The WHAT, HOW, and WHY in Disciple Making

A Transformative Guide To Equipping & Disciple-Making With Purpose

by Raimer Rojas

Discipleship

Disciple making is not merely about transferring knowledge but about fostering transformation, building faithful followers of Christ, and equipping them to multiply. To achieve this, equippers and disciple-makers must intentionally integrate the WHAT, HOW, and WHY into their teaching, equipping, and disciple-making. These components provide a holistic approach that ensures clarity and retention, fosters engagement, and inspires lasting impact.


The WHAT: Defining the Core Message

The WHAT is the foundation of disciple making. It answers the question, What are we teaching? For the disciple-maker, this involves discerning and clearly articulating the core truths, principles, and actions that learners need to understand and embrace.

Role of the Disciple-Maker:

A disciple-maker is a steward of truth, tasked with carefully curating and communicating content that is both thorough and ample in scope and sequence. This means ensuring that essential concepts are not only covered but also organized in a way that builds understanding progressively. The disciple-maker goes to great effort to be precise and comprehensive, stripping away distractions and focusing on the core message. This clarity enables learners to anchor their understanding and engage deeply with the truth.


The HOW: Building Proficiency and Engagement

The HOW bridges knowledge and action. It addresses the strategies, methods, and steps through which disciples engage with the core message(s). For the disciple-maker, this involves creatively presenting the material in ways that are are memorable, relatable, and reproducible—while also ensuring that learning is interactive, experiential, and adaptable to different learners.

Role of the Disciple-Maker:

A disciple-maker is both a teacher and a facilitator, ensuring that learning is not just received but embodied and practiced. This requires:

The leader not only communicates content but equips learners with reproducible methods and strategies. This ensures disciples experience transformation and are able to pass on what they have learned to their own, future disciples, creating a ripple effect that extends beyond the individual and into their communities.


The WHY: Cultivating Motivation and Perspective

The WHY provides the deeper purpose and motivation behind disciple making. It connects the WHAT and HOW to the greater narrative of God’s kingdom, inspiring learners to engage not just out of duty but from a heart aligned with Christ’s.

Role of the Disciple-Maker:

The leader nurtures intrinsic motivation by showing how each teaching fits into God’s redemptive plan and connecting them to ultimate goals of disciple making. This perspective helps disciples engage with purpose and joy, sustaining their growth even through challenges.


Integrating the Framework

When the WHAT, HOW, and WHY are integrated, discipleship becomes a dynamic and transformative process. It provides a clear path for learners to:


A Reproducible Vision for Disciple-Making

The ultimate goal of disciple making is not just to teach but to equip disciples to become disciple-makers themselves. By focusing on the WHAT, HOW, and WHY, leaders ensure that the process is not only transformative for individuals but also reproducible for generations to come.

This framework empowers disciple-makers to:

By following this guide, disciple-makers fulfill the Great Commission, building a community of Christ-followers who live, love, and lead in alignment with God’s will.