“If this is real, show me how to do it.”
That simple challenge came from Travis, a firefighter in Baton Rouge, after his friend Ryan Spinks told him about the disciple-making and multiplication principles of Made to Multiply. Ryan is the director of Made to Multiply, e3’s initiative to equip every church in North America with biblical, simple, and reproducible tools to confidently share their story and God’s story and make disciples.
Travis wasn’t a pastor, a staff member of a church, or even someone looking to launch a ministry. He was a firefighter who wanted to know whether the call Jesus gave His followers to make disciples could happen in everyday life.
A Need Many Christians Feel
Travis’s desire isn’t unique. Across the country, many believers find themselves wrestling with the same tension: they love God, attend church faithfully, and want to live for Him, but they’re not sure what disciple-making can look like in their daily lives.
“There are literally people all over that tell me, ‘I follow Jesus, but I don’t know how to make disciples,’” said Ryan Spinks. “They say, ‘I don’t know how to even be a disciple, really. What does that mean?’”
When Travis shared these same thoughts, Ryan introduced him to Made to Multiply. Travis was intrigued but skeptical.
“If this is real, show me how to do it,” he told Ryan.
Once Ryan shared a few tools with him, Travis decided to start where he already was: at the fire station.
Starting Small
He began sharing the Gospel and talking about disciple-making with a few of the men on his shift. These weren’t people unfamiliar with Christianity. In fact, he discovered quickly that every one of them identified as a follower of Christ.
But as they talked, he realized that many didn’t know how to disciple someone else. Even more, they themselves had never been discipled. These men had spent years attending church, but no one had shown them how to help others follow Jesus.
So, they decided to learn together.
A Fire Station Became a Discipleship Hub
The group began meeting regularly at the station. They read Scripture together, practiced the disciple-making tools Ryan taught Travis, and asked honest questions. They learned how to share their faith naturally and how to help others grow spiritually.
What started as a small gathering of six firefighters quickly became something much bigger.
As word spread, more firefighters wanted to participate, and the culture of disciple-making began taking root.
Multiplication Begins
Another unit began meeting with the group every week. Over time, that gathering developed into what participants now identify as a church.
One firefighter was so impacted that he started another church in his own home. Others began intentionally sharing the Gospel with neighbors, friends, and people in their communities.
What began with one firefighter wondering how to make disciples had become a multiplying movement – not because anyone created a sophisticated strategy or launched a major program, but because ordinary believers discovered they could obey Jesus where they already lived and worked.
The Power of Ordinary Obedience
Stories like Travis’s challenge a common assumption in many churches – that disciple-making is primarily the responsibility of pastors, ministry leaders, or specially trained Christians.
The reality is that Jesus gave the Great Commission to all believers.
The fire station wasn’t designed to be a ministry center, but it became a place where people encountered God’s Word, learned to follow Jesus more deeply, and began helping others do the same.
That’s the beauty of multiplication. It doesn’t require a stage, a title, or a formal ministry position. It only requires a person who is ready to take simple steps of obedience.
This Is the Heart of Made to Multiply
Imagine if stories like this weren’t the exception – if workplaces became places of discipleship, homes became centers of Gospel conversations, and small groups became multiplying communities of faith. Imagine if churches equipped every believer – not just ministry leaders – to make disciples.
That’s the vision behind Made to Multiply.
“That’s what I pray Made to Multiply is going to do,” Ryan said. “It’s going to make it to where everyone can have access to a simple community of brothers and sisters that love Jesus Christ and are devoted to serving Him.”
It’s not simply about growing attendance; it’s about growing disciples who make disciples, equipping people to obey Jesus wherever they live, work, and play.
The story of Travis and the firefighters reminds us that multiplication isn’t a strategy reserved for a few gifted leaders. It’s God’s design for His Church.
Maybe your community is ready for the spark that sets its faith on fire. Learn more about Made to Multiply and how to host a free training at your church at madetomultiply.org.
*Image has been altered to ensure safety and anonymity.