Impact›Discipleship
Discipleship
“Walking with people toward maturity in Christ.”
From a first encounter with Christ to a life of mature faith, we walk with people through relational mentoring and biblical training — and develop emerging leaders who go on to make disciples, strengthen churches, and transform communities.
“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”
Colossians 1:28
Making disciples who make disciples
Around the world, millions have never experienced the transforming hope of the gospel, while many believers long to grow in Christ but lack intentional discipleship, biblical foundations, and leaders who can walk alongside them over time. Churches often struggle to develop mature leaders, young people frequently lack meaningful mentoring, and communities remain unreached because there are too few equipped disciple-makers.
Jesus’ strategy for transforming the world was not simply gathering crowds — it was making disciples. He proclaimed the Kingdom, called people to follow Him, invested deeply in a few, and sent them to do the same.
Lasting Kingdom impact begins as people encounter Christ, continues as they are discipled, and multiplies as they become leaders who make disciples and strengthen the Church.
We believe discipleship happens wherever people live, work, study, and gather — from homes and campuses to churches, sports fields, workplaces, and communities around the world.
Our Vision
A multiplying movement of Christ-centered disciples and servant leaders who make disciples, strengthen churches, and transform communities.
Our Mission
To develop disciples and equip emerging leaders through relational mentoring, biblical training, leadership development, and multiplication pathways that reproduce healthy disciple-makers worldwide.
Our Core Ministry Pillars
Five pillars shape how we make disciples and develop leaders across every culture and context:
01 Evangelism
We share the hope of the gospel and invite others to follow Jesus, opening the door to new life and a relationship with God.
02 Discipleship
We walk with believers in intentional relationships and biblical discipleship that foster spiritual formation, biblical understanding, and obedience to Christ.
03 Leadership Development & Multiplication
We identify, mentor, and equip emerging leaders — with intentional emphasis on youth and young adults — through one-on-one mentoring, practical ministry experience, and one- and two-year leadership pathways that develop multiplying leaders.
04 Biblical Foundations
We build biblical understanding and confidence through inductive Bible study, discovery methods, and reproducible practices that equip believers to apply and teach God’s Word.
05 Affinity-Based Ministry
We build relationships and create natural opportunities for gospel conversations and discipleship through shared interests such as sports, arts, outdoor activities, and community engagement.
Ways to discipleship and leadership development
From a first gospel conversation to a strengthened church, each step builds on the one before it — and every disciple is invited to keep going.
Share the Gospel
- Personal evangelism
- Affinity outreach
- Community engagement
- Gospel conversations
- Invite and follow up
Make Disciples
- One-on-one mentoring
- Small groups
- Inductive Bible study
- Discovery Bible study
- Spiritual formation
Develop Leaders
- Youth leadership development
- Leadership mentoring
- Student & campus ministries
- One- and two-year pathways
- Apprenticeships & internships
- Character and servant leadership
Multiply Disciple-Makers
- Leader coaching
- Ministry practice
- Multiplication training
- New disciple-making groups
- Develop others to lead
- Reproduce and send
Strengthen & Transform
- Strengthened churches
- Healthy discipleship communities
- New ministries & church plants
- Compassion & outreach
- Lasting Kingdom impact
Our values, and the fruit we're working toward
Discipleship's Core Values
God’s Word is our authority for faith, life, and ministry.
We cultivate lifelong transformation through Scripture, prayer, community, and obedience.
Every disciple is called to participate in God’s mission of making disciples among all peoples.
We believe biblical truth is meant to be lived, not merely learned.
Healthy disciples reproduce disciples who reproduce leaders and strengthen the Church.
Desired Outcomes
- People encounter Christ and begin a new life in Him.
- Believers grow in maturity and become disciples of Jesus.
- Leaders are developed with Christlike character and Kingdom effectiveness.
- Disciple-makers multiply new disciples and leaders.
- Youth and young adults become committed followers and future leaders.
- Churches and ministries are strengthened.
- Communities are transformed through the love and truth of the Gospel.
Discover: Where Discipleship Meets Mission
Discover is a 12+ week discipleship-and-mission program in the UK, led by MV missionaries Keith and Talia Comer — combining spiritual formation, cross-cultural experience, hands-on ministry, and leadership development in three phases.
Immerse — Weeks 1–4
Foundations of identity, spiritual rhythms, worldview, and emotional/spiritual health — grounding interns in Christ as they settle into a new culture.
Embrace — Weeks 5–8
Community, conflict and peacemaking, cultural competency, and spiritual warfare — deepening relationships with teammates and the host culture through shared life and service.
Impact — Weeks 9–12
Missional living, leadership and gifting, calling and obedience, and re-entry — stepping into hands-on ministry and preparing to carry transformation home.
Discipling those who disciple others
Member Care is its own form of discipleship — walking alongside MV’s missionaries with the same relational care they extend to others in the field. Our Member Care team connects with missionaries worldwide to encourage, support, and shepherd them for the long haul.
Nancy Nordman
Director of Member Care
Nancy has spent years living and working cross-culturally, discipling and coming alongside MV’s missionaries.
Billy and Donna Hires
After 33 years serving in the local church, the Lord called Billy and Donna to full-time missions with MV.
Joe and Jill Keenum
Serving in missions for over two decades, Joe and Jill have been with Member Care for MV since 1996.
Ricardo and Tracie Olivares
Ricardo and Tracie support MV missionaries worldwide as part of the Member Care team.
Stories of transformed lives
Shepherds, Snow, and a First Mission Trip
For years, Lloyd Thabatha’s children have known one thing about their dad’s work: he leaves, he goes to Lesotho or Zambia or Mozambique, and he comes home with stories. This July, for the first time, they went with him.
From the Guardhouse to the Jailhouse
Brian had been working faithfully as a security guard for a local church in Uganda. For seven months they promised him his wages would be saved toward a motorcycle. That promise would change his life. When the day came, the church said they had no money.
Forgiveness & faith in the Peruvian jungle
This story is a reminder of why discipleship is so important among the Shawi. It is not just about studying the life of Jesus; it is also about emulating him. Those new believers who are traveling to the Discipleship Center are receiving life-changing teachings, and that is why we must continue.
Bringing God's Kingdom to Uruguay
On my first mission trip amid the crashing surf and warm hospitality of Uruguay, God opened my eyes to not only the country’s beauty but also to see a people longing for His presence—and MV missionaries faithfully bringing His light.
Join the disciple-making mission
Go
Explore short-term and long-term discipleship and leadership development opportunities through team trips, internships and more.
Connect
Is your church passionate about discipleship, mentoring, and raising up the next generation of leaders? Partner with MV to connect with disciple-makers in the field.
- Partner With Us
Pray
Pray for disciple-makers, emerging leaders, and the people they walk alongside as they grow in faith and maturity.
Prayer focus
Pray for disciple-makers and emerging leaders
Every disciple who matures in Christ has the potential to disciple others — and to lead. Pray specifically for MV’s discipleship ministry now.
Pray for wisdom and endurance for those walking alongside others in relational discipleship.
Pray that new believers would grow deep roots in Scripture and community.
Pray for youth and young adults stepping into leadership, that they would grow in Christlike character and servant leadership.
Pray for interns currently serving cross-culturally through the Discover program or in other ministry opportunities.
Fuel the mission.
Support our Core Mission and impact those serving in discipleship and leadership development. Every gift helps the gospel reach further and take deeper root.