Two men talking and laughing between rows of chairs after a Sunday service, with the room still full of people around them.

We are putting discipleship back into the hands of everyday people.

We exist to know Jesus, follow Jesus, and lead others to do the same. To ignite an everyday, disciple-making movement.

Start here

So what really is discipleship?

A disciple is someone who knows Jesus, follows Jesus, and leads others to do the same.

For most people in Christian circles, “discipleship” becomes a junk drawer word that is used to describe almost anything that happens in the Christian life, or going deeper in Christian education, or just doing life together.

What I want to show you today that will hopefully blow up all of your modern, conventional understandings of discipleship and put discipleship right back where Jesus put it — which is in the hands of everyday people.

Pastor Joey McLaughlin

Discipleship is truly learning and knowing what it means to walk every single day with Jesus.

A disciple who deeply knows Jesus, passionately follows Jesus, and consistently leads others to do the same.

Joey McLaughlin · Know
A group of people standing and talking together after a service, laughing, under a sign reading THE CHAPEL.

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

In the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), Jesus calls each of us to not only be disciples, but to make disciples! To make disciples in our homes, at work, and in our neighborhoods. But to do that, we have to ask 2 questions of ourselves;

  • Am I a disciple?
  • Do I know how to make disciples?

Everyone is called to be a disciple maker, that means you!

New to all of this

Our strategy

Our vision for you at Elevate City

The discipleship pathway guides people to know Jesus, follow Jesus, and lead others to do the same.

  • At Elevate City, the Great Commission is our lead strategy.
  • We aren’t as interested in attracting attenders as we are with equipping multipliers.
  • We believe in deep, relational, spiritual formation.
  • We want everyone to be equipped with the tools to become a fully formed disciple-making disciple. Equip, Equip X, and small groups multiplying are our core book of business.
  • The scriptural mandate of every man, woman, boy and girl is: multiply.

Let us show you how.

The scripture behind it

  • Acts 2:42-47
  • Matthew 28:18-20
  • Matthew 4:19
  • Mark 1:17-18
  • Mark 16:15
  • Luke 15:7
  • John 1:45
  • John 13:15-17
  • John 13:34-35
  • John 15:8-16
  • Acts 1:8
  • Acts 2:38-39
  • Acts 5:42
  • Acts 11:26
  • Romans 10:14-15
  • 2 Timothy 2:1-3
  • Ephesians 4:11-16
  • Genesis 1:28
  • Genesis 12:1-3
  • 1 Corinthians 3:5-9
  • 1 Corinthians 11:1
  • 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
  • Colossians 1:24-28
Jesus over everything Elevate City Church

The discipleship pathway guides people to know Jesus, follow Jesus, and lead others to do the same.

01 Know Jesus

  • Outreach

    Come & See Jesus like you’ve never seen him before.

    At Elevate City we have a culture of invitation — we want to meet people where they are at through social media, web, marketing, events, and prayer to help get them to the feet of Jesus. We truly believe that one invitation could change everything.

    Romans 10:14–15

    Come & See

  • Sunday service

    Sunday services are designed to engage the unbeliever and equip the believer.

    Our goal is to passionately tell the Jesus story in a way that helps more people know Jesus and people know Jesus more.

    Hebrews 10:25

    Let us know you’re coming

  • Basecamp

    A four-week journey designed to equip you with tools needed to help you step into the adventure of following Jesus at Elevate City.

    • Week oneYou step into the Story
    • Week twoYou step into your Purpose
    • Week threeYou step into Belonging
    • Week fourYou step into the Mission

    Proverbs 29:18 · Ephesians 1:23 · Ephesians 5:23

    Register for Basecamp

    Learn more about Basecamp

Six people standing outside talking after a service, beside a board reading NEW HERE? START HERE.

02 Follow Jesus

  • Equip

    A 10 week training to be a disciple that makes disciples. Equip includes training in three areas: how to pray, read the Bible and have gospel conversations.

    2 Timothy 2:2

    More about Equip

  • Serve

    Greatness comes through service. We believe big spiritual growth happens when we start to serve. It is more blessed to give than receive. Every person has a part to play in the body of Christ. Understanding your part to play puts you on a path towards growth.

    1 Peter 4:10–11

    Ways to serve

  • Groups

    Groups are an ongoing environment for connection, discipleship, mission, and care.

    Acts 2:42–47

    Find a group

A group of young adults standing in a circle outside after a service, talking.

03 Lead others to do the same

  • Dream team

    The Dream Team is full of people who have decided to radically take ownership of the mission of Elevate City Church and use their lives to help build every part of the Church.

    Dream Teamers consistently attend, give, serve, and invite. They live out our core convictions, make disciples who make disciples, and do whatever it takes to see earth look more like heaven.

    Romans 12:1–21

    Our core convictions

  • Equip X

    Equip X is a year long discipleship formation journey designed for people to deeply know Jesus, passionately follow Jesus, and consistently lead others to do the same.

    Ephesians 4:11–16

    More about Equip X

  • Always a next step

    We never fully arrive at the depths of knowing Jesus. There is always a next step. A way to know Him deeper. A way to follow Him more passionately. A way to consistently lead more people to do the same.

    Your next step might look like:

    • Going on a mission trip
    • Stepping into counseling
    • Taking a trip to Israel
    • Going through the Leadership Development Program
    • Saying yes to whatever Jesus is putting in front of you next

    Acts 1:8

    Leadership Development Program

    Go on a mission trip

A Jesus church, radically pursuing the fulfillment of the Great Commission in our day.

Equip — discipleship training

Equip is a 10 week training to be a disciple who makes disciples.

Equip will include training in three areas: how to pray, read the Bible, and have gospel conversations. What we believe makes Equip unique is that it trains you in a way that allows you to train others and connects people relationally to someone who can support and encourage them along this journey of following Jesus.

Discipleship isn’t discipleship if it’s not relational and reproducible; both components are the heartbeat of Equip.
More about Equip
Equip X — one year discipleship formation journey

A one-year discipleship formation journey

Deeply know Jesus. Passionately follow Jesus. Consistently lead others to do the same.

Equip X

Equip X is a year long discipleship formation journey designed for people to deeply know Jesus, passionately follow Jesus, and consistently lead others to do the same.

This is not a small group, Bible study, dinner club, class or curriculum. And this is not just getting coffee with someone once a week to “do life together”…as awesome as those things are…that’s not what this is.

This is a deep, relational, spiritual formation journey with the intention of exponential disciple multiplication. This isn’t designed for just exploring faith, experiencing community or studying the Bible.

The goal is for people to become deeply formed disciples of Jesus who spend the rest of their lives consistently making disciples of Jesus.

Know

For those who dare to deeply know Jesus and His heart for deep discipleship.

Joey McLaughlin · the first of three

You meet Jesus in Mark. Know Jesus in John. Follow Jesus in Luke. Learn to lead others to do the same in Matthew. Then, we multiply.

Know, Joey McLaughlin

  • The shape of it

    A year-long immersion into the biblical gospels as a pathway to make disciples of Jesus.

  • What comes with it

    An accompanying leader guide, a discipleship pathway, a rule of life, a calendar of experiences, and ultimately a destination that this whole thing is headed towards — doing with others what has been done with you.

Where people are

Multiply the process

The discipleship pathway guides people to know Jesus, follow Jesus, and lead others to do the same.

  1. 01DeadKnowing Jesus through Outreach and Sunday Service.
  2. 02InfantKnowing Jesus through Sunday Service and Basecamp.
  3. 03ChildFollowing Jesus through Equip, serving and small groups.
  4. 04AdultLearning to lead others to Jesus through Dream Team and Equip X.
  5. 05ParentLeading others to know and follow Jesus through next steps: mission trip, class, coach/leader.

Start here

You are invited to step into the movement this Sunday!

Everyone is called to be a disciple maker, that means you!

A woman standing in the baptism tank just after coming up out of the water, hands pressed together, laughing, with people clapping around her.