What If It’s a Training Gap?
Why Your Church’s Disciple-Multiplying Challenge May Not Be a Heart Issue—But a Training One
by Shane Stacey
Across the Church today, there’s a growing hunger to return to what Jesus called us to do: make disciples. Pastors are casting vision, preaching boldly, and urging people toward gospel impact. People seem moved—but we’re seeing little movement.
We’ve etched the words over our sanctuary doors: “You are now entering the harvest field.” We commission people every Sunday to go and be the Church on Monday.
And yet … fruit remains scarce.
We assume it’s a heart issue.
But what if it’s not?
What if the Problem isn’t Spiritual Zeal?
What if we’ve been misdiagnosing the lack of disciple-making momentum—not as a gap in our people’s passion, but in our training?
Could it be that the way we train—or fail to train—is leaving everyday followers of Jesus unsure how to apprentice their lives to Him, how to discern and step into their personal calling, and how to become disciple-makers within their relational spheres of influence?
This was my story.
A Personal Confession
A number of years ago, I found myself deeply frustrated. It felt like our congregation simply didn’t want to step up and live out the Great Commission. I tried everything—vision casting, passionate preaching, motivational stories. And yet, the needle barely moved.
Then one day, while rereading Matthew 28:16–20—the “Great Commission”—the Holy Spirit arrested my attention. I paused on a phrase I had glossed over countless times:
“Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
In that moment, it was as if the Spirit whispered, “It’s not just what they’re supposed to obey—but how they’ll learn to obey it.”
That—hidden how—hit me like a ton of bricks.
What if the onus wasn’t all on our people? What if it wasn’t just a lack of desire, but a lack of training? What if I had admired Jesus’ teaching genius but largely overlooked His training genius?
After all, the Great Commission comes after three and a half years of Jesus doing on-the-job, life-on-life training with His disciples. But I had read “teach them to obey” through a Western, pulpit-driven lens, rather than the relational, apprenticeship model Jesus lived.
It’s what Paul captures in 1 Corinthians 4:
“I urge you to imitate me … That’s why I am sending Timothy to you. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus.”
Paul wasn’t simply teaching content; he was passing on a way of life through close relational investment.
Teaching is crucial. But a church that pairs teaching with training will be far more likely to realize its full Kingdom potential.
Teaching and Training Are Not the Same Thing
At Clarity House, we value both teaching and training as essential—but they’re not interchangeable. Mistaking one for the other leaves people over-inspired but under-equipped.
Teaching is the imparting of knowledge and insight to expand understanding. Training is the development of character, confidence, and competency through practice, feedback, and modeling—equipping someone to act and multiply.
You can teach someone about prayer, hospitality, leadership, or evangelism. But unless they’re trained—through modeling, practice, and feedback—they’ll likely lack the confidence and competence to actually live it, let alone multiply in others.
Why the Shift to Training Is Essential
Jesus didn’t just preach sermons. He sent people. He debriefed. He corrected. He coached. He gave real responsibility before His followers felt ready—and then walked with them while they grew.
If our goal is to build a disciple-multiplying culture, we must recover His approach.
Teaching alone produces listeners. Training produces leaders (a.k.a. disciplemakers)
Without training, most people stay stuck:
- They love Jesus, but don’t feel equipped to share their faith.
- They want to be an influence, but aren’t confident in discipling others.
- They sense a calling, but feel unsure how to step into it.
That’s not a heart issue. That’s a training issue.
Why Training Gets Neglected
So why do most churches default to teaching?
1. The Synonym Syndrome
Many leaders use “teaching” and “training” interchangeably. Without clear definitions, churches default to familiar models—information transfer—rather than deliberate skill-building.
2. The Pulpit Syndrome
Most pastors have been seminary-trained to preach and teach—but not to train. We replicate what was modeled for us: a Genesis 1 strategy (“speak it into existence”) rather than a Mark 3:14 strategy (“be with me, so you can be sent”). Western education has shaped us around lectures, not labs.
3. The Efficiency Syndrome
In teaching environments, success is measured by how many people get through the course.In training environments, success is measured by what percentage of people experience breakthroughs. Training feels slower—but in the long term, it produces fruit that teaching alone cannot.
4. The Complexity Syndrome
Training requires personalized, relational investment. It’s harder to scale. It demands patience, presence, and perseverance. But Jesus’ model shows us it’s the only path to lasting multiplication.
Becoming a Training Church: Three Key Shifts
Ready to grow beyond content delivery? Here are three essential shifts you’ll need to make.
1. From Content to Competency
Don’t just ask, “What do they know?” Ask, “What will they be able to do?” Start with clear outcomes. Build environments for practice. Give tools. Provide feedback.
2. From Programs to People
Training is relational. Focus less on filling rooms and more on filling lives. Invest in a few who will invest in others. Walk with them. Don’t just teach from a platform—coach from alongside.
3. From Inspiration to Imitation
Celebrate obedience more than attendance. Share stories of everyday disciple-makers. Let your church see what training looks like, not just hear about it.
Imagine a Different Future
Imagine if your congregation didn’t just hear the Great Commission… but lived it. Imagine Dream Disciples being developed—people so rooted in Jesus’ way of life that they naturally reproduce His life in others.
It’s possible. But it starts with training, not just teaching.
If your church feels stuck, it may not be a heart problem. It might just be a training gap. And closing that gap could change everything.
Discussion Questions for Your Team
1. Why do you think a training gap can look like spiritual apathy in a church or ministry setting?
2. Based on the definitions of teaching and training in this article, what percentage of our ministry time is currently devoted to each?
3. What are 3–5 positive shifts we would likely see if we increased our intentionality and practice of training?
4. What would it look like to redesign one ministry environment—from content delivery to hands-on training?
At Clarity House, we specialize in guiding church teams in articulating a shared vision coupled with disciple-making clarity. We’d love to help you and your team. If you want us to assess your current mission statement, feel free to set up a free conversation with our team.