The Process and the Environment for Growing Disciples of Christ
How Disciples Are Formed and the Conditions That Enable Their Growth
by Raimer Rojas
(English & Español)
by Raimer Rojas
(English & Español)
When we think about raising disciples who truly grow and multiply, we are not just thinking about ministry effectiveness—we are thinking about what people actually need to flourish as human beings designed by God.
At the core, people need two things to grow in Christ:
THE PROCESS (How) — clear direction for living a life reoriented around Him
ENVIRONMENT — a safe, life-giving context where that life can take root and flourish
Together, these form the process and the environment. Both are essential—when either is missing, people may survive, but they will not thrive.
People were not designed to drift. They need clarity, purpose, and a way forward. The HOW provides this by giving a process of formation—a pathway through which a person is shaped over time into the way of Jesus. This process can be understood through three core commitments: be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do as He did.
To be with Jesus is to live in ongoing relationship with Him—encountering Him through His Word and Spirit, learning to hear His voice, and walking in dependence on Him. This is where discipleship begins. Truth becomes personal and alive.
To become like Jesus is the work of inner transformation. As disciples remain with Him, they begin to see life through God’s perspective. Their minds are renewed, their beliefs aligned with what is real, their hearts reshaped, and their desires reordered. Change begins to flow from within.
To do as Jesus did is where formation becomes visible. Disciples put His teachings into practice—loving, serving, forgiving, and living in alignment with His ways. Faith becomes embodied in everyday life.
This process is lived out in intentional relationships. Disciples are known, encouraged, corrected, and supported. Formation does not happen in isolation—it happens in community.
At every stage, there is dependence on the Holy Spirit. He empowers change, gives guidance, and sustains growth. Without Him, discipleship becomes human effort; with Him, it becomes living transformation.
And from the beginning, this process is oriented toward multiplication. As disciples learn to be with Jesus, become like Him, and do as He did, they are also being formed to help others do the same. What is formed in them is meant to be passed on.
In this way, the HOW is not merely a method. It is the pathway through which God forms people and multiplies His life through them.
People were not designed to grow under pressure, fear, or isolation. They need an environment where they can be honest, known, and supported. The ENVIRONMENT provides these conditions. It is the atmosphere people experience. It answers the questions beneath the surface: Is it safe to be real? Am I seen? Can I struggle without being rejected?
A healthy environment is marked by love, safety, peace, and relational connection. In this kind of space, people open up. They become honest. They receive truth without defensiveness because they do not feel threatened. Here, people can be with Jesus honestly, without hiding. They have the safety needed to become like Him internally, allowing God to work deeply. And they are encouraged as they begin to do as He did, even when it feels new or uncomfortable. The environment is the soil and conditions where growth either thrives or struggles.
When there is a strong process but a weak environment, people may know what to do but feel unable to do it from the heart. They move forward externally, but internally they remain guarded. The result is pressure, performance, or discouragement. They do things—but they do not flourish.
When there is a strong environment but no clear process, people feel supported but lack direction. They experience connection, but are not intentionally formed. Growth remains limited, and multiplication does not occur.
In both cases, something essential is missing.
When the process and the environment come together, people begin to flourish. They are learning to be with Jesus in a real way, in a space where they can be honest. They are becoming like Him as their inner life is transformed, with support instead of pressure. They are stepping into doing what He did, encouraged as they grow.
Growth becomes natural, not forced. People hear God more clearly because they are not guarded. Obedience flows from desire, not obligation. Transformation goes deeper because it is happening from the inside out. And over time, what is forming in them begins to reproduce in others.
The HOW is the seed and the pathway that leads to growth and multiplication. The ENVIRONMENT is the soil and the conditions that allow that growth to happen. The process forms people into the way of Jesus—teaching them to be with Him, become like Him, and do as He did. The environment determines whether that life can take root and flourish. When both are present, growth becomes healthy, deep, and reproducible.
Jesus modeled both. He gave a clear process: people were with Him, learned from Him, and were sent by Him. But He also shaped the environment. He created spaces of dignity, truth, and invitation. People felt seen, not crushed. Known, not exposed. Because of this, people didn’t just receive teaching—they were transformed.
If we want to see people truly flourish, we must care about both the process and the environment. The HOW provides the pathway—teaching people to be with Jesus, become like Him, and do as He did. The ENVIRONMENT provides the conditions that make that pathway livable. When both are aligned, people do not just grow—they come alive. And what comes alive in them begins to multiply in others.