Why Most Pastors Can't Reproduce Disciples

Send us Fan MailTim Osborne started asking one question in every lead pastor interview: "Who's mentored you?" The answers shocked him enough to keep asking, and keep being disappointed.That question sits at the center of this conversation with Naomi Federiuk, Director of Discipleship Training for Expand Network. Naomi's team has identified a specific gap in local churches: the gathering works, small groups work, but one-on-one life-on-life discipleship barely exists as a culture. Most Christians agree they should be making disciples but feel completely unqualified to start, largely because no one ever did it for them.The conversation covers what Expand is seeing work in Uganda (where 500 inmates have come to faith across 11 prisons in four months and they're now solving for discipleship at scale inside prison walls), why busyness signals unavailability to the very people looking for mentors, and how Discovery Bible Study gives everyday Christians a reproducible tool simple enough to use next week. Naomi breaks down the DBS format step by step: retelling, application, the uncomfortable "I will" statement, and the built-in multiplication question of "who will you share this with?"This one's for pastors who suspect they're unintentionally blocking the thing they preach, for empty nesters who don't think they're qualified, and for anyone who's wanted to disciple someone but didn't know the first practical step.Naomi Federiuk, Director of Discipleship Training, Expand NetworkTim Osborne, Dean of Portland SeminaryGabe Kolstad, Lead Pastor, Westside Community ChurchSubscribe and hit notifications so you don't miss a single episode. Find bonus content, resources, and ways to connect with others doing this work across the city at UpperLeftShow.com