The Only Way to Lead People to Jesus Who Don’t Care About Coming to Church

“Go and make disciples…” — Jesus (Matthew 28:19)
He didn’t say, “Go and host a service.”
He said, “Go.”

For generations, churches have assumed that people would come to us. Come to our buildings. Come to our Sunday services. Come hear a sermon.

But that assumption is broken.

It’s not just that people don’t show up anymore—it’s that they don’t feel the need to. Church attendance is no longer the cultural norm. For many, Sunday morning is just another morning. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t spiritually hungry. It just means the starting point is different.

We Must Stop Outsourcing the Gospel to Sunday Mornings

Jesus never intended for buildings or programs to be the primary delivery mechanism of the gospel. His method was people. His model was relationships. His environment was everyday life.

That’s why we need to reimagine what discipleship looks like in this cultural moment. And it starts long before someone becomes a believer.

Discipleship Begins Before Conversion

Steve Pike puts it this way:

“The making of a disciple begins when a person who is not a converted disciple of Jesus makes contact with someone who is already following Jesus.”

Think about that: discipleship begins before someone believes. It’s not just about teaching new Christians. It’s about walking with people—long before they ever decide to follow Jesus.

Pike lays out a four-stage process that helps us see what pre-conversion discipleship can look like in real life:

1. Awareness

A person becomes aware of you in a positive way.

• How can I live in such a way that my presence is a blessing in my neighborhood?
• How can our church team add tangible value to our community?

2. Connection

You know their name, they know you know their name, and you’re praying for them.

• How do I slow down and learn people’s names—and bring them before God in prayer?
• How do we build this rhythm into our ministry events and outreach?

3. Relationship

You know their story. They know you know their story. And you connect at least once a month.

• How can I make space for meaningful conversations and consistent connection?
• How do we create environments where relationships naturally deepen?

4. Spiritual Conversation

They know you follow Jesus—and they know you want to help them follow him, too.

• How can I naturally point to Jesus in our conversations?
• How can we create safe spaces for spiritual exploration?

From Seed to Fruit: Building Gospel Gatherings

If you’re trying to start a church, missional community, or disciple-making movement, it’s important to recognize that a Sunday gathering is just the tip of the iceberg. Fruit only grows when there’s a root system beneath it.

Here’s a practical way to think about it:

For every one person who joins a gathering…You need 3 meaningful relationshipsYou need to be praying by name for 6 peopleYou need 12 people who are positively aware of you

This is a funnel, not a formula. It reminds us that spiritual fruit is the outcome of relational faithfulness. If you want to see people come to Christ and gather in community, you have to start long before they’re ready to attend anything.

Changing the Scorecard

Most churches measure Sunday attendance. But if discipleship begins long before someone enters a worship service, we need a better scorecard—one that aligns with how people actually come to know and follow Jesus today.

Here are four key questions to ask yourself or your team each week:

• Awareness:
  How many people have become positively aware of us this week?
• Connection:
  How many people do we know by name—and are regularly praying for?
• Relationship:
  How many relationships have we formed where we know someone’s story and connect at least monthly?
• Spiritual Conversations:
  How many spiritual conversations have we had with friends who don’t yet follow Jesus?

These are the metrics of movement. This is what it looks like to make disciples in a culture where no one is looking for church—but they are still looking for hope.

Jesus’ Model Still Works

Jesus walked. He lingered. He listened. He told stories. He asked questions. He ate meals. He shared life.

And that’s still the model.

You don’t need a platform. You don’t need a program.
You just need to be a person who knows Jesus and loves others well.

Start with awareness.
Build a connection.
Nurture a relationship.
Have spiritual conversations.
Invite them to follow Jesus—and keep walking with them.

This is discipleship.
And it works—even for people who never step foot in a church building.

Want to Go Deeper?

Check out these resources:

• Reimagine Discipleship by Steve Pike
• Making Disciples: Developing Lifelong Followers of Jesus by Ralph Moore
• Disciple Making That Reproduces – A blog post by Moore