{"id":268553,"date":"2026-03-16T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/?p=268553"},"modified":"2026-04-28T12:49:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T18:49:48","slug":"3-motivations-needed-to-create-a-disciplemaking-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/blog\/3-motivations-needed-to-create-a-disciplemaking-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Motivations Needed to Create a Disciplemaking Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What motivations provide fertile ground to grow a disciplemaking culture? And who needs to lead the work of disciplemaking in order for a disciplemaking culture to emerge? There are at least three primary motivations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Adult<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Christological<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first fruitful motivation is Christological \u2014 a desire to be like Jesus in character and in action.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those with a Christological motivation engage disciplemaking because Jesus did \u2014 and they want to be like Him. It\u2019s not enough to be moral, to faithfully shepherd the sheep, to raise a family, or to serve others. No, these disciplemakers are motivated to become just like Jesus. Since Jesus\u2019 life is their example, disciplemaking is central to their calling. It\u2019s not something to do, it\u2019s who they are becoming. Such deeply motivated commitment isn\u2019t simple obedience (see Matthew 28:18\u201320<\/a>), it\u2019s their very life \u2014 their way of being in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This motivation leads them to actually believe that they are called to do even greater things than Jesus did (see John 14:12<\/a>). For such disciplemakers, it\u2019s not enough to make a couple of disciples. Instead, they are aiming for a team of disciples who will have the faith to challenge and change the world. They want to trust God that such a team will spark a movement of disciplemakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Kingdom<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The second fruitful motivation is a Kingdom motivation \u2014 a desire to expand the Kingdom by saving those who don\u2019t yet know Jesus.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who carry this motivation are strongly compelled by the idea of depopulating hell and reaching all nations. They are compelled to play a part in building an eternal Kingdom where every tribe, tongue, language, and people gather together around the throne to worship the King (see Revelation 7:9<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Generational<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The third fruitful motivation is generational \u2014 a desire to participate in the covenantal promises God gave in Genesis.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These disciplemakers are convinced that the covenantal promises that God gave Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob \u2014 to make their offspring as numerous as the stars in the sky \u2014 is available to them, as well (see Genesis 15:5\u20136<\/a>; 26:2\u20136<\/a>; 28:13\u201315<\/a>). They have seen how that promise was passed down from the Old Testament into the New Testament. They embrace their life as a thin span of time and want to use it to build the Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They desire to serve the purposes God has for them in this generation (see Acts 13:36<\/a>). They believe they\u2019ve been invited to partner with God to do something that holds meaning in this life and in eternity. Such a generational motivation allows these disciplemakers to mine the Scriptures for the promises made to others and to ask God to do the same in their life.

Here are some examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n