Mark Carey writes:

Making Disciples, Building Community: Jesus’ Strategy for the Church

What is the Church for?

Jesus gave us a clear answer: make disciples and build community. It’s not just a slogan—it’s a strategy. In Luke 10, we see Jesus sending out ordinary people with an extraordinary mission: to live out the gospel in real relationships.

Conviction 1: Discipleship Must Cost Something

The early church understood that following Jesus meant surrender. Today, we often make church easy to join but discipleship optional. But Jesus never called us to be mere attendees—He called us to transformation.

Challenge: Are we churchgoers or disciples?

Conviction 2: Our Lives Are the Message

People aren’t convinced by what we say—they’re convinced by how we live.

Francis Schaeffer said, “Our relationship with each other is the criterion the world uses to judge whether our message is truthful"

Authenticity is our authority. If our lives don’t line up with our message, we lose credibility.

Challenge: Is your life plausible? Do your relationships reflect Jesus?

Conviction 3: Evangelism Is Community

Evangelism isn’t just “proclamation events” – it’s the visible life of disciples following Jesus together. When we build authentic community, we proclaim the gospel with our lives. When we make disciples, we are evangelising. When we form real community, we are evangelising.

Challenge: Are we creating spaces where the gospel is seen, not just heard? 

Conviction 4: Beware the Drift to Clubs or Cliques

Churches can drift into becoming social clubs or service providers. But Jesus calls us to be communities on mission—open, sending, and always making disciples.

Challenge: Are we open to the others? Are we cosy?

Conviction 5: You Can Tell When It’s Working

You’ve made a disciple when someone starts to look like Jesus through your influence. You’ve built community when there’s trust, shared life, and openness. These are visible, measurable realities.

Challenge: Who’s imitating your life in Christ? What kind of community are you building?

Jesus’ Strategy in Luke 10

• Teams, not solo acts

• Cast a wide net

• Find people of peace

• Do life-on-life discipleship

• Live with integrity and vulnerability

• Create environments of faith

Conclusion: This Is What We Do Around Here

Making disciples and building community isn’t optional—it’s the heartbeat of the Church. Jesus didn’t rely on slick programs. He relied on Spirit-filled people living authentic lives together.

Let’s return to Jesus’ strategy. Let’s be the Church He imagined—ordinary people, filled with the Spirit, living authentic lives together.

 Rev Canon Mark Carey. Christ Church Bridlington Network.