Discipleship as Activation by Branden Dupree
Jan 20, 2026
Jesus never invited people to stay where they were.
When he called disciples, he wasn’t calling them to admire him but to follow, to risk, and to be changed alongside others. From the beginning, discipleship was active. Discipleship meant leaving livelihoods, walking unfamiliar roads and reordering lives around a shared mission.
From where I stand, as a lay leader and Director for Evangelical Mission, discipleship is ultimately teaching, formation and instruction but only as they lead into action. Jesus gathered disciples for shared responsibility: to move toward one another, toward the margins, toward a way of life shaped by love and justice. Discipleship is a mutual awakening.
At its core, discipleship is how we activate each other so that more people come to know the way of Jesus and discover a community rooted in love and justice.
Discipleship happens in community. Jesus sent disciples out two by two. He taught as they walked and he accompanied them in failure. That model still holds - Discipleship is communal, relational, and deeply human.
Discipleship is not reserved for clergy alone. Every baptized person is called both learner and leader. People are formed when someone walks with them listening, encouraging, challenging, providing what is needed, and staying present through complexity.
Making disciples requires accompaniment and the right tools for the journey. People cannot live what they are not equipped to practice. That means offering tools that are accessible and contextual for prayer, generosity, justice, and community engagement. It also means removing barriers such as unclear language, rigid expectations, or institutional habits that no longer serve the gospel.
When discipleship is rooted in activation, it cultivates connection, belonging, and shared purpose. It shapes lives that are attentive, engaged, and sent.
This is the discipleship our time calls for: companions on the way, practicing presence, growing in courage, and deepening faith together.