 3:6).
Action step: the next time you teach, train, pray for someone sick, or even run an errand — bring someone with you and let them watch, assist, and eventually lead.
Resources Mentioned:
Read further articles: Dare To Multiply Blog Page
Join our Membership for more great content: Dare To Multiply Memberships
Order Cynthia’s Book: The Multiplier's Mindset Book
Connect with Cynthia Anderson
Dare To Multiply Facebook Page
Connect with Jenn Chang
The Mission's Leaders Blog Facebook Page
The Mission's Leaders Blog Page
Yield Leadership Coaching Website
