Discipleship Is Incarnational: Why the Shift From Addition to Multiplication Starts With Proximity
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For decades, many churches have worked tirelessly to add more programs, more events, and more weekend attendance. And while addition isn’t bad, it’s simply not enough to form people into the likeness of Jesus—much less produce disciple-makers who multiply transformation in their communities.
If you’re a church leader sensing that something needs to change, you’re not alone. In our recent “Discipleship Is Incarnational” webinar, Brian Phipps and Jason Phelps unpacked a vision of discipleship that doesn’t depend on charisma, more content, or bigger crowds—but on something far more ordinary and far more powerful:
Proximity. Presence. Shared life.
Because that’s how Jesus made disciples.
If you want to explore this paradigm further, Hugh Halter’s book FLESH is a foundational resource that shaped this conversation.
Why Incarnational Discipleship Changes Everything
When Jesus came “in the flesh,” He didn’t send an ambassador. He didn’t disciple from a distance. He moved toward people—into their homes, rhythms, pain, questions, and real lives.
Brian put it bluntly:
“Jesus engaged with His disciples daily. If we want to mimic His way, we must be close enough to see what’s real.”
Multiplication doesn’t happen in the abstract. It happens when leaders get close enough to see people’s potential, their habits, their hurts, and their deep hunger for more.
The 11 men Brian discipled in Kansas City prove the point: once someone finally stepped close enough to see them, call out their gifts, and walk with them through real transformation, God multiplied more than 2,000 disciples across four generations.
That didn’t happen because of a curriculum.
It happened because of presence.
Want to hear Brian unpack this section in his own words?
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Structure Doesn’t Kill Relationship—It Fuels It
Many leaders wrestle with a real tension:
Can something structured—like Followers Made or Leaders Made—actually be incarnational?
The short answer: yes.
Jesus’ own ministry wasn’t random. He had a plan, a time frame, and an exit strategy. He knew exactly what He was forming in His disciples and why.
Our disciple-making environments work the same way.
The structure is not the point.
The structure creates the conditions for proximity, vulnerability, and daily engagement.
Jason put it this way:
“Nine months of daily interaction accelerated relationships more than five years of casual connection ever could.”
Multiplication requires intentionality. The right structure doesn’t compete with relationship—it fuels it.
Your First Step Toward Multiplication
If you feel something stirring—the sense that your church is called to more than maintenance—pay attention to it. That quiet nudge may be the Holy Spirit saying:
“You are more ready than you think.”
Here’s your next move:
Take the 3-minute Discipleship Effectiveness Assessment
When you do, you’ll receive:
A snapshot of your church’s disciple-making health
A link to schedule a 15-minute discovery call
A free preview of the upcoming book Breaking the Addition Addiction
As Disciples Made prepares to scholarship 20 churches into a full year of intentional disciple-making coaching, this assessment is your on-ramp.
Experience the Full Conversation
If this blog resonated with you, carve out 55 minutes this week to take in the full episode:
Together, let’s build churches where lives change, leaders multiply, and communities experience the goodness of God—up close, personal, and fully alive.