Discipling - FOR THE TRUTH

Jesus Said Make Disciples. But What Does That Actually Mean?

The Great Commission is familiar to every Christian. Before ascending to heaven, Jesus commanded his followers to go and make disciples of all nations. The command is clear. But for many Christians — and many churches — the practice remains vague. What does discipling actually look like? Who is responsible for it? How does it happen? And what does it have to do with the life of the local church?

In Discipling, veteran pastor and author Mark Dever cuts through the confusion with the clarity, biblical faithfulness, and pastoral warmth that have made him one of the most trusted voices in the contemporary church health movement. Using careful biblical definitions and practical, real-life examples, Dever shows what it looks like for Christians to care for one another’s spiritual wellbeing and growth — helping each other become more like Christ in the everyday rhythms of church life.

This is not a book about formal mentoring programmes or complicated discipleship curricula. It is a vision of a church where discipling is woven into the fabric of congregational life — where pastors model it, members practise it, and the whole community is shaped by a culture of edification, encouragement, and growth.

What This Book Covers

Mark Dever works through the biblical foundations and practical expressions of discipling in the local church:

What discipling actually is — A clear, biblical definition of discipling that goes beyond programmes and meetings to describe a whole way of relating as Christians
The biblical basis for discipling — How the Great Commission and the New Testament’s vision of Christian community together call every believer to invest in the spiritual growth of others
What discipling looks like in practice — Concrete, accessible examples of how Christians can help one another grow in Christlikeness in everyday life and church community
Discipling and the local church — Why discipling is not a parachurch activity or a private arrangement between individuals, but is designed to function within and through the local congregation
Cultivating a culture of discipling — How pastors and church leaders can build a congregational culture where discipling happens naturally, consistently, and fruitfully
Discipling and church health — How a church where discipling is flourishing is a healthier, more gospel-centred, and more missionally fruitful congregation
Practical steps for getting started — Accessible guidance for Christians who want to begin discipling others — and for churches wanting to make discipling a core part of their congregational life

What Readers Will Learn

What the Bible means by making disciples — and how that definition shapes the practice of discipling in the local church
Why discipling is not the job of a specialist or a programme but the responsibility of every Christian in the congregation
What it looks like in practice for Christians to care for one another’s spiritual growth in the rhythms of everyday church life
How pastors and church leaders can model discipling and cultivate a culture of edification and growth in their congregations
Why the local church — not parachurch organisations or individual effort alone — is the God-designed context for discipling to flourish
How to begin discipling another Christian — even without a formal programme, a curriculum, or years of theological training
Why a church where discipling is flourishing is better equipped to grow, witness, and fulfil the Great Commission together

How to Use This Book

Discipling is short, accessible, and immediately practical:

Personal reading — Ideal for any Christian wanting to understand what discipling is and how to begin doing it with others in their church
Leadership training — An essential resource for pastors and elders wanting to build a culture of discipling in their congregation
One-to-one discipleship — A natural starting point for a more mature Christian wanting to understand how to walk alongside a newer believer in their growth
New members classes — A warm, accessible introduction to what it means to be part of a congregation that is genuinely committed to one another’s spiritual growth
Small group discussion — Short enough to read together, practical enough to prompt honest conversation about how your group and church can grow in discipling one another

Who Should Read This Book

This book is for you if you are:

A pastor or church leader wanting to understand how to cultivate a culture of discipling in your congregation and model it from the front
A more mature Christian who wants to invest in the spiritual growth of others but is unsure how to begin or what discipling actually involves
A newer believer wanting to understand what it means to be part of a community that is genuinely committed to helping one another become more like Christ
A church planter wanting to establish a discipling culture as a core part of your new congregation’s identity from the very beginning
Anyone who has heard the Great Commission many times and wondered: What does it actually look like, in a real church, for ordinary Christians to make disciples?

About the Author

Mark Dever is the Senior Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., and the founder and president of 9Marks Ministries. He holds a PhD from Cambridge University and is one of the most influential voices in the contemporary church health movement. He is the author of numerous books including Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, and has spent decades not only writing about discipling but modelling it — investing personally in the spiritual growth of countless pastors, leaders, and ordinary Christians over the course of his ministry. Mark brings to Discipling both deep biblical conviction and the seasoned pastoral wisdom of someone who has watched what actually produces Christlikeness in real congregations over the long haul.

About the Building Healthy Churches Series

Discipling is the eighth volume in the Building Healthy Churches series published by 9Marks and Crossway — a library of short, focused books designed to help churches recover and embody the marks of a healthy, gospel-centred congregation. Each volume tackles one essential aspect of church health with biblical clarity, pastoral warmth, and practical application.

Other titles in the series include: