Only 11% of pastors say discipleship is what their church does better than anything else. That's dead last among six core church functions—behind corporate worship, community building, serving others, evangelism, and even prayer.

According to Lifeway Research's new State of Discipleship study, this gap between stated priorities and actual practice reveals a troubling disconnect. While the vast majority of Protestant pastors previously told Lifeway that discipleship is important to their church's identity, only 8% are “extremely satisfied” with their discipleship results. When asked what their churches put the most time and effort into, just 24% of pastors included discipleship in their top three—compared to 74% who chose corporate worship.

Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, identifies the pattern: "While there are a lot of discipleship activities taking place, many pastors indicate there is room for more effort and intentionality." The data confirms what many church leaders quietly suspect—we've mastered gathering people on Sunday mornings but struggle to help them grow as disciples throughout the week.

The roadblocks are clear and familiar. Nearly three in four pastors say people not making discipleship a priority in their lives is the biggest obstacle, while 63% point to complacency among believers. Other barriers include not enough disciple-makers, lack of interest in discipleship, competing church priorities, and inadequate training for those who would make disciples.

Jesus gave a clear command: "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). Yet when churches rank their efforts, outreach and evangelism and discipleship consistently score lowest—the very activities that comprise the Great Commission. McConnell puts it bluntly: "Improving discipleship and outreach will take significantly more effort and attention than these Great Commission mandates have received recently."

Here's what this means for your church: Excellence in worship and community are good things, but they're not sufficient things. A church can have inspiring services, warm fellowship, and active serving opportunities while still failing at its primary calling—making disciples who make disciples. The question isn't whether you have discipleship programs; it's whether you're actually producing mature followers of Jesus who multiply.

Three actions to take this week:

What Church Do You Attend? Maybe More Than One | Religion News Service

One in five practicing Christians now regularly attends multiple churches rather than committing to a single congregation. This phenomenon is most pronounced among younger believers, with Gen Z and Millennials twice as likely as Boomers to split their Sunday mornings between congregations. Reasons include seeking better preaching, preferred worship styles, stronger community connections, or specialized programming for children. Even while it’s concerning, this trend suggests high spiritual engagement; these aren't casual attendees but committed Christians seeking to grow their faith through multiple communities.

Consider: How does multi-church attendance affect your ability to build genuine community and accountability? Consider whether your discipleship model requires consistent presence or can adapt to this new reality.

Greenwood Baptist's 'No Strings Attached' Approach to Community Impact | Outreach Magazine

Greenwood Baptist Church in Greenwood, South Carolina, discovered that meaningful community transformation requires releasing control. After realizing that neighbors saw their kindness initiatives as transactional, believing that help came with an expectation of church attendance or conversion, Greenwood shifted to "no strings attached" service. The church now coordinates with other congregations and nonprofits to address systemic community needs, from food insecurity to housing.

Action step: Audit your church's service projects this week. Do recipients perceive your kindness as genuine or conditional? Sometimes the most effective evangelism happens when we stop trying to engineer it and simply love our neighbors well.

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