The Disciple-Making Leader

The Disciple-Making Leader

The Disciple-Making Leader Podcast aims to inspire and challenge us all to be disciple-making leaders. We encourage churches to develop disciple-making leaders through practical discussions, interviews with current ministry leaders, and real-life examples. Tune into the disciple-making leader podcast and transform your approach to developing leaders in order to experience the power of Jesus' strategy for raising up leaders, growing the church, and multiplying a movement

Episodes

The Disciple-Making Model for Every Church and Context : S4E11

June 26, 2026 • 44 mins
In this episode of the Disciple Making Leader Podcast, Ben Borgman and Craig Etheredge are joined by Gibson Largent of the CrossCreek Network to discuss one of the most important questions facing church leaders today: How do you faithfully make disciples in a ministry context that looks different from everyone else’s?
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https://disciplefirst.com/ DiscipleFirst Coac...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

The Church Planting Blind Spot | Why Multiplication Often Stalls : S4E10

June 12, 2026 • 51 mins
In this episode of the Disciple-Making Leader Podcast, Ben Borgman, Craig Etheredge, and Gibson Largent tackle an important question facing churches and church planters today: Why are church planting and disciple making so often treated as separate ministries?
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https://disciplefirst.com/ DiscipleFirst Coaching: https://disciplefirst.com/coaching/ CrossCreek Network: ht...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

The Silent Epidemic | Fighting Pornography and Guarding Your Heart in Ministry : S4E9

May 29, 2026 • 35 mins
In this episode of the Disciple-Making Leader Podcast, Ben Borgman, Craig Etheredge, and JT Thornton tackle one of the most hidden and destructive struggles impacting the church today: pornography.
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https://disciplefirst.com/ DiscipleFirst Coaching: https://disciplefirst.com/coaching/ Catalyst 645: https://www.catalyst645.com/
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

The Weight of Ministry | Navigating Burnout, Isolation, and Leadership Challenges in the Local Church : S4E8

May 15, 2026 • 55 mins
In this episode of the Disciple-Making Leader Podcast, Ben Borgman and Craig Etheredge are joined by Pastor JT Thornton of Trinity Baptist Church and Catalyst 645 for an honest conversation about the real challenges pastors and ministry leaders face today.
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https://disciplefirst.com/ DiscipleFirst Coaching: https://disciplefirst.com/coaching/ Catalyst 645: https://www....
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

The Pathway | Moving from Confusion to Clarity in Disciple-Making : S4E7

May 1, 2026 • 53 mins
In this episode of the Disciple Making Leader Podcast, Ben Borgman, Craig Etheredge, and Glenn Underhill move from identifying the problem in discipleship to offering a clear solution: a defined pathway rooted in the life of Jesus.
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https://disciplefirst.com/
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Closing the Gap | Why Discipleship Falls Short : S4E6

April 17, 2026 • 27 mins
In Part 2 of this series, Ben Borgman, Pastor Glenn Underhill, and Pastor Craig Etheredge continue unpacking the State of Discipleship study from Lifeway Research, focusing on solutions to the challenges facing churches today.
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https://disciplefirst.com/ DiscipleFirst Resources: https://disciplefirst.com/resources/ Lifeway Study – The State of Discipleship: h...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Reclaiming Saint Patrick | The Disciple-Making Legacy of St. Patrick : S4E5

April 3, 2026 • 44 mins
In this episode, Ben Borgman and Pastor Craig Etheredge revisit the true story of Saint Patrick and his lasting impact as a disciple-making missionary.
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https://disciplefirst.com/ DiscipleFirst Resources: https://disciplefirst.com/resources/ Book Mentioned – The Celtic Way of Evangelism by George Hunter: http://amazon.com/Celtic-Way-Evangelism-Tenth-Anniversary/...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Closing the Gap: Why Many Churches Value Discipleship but Struggle to Practice It : S4E4

March 20, 2026 • 37 mins
In this episode of the Disciple-Making Leader Podcast, Ben Borgman is joined in the studio by Pastor Craig and Pastor Glenn Underhill to discuss key insights from the State of Discipleship study by Lifeway Research.
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https://disciplefirst.com/ DiscipleFirst Resources: https://disciplefirst.com/resources/ Lifeway Research – The State of Discipleship Study: https:...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

The Disciple Making-Leader LIVE: Part Three with Pastor Prem, Pastor Lakpa, and Keith Squires : S4E3

March 6, 2026 • 32 mins
A special live episode from The Collective featuring Pastor Prem and Pastor Lakpa from Nepal, along with Keith Squires from CrossCreek Church. Pastor Prem and Lakpa share the powerful story of the Church in Nepal - from having no known Christians before 1950 to becoming one of the fastest-growing Christian movements in the world.
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https://disciplefirst.com/ DiscipleFi...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

The Disciple-Making Leader LIVE: Part Two with Luke Calvert and Kayleigh Farnan : S4E2

February 20, 2026 • 20 mins
There’s something powerful that happens when you hear real stories of leaders who are faithfully making disciples where God has placed them. In this episode of The Disciple-Making Leader Podcast, we bring you a special conversation recorded live at Disciple-Making Leader Live during last year’s Cross Creek Collective gathering.
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https://disciplefirst.com/ D...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

The Disciple-Making Leader LIVE: Part One with Glenn Underhill and JT Thornton : S4E1

February 6, 2026 • 28 mins
Welcome to a special live episode of the Disciple-Making Leader Podcast, recorded at The Collective - a gathering celebrating what God is doing through disciple-making leaders across diverse contexts. In this episode, you’ll hear from Glenn Underhill, Executive Pastor at CrossCreek Church, as he shares his disciple-making philosophy and powerful stories of multigenerational impact rooted in personal investment.
Important...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Disciple-Making Leaders in Action: An Interview with Leah Beth Etheredge : S3E14

October 9, 2025 • 52 mins
What does it look like to follow Jesus and make disciples in the middle of one of the busiest, most influential cities in the world? In this special episode of The Disciple-Making Leader Podcast, Craig Etheredge sits down with his daughter, Leah Beth Etheredge, and executive director Josh McCaslin for a powerful conversation about living sent, embracing bold faith, and building intentional relationships in New York City.
Impor...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Engaging the Workplace for Kingdom Impact : S3E13

September 25, 2025 • 44 mins
What does it look like to make disciples where you work every day? Craig Etheredge is joined by Josh McCaslin and Jack Springer for a dynamic and down-to-earth conversation on living as a disciple-making leader in the marketplace.
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https://disciplefirst.com/ DiscipleFirst Resources: https://disciplefirst.com/resources/
Special links from this episode: Learn ...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Disciple-Making Leaders in Action: An Interview with Jack Springer : S3E12

September 11, 2025 • 42 mins
What does it look like to make disciples in the boardroom—not just the sanctuary? In this episode of The Disciple-Making Leader Podcast, Craig Etheredge, Zach Towery, and Josh McCasland sit down with Jack Springer—a seasoned CEO, board member, and bold disciple-maker in the marketplace.
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https://disciplefirst.com/ DiscipleFirst Resources: https://disciplefi...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

The Grow Series: A Tool for Multiplication : S3E11

August 28, 2025 • 61 mins
If the mission of the church is to make disciples who multiply, why are so many leaders stuck in systems that don’t? In this episode, Glenn Underhill and Craig Etheredge sit down with special guest Zach Towery to unpack a game-changing truth: church multiplication doesn’t happen through programs - it happens through intentional disciple-making groups.
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Disciple-Making Leaders in Action: An Interview with Shannon Deloach : S3E10

August 14, 2025 • 46 mins
Disciple-making rarely follows a straight line. It’s often forged in the quiet, behind-the-scenes moments of obedience, through closed doors, difficult seasons, and the faithful investment in others. That’s the kind of life Shannon Deloach is living.
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https://disciplefirst.com/ DiscipleFirst Resources: https://disciplefirst.com/resources/
Special link...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Raising up the Next Leaders: Hearing from the Cross Creek Residents : S3E9

July 31, 2025 • 25 mins
Sometimes the best leadership lessons come from stories you didn’t expect. In this episode, Ben Borgman and Craig Etheredge sit down with Kaleigh Farnan, stepping into her first full-time ministry role, and Tommy Adams, reflecting on a year of growth since completing the Cross Creek Residency.
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https://disciplefirst.com/ DiscipleFirst Resources: https://disciplef...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Raising up the Next Leaders: The Cross Creek Residency : S3E8

July 17, 2025 • 30 mins
What does it really take to raise up the next generation of disciple-making leaders? In today’s episode of The Disciple-Making Leader Podcast, hosts Ben Borgman and Craig Etheredge sit down with Dr. Gary Chevalier, director of the Cross Creek Residency, to unpack how intentional investment is transforming emerging leaders from the inside out. 
Important links from this episode: DiscipleFirst Website: https://discip...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Real World Evangelism: Moving Beyond Surface-Level Conversations : S3E7

June 26, 2025 • 65 mins
What if sharing your faith didn’t feel awkward or forced but natural, relational, and even joyful? In this powerful episode of The Disciple-Making Leader Podcast, hosts Craig Etheredge, Ben Borgman, and Glenn Underhill dive into the real-life challenges and opportunities of living out a lifestyle of relational evangelism.
Go to the episode webpage to download the accompanying listening guide: https://disciplefirst.com/p...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Sermon Planning 101 : S3E6

June 12, 2025 • 50 mins
What does it look like to preach with purpose instead of pressure? This timely conversation brings clarity to the sermon planning process. Ben Borgman, Craig Etheredge, and Glenn Underhill step into the studio during Holy Week to tackle one of the most practical and pressing challenges pastors face: sermon planning.
Go to the episode webpage to download the accompanying listening guide: https://disciplefirst.com/podcast/sermo...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Stuff You Should Know

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Dateline NBC

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    Betrayal Weekly

    Betrayal Weekly

    Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

Explore

iHeart

Live Radio

Podcasts

Artist Radio

Exclusives

News

Features

Events

Contests

Photos

Information

About

Advertise

Blog

Brand Guidelines

Contest Guidelines

Subscription Offers

Jobs

Get the App

Automotive

Home

Wearables

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.

  • Help
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • AdChoicesAd Choices