Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
## What if the church’s leadership crisis is really a discipleship crisis?
## Summary
In this episode of the Lausanne Movement Podcast, Jason Watson speaks with Josh Benadum about why Christlike leadership begins with discipleship. Drawing from his experience in house church movements, life-on-life disciple-making, and conversations with global leaders at the Fourth Lausanne Congress, Josh invites the church to look beneath the surface of the leadership crisis and recover the slow, relational work of forming everyday believers into the likeness and mission of Jesus.
Together, Jason and Josh explore why leadership cannot be reduced to platform, gifting, or specialized roles, and why the church must invest deeply in ordinary Christians who are equipped to make disciples in their homes, workplaces, communities, and churches. This conversation is a call to recover leadership as the overflow of a life being formed by Christ, sustained through humility, guarded against hidden traps, and kept in motion for the sake of God’s mission.
## Guest Bio
Josh Benadum is a pastor, disciple-maker, and ministry coach based in Orlando, Florida. He and his wife, Meri, serve with Acacia House Churches and are involved in developing and encouraging house church and microchurch movements. Josh also works with Brave Future, a global collective that connects house church and microchurch movements for mutual encouragement, learning, and collaboration. He is the author of *A Life That Leads*, a book focused on pursuing Christ and impacting others through everyday discipleship and intentional relationships.
## Main Points
- *The leadership crisis is a discipleship crisis.* The church does not simply need more gifted leaders; it needs deeply formed disciples whose leadership flows from life with Jesus.
- *Christlike leadership begins with formation.* Christian leadership is not primarily about role, platform, or skill, but about becoming the kind of person who lives and leads in the way of Christ.
- *Everyday believers must be equipped for mission.* The future of the church’s witness depends on ordinary Christians who see their lives as part of the Great Commission.
- *Life-on-life discipleship is essential.* Mentoring, apprenticeship, and intentional relationships are central to forming leaders who can endure and multiply.
- *Churches must make time for disciple-making.* If leaders believe in forming others, they must prioritize personal investment over simply maintaining programmes or platforms.
- *Hidden traps can undermine long-term fruitfulness.* Spiritual pride, legalism, mission drift, materialism, and bitterness can slowly take leaders off course.
- *Christlike leaders stay in motion.* Faithful leadership means continuing to grow, serve, disciple, and follow Jesus until the end.
## Call to Action
If this episode encouraged you, subscribe to the Lausanne Movement Podcast and share it with a pastor, mentor, disciple-maker, or emerging leader in your life. We’d also love for you to join the conversation in the Lausanne Movement Podcast space on the Lausanne Action Hub, where you can share your reflections and engage with our podcast community. And if this conversation helped you, please consider leaving a rating or review so others can discover the podcast too.
## Lausanne Movement Podcast Archive
- lausanne.org/podcast/the-making-of-a-leader-how-god-forms-character-calling-and-influence-over-a-lifetime-with-richard-clinton
- lausanne.org/podcast/how-are-resilient-disciples-really-formed-and-why-it-matters-for-mission-rick-hill
- lausanne.org/podcast/the-art-of-whole-life-mentorship-an-interview-with-ole-magnus-olasfrud
## Links & Resources
- alifethatleads.com — Josh Benadum’s book and resources on Christlike leadership and disciple-making
- bravefuture.org — A global learning community focused on microchurch and disciple-making movements
- 100movements.org/books/a-life-that-leads-josh-benadum — Publisher page for *A Life That Leads*
- *The Master Plan of Evangelism* by Robert Coleman
- *The Radical Disciple* by John Stott
- *Discipling in a Multicultural World* by Ajith Fernando
00:00 Reframing the Church’s Leadership Crisis: Why Christlike Leadership Begins with Discipleship
01:44 Welcome and Focus
02:37 Josh Story and Calling
10:24 Why House Churches
13:08 Character and Accountability
16:15 Life on Life Discipleship
16:35 Finding Mentors and Tools
17:48 Why Discipleship Breaks Down
22:15 Defining Christlike Leaders
25:30 L4 Global Leadership Gap
30:00 Bridging Vision and Models
31:31 Bitterness And Suffering
33:39 Advice For Young Leaders
33:40 Churches That Multiply Disciples
35:35 A Mentoring Pastor Model
37:28 Book Story And Resources
39:06 Die Climbing Challenge
39:10 Closing Prayer And Sendoff
39:59 Traps That Kill Growth
39:59 When Leaders Make Time
## What if the church’s leadership crisis is really a discipleship crisis?
## Summary
In this episode of the Lausanne Movement Podcast, Jason Watson speaks with Josh Benadum about why Christlike leadership begins with discipleship. Drawing from his experience in house church movements, life-on-life disciple-making, and conversations with global leaders at the Fourth Lausanne Congress, Josh invites the church to look beneath the surface of the leadership crisis and recover the slow, relational work of forming everyday believers into the likeness and mission of Jesus.
Together, Jason and Josh explore why leadership cannot be reduced to platform, gifting, or specialized roles, and why the church must invest deeply in ordinary Christians who are equipped to make disciples in their homes, workplaces, communities, and churches. This conversation is a call to recover leadership as the overflow of a life being formed by Christ, sustained through humility, guarded against hidden traps, and kept in motion for the sake of God’s mission.
## Guest Bio
Josh Benadum is a pastor, disciple-maker, and ministry coach based in Orlando, Florida. He and his wife, Meri, serve with Acacia House Churches and are involved in developing and encouraging house church and microchurch movements. Josh also works with Brave Future, a global collective that connects house church and microchurch movements for mutual encouragement, learning, and collaboration. He is the author of *A Life That Leads*, a book focused on pursuing Christ and impacting others through everyday discipleship and intentional relationships.
## Main Points
- *The leadership crisis is a discipleship crisis.* The church does not simply need more gifted leaders; it needs deeply formed disciples whose leadership flows from life with Jesus.
- *Christlike leadership begins with formation.* Christian leadership is not primarily about role, platform, or skill, but about becoming the kind of person who lives and leads in the way of Christ.
- *Everyday believers must be equipped for mission.* The future of the church’s witness depends on ordinary Christians who see their lives as part of the Great Commission.
- *Life-on-life discipleship is essential.* Mentoring, apprenticeship, and intentional relationships are central to forming leaders who can endure and multiply.
- *Churches must make time for disciple-making.* If leaders believe in forming others, they must prioritize personal investment over simply maintaining programmes or platforms.
- *Hidden traps can undermine long-term fruitfulness.* Spiritual pride, legalism, mission drift, materialism, and bitterness can slowly take leaders off course.
- *Christlike leaders stay in motion.* Faithful leadership means continuing to grow, serve, disciple, and follow Jesus until the end.
## Call to Action
If this episode encouraged you, subscribe to the Lausanne Movement Podcast and share it with a pastor, mentor, disciple-maker, or emerging leader in your life. We’d also love for you to join the conversation in the Lausanne Movement Podcast space on the Lausanne Action Hub, where you can share your reflections and engage with our podcast community. And if this conversation helped you, please consider leaving a rating or review so others can discover the podcast too.
## Lausanne Movement Podcast Archive
- lausanne.org/podcast/the-making-of-a-leader-how-god-forms-character-calling-and-influence-over-a-lifetime-with-richard-clinton
- lausanne.org/podcast/how-are-resilient-disciples-really-formed-and-why-it-matters-for-mission-rick-hill
- lausanne.org/podcast/the-art-of-whole-life-mentorship-an-interview-with-ole-magnus-olasfrud
## Links & Resources
- alifethatleads.com — Josh Benadum’s book and resources on Christlike leadership and disciple-making
- bravefuture.org — A global learning community focused on microchurch and disciple-making movements
- 100movements.org/books/a-life-that-leads-josh-benadum — Publisher page for *A Life That Leads*
- *The Master Plan of Evangelism* by Robert Coleman
- *The Radical Disciple* by John Stott
- *Discipling in a Multicultural World* by Ajith Fernando
00:00 Reframing the Church’s Leadership Crisis: Why Christlike Leadership Begins with Discipleship
01:44 Welcome and Focus
02:37 Josh Story and Calling
10:24 Why House Churches
13:08 Character and Accountability
16:15 Life on Life Discipleship
16:35 Finding Mentors and Tools
17:48 Why Discipleship Breaks Down
22:15 Defining Christlike Leaders
25:30 L4 Global Leadership Gap
30:00 Bridging Vision and Models
31:31 Bitterness And Suffering
33:39 Advice For Young Leaders
33:40 Churches That Multiply Disciples
35:35 A Mentoring Pastor Model
37:28 Book Story And Resources
39:06 Die Climbing Challenge
39:10 Closing Prayer And Sendoff
39:59 Traps That Kill Growth
39:59 When Leaders Make Time
