Introduction — A Hunger Rising

There’s something stirring in the culture right now.

More people are talking about God. Bible sales are up. Gen Z is asking hard questions, wrestling with faith, deconstructing, reconstructing—searching. There’s hunger again. But in the background of that hunger, I hear the machine turning.

Churches are scaling. Platforms are growing. And influence—well, that’s become the new oil.

But the goal has never been visibility. The goal has always been formation.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…” (Matt 5:6)
Click to tweet

It’s not just about feeding that hunger—it’s about what we feed it with.

We’re not here to capitalize on hunger. We’re here to cultivate it. Because what good is it if someone shows up at church, hears a great message, joins a group... and still walks away unchanged?

If we’re not forming disciples, what are we forming?

Moved by Story — The Journey We’re Failing to Steward

Let’s be honest: we do have a journey happening. People are walking through it right now—it’s just that most churches aren’t owning it with intention.

Here’s the path many people take:

Discovery → A reel, a clip, a song, a story that sparks curiosity.
Entry → They show up to church on Sunday.
Connection → They make a friend or attend an event.
Engagement → They join a group or start serving.
Multiplication → They start leading others.

That’s not a hypothetical—that’s reality. But it’s not being stewarded well.

We’ve built systems optimized for speed and reach, but not depth and relationship. We’re tracking impressions, not transformation. Baptisms, but not accountability. Sermon clips, but not spiritual fruit.

We’ve treated discipleship like a funnel—but discipleship isn’t a funnel. It’s a fire.

And you can’t automate fire. You can’t schedule it. You have to live close to it—tend it, protect it, pass it on.

“Know well the condition of your flocks” (Prov 27:23)
Click to tweet

But how many churches can say they truly know their people beyond a welcome card or a headcount?

And the scary part? We’re celebrating clicks (Sunday attendance, views, registrations)… without asking if anyone is really growing.

It’s like hiring a marketing agency who floods you with traffic but never tracks lifetime value. Yeah, you’re getting people in the door—but are they staying? Are they changing? Are they becoming like Christ?

You can pack a room and still have a spiritually empty church.

Convinced by Facts — The Problem with CEO Church

Let’s just say it plainly: we’ve adopted a model that scales, but doesn’t always sanctify.

Church has started to look more like a business—and not because we’re trying to be evil, but because we’re trying to survive.

Staff is exhausted. Budgets are tight. People need systems. And someone always says, “We need to operate like a business.”

But here’s the problem: in business, the customer is always right. In the Kingdom, the Shepherd leads the sheep, whether they like it or not.

“Shepherd the flock of God among you… not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples.” (1 Peter 5:2–3)
Click to tweet

When we build around consumer metrics—attendance, giving, engagement—we stop forming people and start retaining them. That’s when Sunday becomes a performance, and success becomes defined by crowd control.

Objections We Hear

“But it’s working.”

Sure—people are showing up. Numbers are up. The budget looks better. But what’s actually working? If you’re not seeing spiritual maturity, community, multiplication... then you’re running a machine, not a movement.

Jesus didn’t say, “Get them to show up.” He said, “Make disciples.”
Click to tweet

“We need money to survive.”

Yes—we have bills to pay. Staff to take care of. Ministries to fund.

But we don’t buy a car to put gas in it. We buy gas because the car is taking us somewhere. Buildings, budgets, and staff are tools. They exist to help the mission—not become the mission.

“People expect this now.”

Right. Culture has shifted. And that’s exactly why we can’t afford to copy it. We’re not called to conform to what people want—we’re called to form them into what Christ has called them to be.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” (Romans 12:2)
Click to tweet

Ego or Obedience — Platform vs Pastoring

Some churches are thriving online—and it’s beautiful. They’re running digital discipleship, building community in the DMs, pastoring people in the comments. That’s a gift when done well.

But let’s be honest: some leaders are building brands, not bodies.

We hear things like:

“God gave me the vision.”
Click to tweet

“This is my calling.”
Click to tweet

“I’m the one anointed to lead this.”
Click to tweet

Suddenly, the church becomes a personal brand extension instead of the body of Christ.

That’s not shepherding. That’s spiritual empire-building.

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
Click to tweet

Jesus had all authority in heaven and on earth—and He washed feet. Some of us get a few thousand followers and forget we were called to serve.

The most dangerous shift isn’t when the world idolizes ego. It’s when the church spiritualizes it.

Red Flags of Ego-Driven Ministry:

No real accountability
Everything depends on one voice
High visibility, low vulnerability
Brand language > Bible language
Discipleship is outsourced, not integrated

Signs of Spirit-Led Stewardship:

Shared leadership
Intentional discipleship pathway
Leaders developed, not just deployed
Fruit that lasts beyond a Sunday
Humility baked into the culture

Ezekiel warned against shepherds who only fed themselves while the sheep went hungry.

“The weak you have not strengthened… the injured you have not bound up… the strayed you have not brought back.” (Ezekiel 34:4)
Click to tweet

If that’s not a warning to this generation of leaders, I don’t know what is.

Convicted by Scripture — Reclaiming the Shepherd Model

Jesus didn’t build a personal brand. He wasn’t out here leveraging crowd psychology to launch a platform. He didn’t chase growth—He invested in twelve.

He didn’t just teach in front of people. He walked with people. He corrected them. Ate with them. Grieved with them. Formed them.

And He said it plainly:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
Click to tweet

Not “the visionary.”

Not “the celebrity pastor.”

Not “the executive director.”

The Good Shepherd.

And then He commissioned us—not to replicate crowds, but to replicate disciples.

“Go and make disciples of all nations...” (Matthew 28:19)
Click to tweet

That command isn’t optional. It’s not a next step. It’s the entire point of church. Discipleship is the mission.

But we’ve outsourced that part.

We hand people a sermon and say “good luck.”

We launch small groups without formation.

We call it community when really—it’s just proximity.

We need to return to the slow, personal, gritty work of shepherding.

The kind of ministry that doesn’t always scale well.

The kind that doesn’t look good on Instagram.

But the kind that produces fruit that remains.

Because here’s the truth: if your church gets bigger, but your people don’t get deeper… did you really win?

“Until Christ is formed in you…” (Galatians 4:19)
Click to tweet

That’s the end goal. Not conversion. Not attendance. Formation.

And yes—use tools. Use social media. Use systems.

But don’t let them replace what only the Spirit can do through shepherding.

Tools should serve the Spirit. Not substitute for it.
Click to tweet

Tools, Not Identity — Reordering Who We Are

This is where a lot of us need a personal reset.

I’m not a brand strategist who happens to follow Jesus.

I’m not a creator who drops Bible verses when it fits.

I’m not a pastor because I’m good with words.

I’m a Christian—a disciple of Jesus—who happens to be gifted in communication, creativity, leadership, operations, music, etc.

“By the grace given to me I say to everyone... not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment.” (Romans 12:3)
Click to tweet

I don’t worship the platforms I build on.

I don’t find identity in the strategies I create.

I use those things—but they don’t define me.

The goal is to worship the Creator, not the creators’ creations.

Too many of us have built our spiritual lives around our tools.

Our sermons.
Our influence.
Our reach.
Our systems.

But when the tools break… so do we.

The early church had no buildings, no budgets, no branding.

And yet they turned the world upside down.

Because they had disciples—not just spectators.

A Practical Path Forward

This isn’t just a call to conviction—it’s a call to construction.

It’s time to rebuild with intention, integrity, and immovability in Christ. That means making practical shifts that realign our ministries with the mission of Jesus: formation over fame.

A. Reframe the Funnel:

Let’s start by owning the journey that already exists—and then redesigning it for discipleship, not just participation.

Discovery → digital content, reels, music, cultural bridges
Connection → in-person or online Sunday service
Community → small groups, relationships, shared vulnerability
Formation → spiritual disciplines, mentorship, repentance, obedience
Multiplication → equipping and releasing others to lead

This is no longer about how many people show up—it’s about how many grow up.

“What you’ve heard from me... entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)
Click to tweet

B. New Metrics That Actually Matter

It’s time to count the things that count in heaven.

Let’s track:

How many people are in active, accountable discipleship
How many are serving outside of Sunday
How many are spiritually reproducing—not just attending
How many leaders have been formed, not just placed

C. Audit Questions for Leaders

Are we building people, or just programs?
Do we have a clear discipleship path, or just a Sunday service?
Are we celebrating visibility, or transformation?
Do our systems serve soul health, or just schedule health?
Are we creating a culture of multiplication, or retention?

This isn’t about creating a checklist. It’s about re-centering your leadership on the actual mission.

The Closing Charge — Reformation Over Optimization

This is not about being anti-big, anti-online, or anti-strategy.

This is about being pro-Jesus.

Pro-shepherding.

Pro-spiritual maturity.

Pro-eternal fruit.

We’re not here to build kingdoms with our name on them.

We’re here to expand a Kingdom that has no end.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)
Click to tweet

Let’s stop optimizing for reach—and start building for eternity.

Let’s stop treating church like a brand—and start treating it like a body.

Let’s stop counting heads—and start making disciples.

This is the Discipleship Dilemma.

And now that we’ve named it—we get to solve it.

Trenton Jackson

Trenton Jackson builds and writes at the intersection of human systems, business architecture, and design.

Share this article

|

The Discipleship Dilemma