Want to make a difference in the world? Who doesn't? You can, and should make a difference but ministry can feel like trying to push water uphill. If you're reading this you've probably invested your life in making disciples and teaching people the wonders of our God. You've also had a few disappointments along the way--this is where I think we can make a difference together. I’ve been in your shoes and I think I can help you. I’d like the privilege of sharing experience and insights with you as I do a host of other leaders. This podcast aims to come alongside church leaders who could use a little extra guidance. I've got five decades of experience, a bunch of churches multiplied and lots of war stories that should help you get to where you're hoping to go. I really do think I can help you as you grow into a leader who you would want to follow! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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September 4, 202624 min
Ben Connelly – Part 2 of 2 – The Future of Church Multiplication
How do churches become multiplying churches? And what happens when sending your best people actually costs you something? In Part 2, Ralph Moore continues his conversation with Ben Connelly, exploring why healthy churches hold their future with open hands, why permanence isn't the ultimate goal of ministry, and how sending leaders often requires sacrifice. They also discuss Exponential's Learning Communities, practical pathways toward becoming a multiplying church, and why churches of every size can play a vital role in God's mission. Ralph closes the conversation with a heartfelt endorsement of Ben's leadership and a challenge for pastors who want to move from simply growing a church to multiplying disciples, leaders, and churches.
August 28, 202625 min
Ben Connelly – Part 1 of 2 – Why Disciple Making Naturally Leads to Church Multiplication
What if church multiplication isn't something you chase, but something that naturally flows from making disciples? Ralph Moore sits down with pastor and multiplier Ben Connelly to discuss Ben's unusual journey to faith, why leadership development is more important than platform building, and how ordinary churches can cultivate extraordinary multiplication. Together they challenge the idea that multiplying churches are only for "superstar" leaders and argue that healthy multiplication begins with intentionally making disciples and developing leaders. Whether you lead a church of 30 or 3,000, this conversation offers practical encouragement for pastors who want to build a culture where disciple making becomes normal, and church planting becomes a natural outcome.
August 21, 202623 min
John Honold & Ken Makuakane – Part 3 of 3 – Building Something that Lasts
What does disciple-making actually look like once people begin showing up? In the final episode of this conversation, Ralph Moore, John Honold, and Ken Makuakane move from vision to practice. They discuss launching Hope Chapel Kealapono, why the church's Hawaiian name was reimagined around the biblical idea of being "the fragrance of Christ," and what it means to create churches that equip people rather than keep them dependent. The conversation is filled with practical stories, from mentoring younger believers through messy relationships to why Ralph believes ministry should produce disciple-makers, not spectators. They also challenge some of the routines many churches take for granted, including why opening and closing every gathering with a ritual prayer can unintentionally diminish the life of prayer itself. If the first two episodes ask whether God is doing something new, this episode asks the next question: What kind of church will be ready when He does?
August 14, 202620 min
John Honold & Ken Makuakane – Part 2 of 3 – Is This a Revival or a Fad?
Is the growing spiritual hunger among Gen Z the beginning of another awakening or just a passing moment? Ralph, John Honold, and Ken Makuakane wrestle with that question in a wide-ranging conversation about discipleship, church planting, and the future of the church. Ralph shares stories of young people seeking God in unexpected ways, while John reflects on what he's seeing through Whiskey and Jesus gatherings. Ken challenges even the language Christians use, arguing that words like revival may no longer communicate what younger generations are actually experiencing. Together they explore a deeper question: What if the real issue isn't whether God is moving, but whether the church is building communities strong enough to hold what He's doing? If we're going to reach a new generation, we may need more than new methods. We may need a new way of thinking about church itself.
August 7, 202620 min
John Honold & Ken Makuakane – Part 1 of 3 – Whiskey and Jesus
John Honold never expected to launch another church. After decades of ministry, he was content coaching younger leaders and letting the next generation take the lead. Then a young woman asked a question he couldn't shake: "Where can I bring my friends?" That question set him on an unexpected journey that led to Whiskey and Jesus —a series of open Q&A nights at a golf course where anyone can ask anything about faith over a drink, with no sermons, no pressure, and no agenda beyond honest conversation. In this episode, Ralph sits down with longtime friends John Honold and Ken Makuakane to hear how it all began. John shares his story of coming to Christ through Hope Chapel in the early 1980s, planting churches across Hawaii, nearly coasting into retirement, and why he felt God calling him back into church planting. He also tells the stories behind the first two Whiskey and Jesus gatherings—and the people who reminded him why creating space for honest questions still matters today.
July 24, 202616 min
Billy McMahan – Part 3 of 3 – What is Gen Z Really Looking For?
What if the greatest opportunity to reach Gen Z isn't a better program, but a faithful mentor? In the final installment of Ralph Moore's conversation with Billy McMahan, the focus turns from research to action. Billy unpacks why Gen Z is marked by loneliness, anxiety, and uncertainty, yet remains deeply hopeful and eager to make a meaningful difference in the world. More importantly, he explains why the gospel uniquely answers the deepest longings of this generation. Ralph and Billy challenge the modern church to move beyond curriculum-driven discipleship and return to something far simpler. Disciple-making isn't another church program, it's faithful believers sharing life with younger Christians, investing in them over coffee, conversations, and everyday moments. If you've ever wondered whether you're too old, too ordinary, or not "cool enough" to influence the next generation, this episode will encourage you. Gen Z isn't looking for celebrity leaders, they're looking for someone who will walk with them toward Jesus. And that might just be you.
July 17, 202622 min
Billy McMahan – Part 2 of 3 – Is Gen Z Ready for Revival?
Is the next generation walking away from the church or is God preparing them for something extraordinary? In Part 2 of Ralph Moore's conversation with Billy McMahan, the discussion shifts from Billy's personal story to the surprising research emerging around Gen Z and Generation Alpha. As president of the Great Commission Research Network, Billy shares why he believes we're witnessing the early stages of a significant spiritual movement, not just in North America, but around the world. Ralph draws fascinating parallels to the Jesus Movement of the 1970s while offering a sobering warning: the church has often traded disciple-making for programs. Together, they wrestle with one of the most important leadership questions facing the church today: If revival comes, are we actually prepared to disciple the people God brings? With research showing that 83% of Gen Z wants a mentor while most pastors admit their churches aren't effectively discipling the next generation, this conversation is both hopeful and deeply challenging. If you're passionate about raising up disciple-makers instead of simply growing attendance, you won't want to miss this episode.
July 10, 202617 min
Billy McMahan – Part 1 of 3 – From Indonesia to Gen Z
Billy McMahan's passion for reaching the next generation didn't begin with research, it began on the mission field. In Part 1 of Ralph's conversation with Billy, you'll hear the remarkable story behind the president of the Great Commission Research Network. From growing up as a missionary kid in Indonesia, to student ministry in Silicon Valley, to discovering a vision for raising up and sending the next generation of disciple-makers, Billy shares the experiences that shaped his ministry philosophy. Along the way, he talks about serving in a Muslim context, nearly quitting ministry after a difficult transition back to the U.S., and the conversation with his father that completely reframed his calling. This episode sets the stage for next week's conversation, where Billy begins unpacking what the research is actually revealing about Gen Z, Generation Alpha, and the future of disciple-making.
July 3, 202616 min
Antoine Lassiter – Part 4 of 4 – Planting Planters
What if one of the greatest measures of ministry success isn't the size of your church, but the leaders you've helped grow? In this final installment of Ralph Moore's conversation with Antoine Lassiter, the discussion turns to mentorship, multiplication, and the joy of investing in future leaders. Ralph reflects on the people who shaped his ministry journey, the influence of encouragers like Barnabas, and why he has spent decades pouring into church planters around the world. Antoine shares how God unexpectedly expanded his own ministry beyond the local church. As a church planting catalyst with the North Carolina Baptist Convention and Send Network, he now walks alongside church planters across the state, helping them navigate everything from launching churches to enduring personal trials while remaining faithful to their calling. Together, Ralph and Antoine explore the power of seeing potential in others before they see it themselves. They discuss writing books as a way of passing on wisdom, the importance of preserving a ministry legacy, and why every leader should be intentionally investing in the next generation. More than anything, this episode is a celebration of God's faithfulness. From a chance meeting in a Starbucks to influencing church planters across an entire region, Antoine's story reminds listeners that God often uses ordinary acts of encouragement to produce extraordinary Kingdom impact. In this episode: Why mentorship is essential to Kingdom multiplication The legacy of Barnabas and the power of investing in others How writing can extend your ministry beyond your lifetime The common struggles every church planter faces Seeing potential in people before they see it themselves If you've ever wondered how movements grow, churches multiply, and leaders develop, this conversation points to a simple answer: someone cared enough to invest in someone else. Great churches plant churches. Great leaders plant leaders. And faithful disciples make disciple-makers.
June 26, 202624 min
Antoine Lassiter – Part 3 of 4 – Mastering the Middle
Everyone loves stories about the beginning and the breakthrough. The call. The launch. The growth. The success. But what about everything in between? In this episode, Ralph Moore and Antoine Lassiter dive into the often-overlooked reality of ministry life: the messy middle. Drawing from Antoine's book Beyond the Calling , they discuss the gap between God's calling and the day-to-day faithfulness required to walk it out. Antoine shares how years of ministry challenged his assumptions about success, visibility, and significance. Like many leaders, he found himself comparing his journey to the stories of rapidly growing churches and high-profile ministries. Over time, God began teaching him a different lesson: faithfulness matters more than fame. Together, Ralph and Antoine explore the lives of biblical leaders like Abraham, David, Joseph, and Deborah, discovering that God's greatest work often happens in seasons of waiting, testing, disappointment, and hidden preparation. Ralph also reflects on his own ministry journey and explains why he has spent decades investing in younger leaders, not because someone did it for him, but because he saw the power of encouragement in the life of Barnabas. In this episode: Why most leaders live in the "middle" longer than they expect The danger of equating visibility with value Learning to stay faithful when ministry doesn't look like you imagined What Abraham, David, and Joseph teach us about perseverance The temptation of shortcuts and comparison Why encouragement may be one of the most important leadership gifts How mentoring multiplies ministry across generations Whether you're planting a church, leading a ministry, or simply trying to stay faithful to God's calling, this conversation offers encouragement for the long journey between where God calls you and where He ultimately leads you. The calling may get you started, but learning to master the middle is what shapes you into the leader God intends you to become.
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