When I was 18 years old and still immature in my faith, I walked onto my college campus and was struck by the power of sincere Christian community. A pastor began meeting with my roommate and me every week for the next two years. He helped me memorize Scripture, study the Bible inductively, pray intentionally, confess sin, and share my faith. It was life changing.
I’ve now served in collegiate ministry for 25 years. The greatest impact we can make in our ministries doesn’t come from big strategies or programs. It comes from passing the life of Christ in us on to others.
Our goal is multiplying disciples. Without discipleship, leadership pipelines stall, sending doesn’t happen, and multiplication stops before it starts. Let me share eight keys to help you multiply disciples for a lifetime of impact.
- Live and Breathe the Great Commission
Our blueprint is Matthew 28. Our marching orders are clear: go and make disciples of all nations. This is our job description. Jesus never gave us another plan.
If I were in charge of world evangelism in my flesh, I’d go big. I’d fill a stadium with 100,000 lost people. I’d bring in the best worship teams, the best evangelists, and the best planners. Let’s say 100,000 people came to Christ in one night. Then let’s do it again the next day. Another 100,000. The next day, another 100,000. But here’s the reality: the world population grows by 200,000 every single day. Even with unlimited resources, our big events still leave the world unreached.
Jesus’ plan is different. He told us to make disciples. If every follower of Christ evangelized, trained, and discipled just one other person, multiplication would happen exponentially. In half a generation, the gospel could reach the world.
- Walk with God
We can’t reproduce what we aren’t. If all we do is run programs, then we’ll reproduce students who can run programs. But if we walk with Jesus, we’ll reproduce disciples who walk with Jesus.
This has to be personal. Students today struggle with insecurity and fear. They feel inadequate to do anything significant. Honestly, I feel that too. I’ve been doing this for decades, and I still wonder if I know what I’m doing.
But here’s the truth: our calling is not to be qualified but to walk with Jesus. He promised, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Our part is to follow Him. He does the transforming. He makes us fruitful.
I think of David, a freshman with deep social anxiety. He trembled when he met new people, but he loved Jesus. David kept walking with Him. Over time, his confidence grew. By the time he graduated, he had led multiple classmates to Christ. Why? Because David walked with Jesus.
- Choose Your Disciples Wisely
Not every student is ready to be discipled. Early in my ministry, I spent too much time with students who weren’t teachable or available. They drained time and energy but bore little fruit.
Eventually, I learned to invest in students who were ready. We often talk about FAT students—faithful, available, and teachable. Faithful to Jesus. Available to learn. Teachable in spirit.
One student, Joseph, didn’t look like a likely leader. He described himself as insecure and ordinary, but he was hungry. He grew quickly. He led friends to Christ. He started a Bible study in the fine arts department. Later, he even led his roommate to Christ. Today, Joseph is still making disciples.
Better to invest in one faithful, available, and teachable student than meet with a dozen who aren’t. Choose wisely.
- Make Personal Invitations with Vision
I’ll never forget when my campus minister pulled me aside. He said, “I believe you could impact others for Christ. I want you to lead a Bible study. I’ll help you.” No one had ever told me that before, but his words called me to something higher.
That’s the power of vision-saturated invitations. Face-to-face conversations change lives. A 10-minute “I see in you” conversation can do more than a semester of sermons. When you tell a student, “I believe in you. I see potential in you. You can do this,” the Spirit often uses it to launch them into leadership or ministry.
Don’t settle for open announcements. Call out the best in your students personally.
- Stop Pouringinto Students
I dislike the phrase “pour into me.” Buckets don’t grow by being poured into; they just sit there. That’s not discipleship.
Discipleship is walking beside someone. It’s step by step, like walking in footprints in fresh snow. Students don’t need a mentor who does all the work. They need to take responsibility for their own growth: reading Scripture daily, cultivating prayer, confessing sin, and sharing the gospel.
My college pastor discipled me and my roommate. Yes, we met weekly, but what impacted me most was being in his home, watching him love his wife, seeing him raise his kids, and doing ministry alongside him. He gave us jobs, debriefed us, and let us watch him follow Jesus. That’s discipleship.
- Make Evangelism Integral
Discipleship without evangelism isn’t discipleship. It’s recycling Christians.
Twelve years ago, our ministry began emphasizing evangelism. Since then, hundreds of students have prayed to receive Christ, but the greater impact has been on our believing students. Sharing their faith helped them grow in every other area. They’ve matured in the Scriptures, prayer, community, and accountability.
When students share their faith, it drives them deeper into the Word because they want to be ready with answers. It pushes them into prayer because they know they can’t change hearts. It strengthens their need for community because evangelism is hard and lonely.
If your ministry feels stagnant, get your students sharing the gospel. Evangelism fuels discipleship like nothing else.
- Use Simple, Reproducible Tools
Movements need structure. A vine grows best on a trellis. Tools don’t create growth, but they sustain it.
The key is balance. Not too rigid and complicated. Not too loose and undefined. Find simple tools that are reproducible. Workbooks, handouts, or guides that any student can pick up and pass on. Use them consistently.
The biggest mistake is switching tools too often. Pick good ones and stick with them.
- Stay Consistent
If there’s one word I’d leave with you, it’s consistency.
For the last several years, I’ve run at least one mile every day. Day after day. More than 1,600 days in a row. I’m not fit. I’m not fast. But I am consistent. Consistency over time beats perfect methods every time.
The same is true in ministry. The ministries that make the deepest long-term impact aren’t always flashy. They may not draw the biggest weekly crowds, but they consistently disciple students year after year. If we do, the ripple effects will outlast us. Churches will be planted, missionaries will be sent, and ordinary students will become lifelong disciple makers.
This article was adapted from a session of Collegiate Coaching Network. To learn more or to join, click here.
Published October 1, 2025
