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What is evangelism, really? And why does the word make so many of us uncomfortable? Heather Hudson and Drew Soderstrom are back from summer break to kick off a new season of Disciples Made Here. They define what evangelism actually is (and isn't), walk through the gospel from creation to sanctification, and look at how Jesus shared the good news with Matthew, Zacchaeus, the rich young ruler, and Bartimaeus. Evangelism isn't a quota, a script, or handing out tracts to strangers. It's the overflow of being changed by the gospel: proclaiming what Jesus has done in your life and inviting the people around you into that same joy. Drew and Heather also share a simple everyday rhythm for sharing your faith (pray, watch, step) and why our evangelism problem might really be a joy problem. In this episode: - A simple definition of evangelism - The gospel explained in five movements - Evangelism vs. discipleship - How Jesus evangelized in Matthew 9, Luke 19, Mark 10, and Mark 5 - Why your dinner table might be your best evangelism tool - Sharing your faith where you live, work, and play

In this episode of the Disciples Made Here podcast, Drew and Heather are joined by David Krall, pastor of adult ministries and director of DMH, to wrap up the imitation week of the 21-Day Challenge and step into the final movement of the Disciples Diamond, innovate. This one gets real fast. Heather opens with a story about her son Porter threatening a classmate with a neck chop, and the mortifying realization that he learned it from her. That's the episode in a nutshell. Someone is always imitating us whether we know it or not. The question is what is our life actually pointing to when we're not thinking about it. From there the conversation goes deep on spiritual disciplines, not as a performance or a checklist but as the only way to slow down long enough to let God actually form us. Fasting, Sabbath, silence, solitude. Not extra things to add to your life but fundamental things that create space for transformation. Because imitation is not a fake it till you make it situation. Proximity will always reveal what is actually there. David shares what it looked like to come back to his first love,  joy in Jesus, and how that one shift from professional pastor to everyday follower changed everything. Drew talks about ugly crying in a staff meeting over his yet to believe ones. And both of them land on the same truth. It's really simple. But it's not easy. And those are not the same thing. The episode closes with a look at innovation and multiplication, from Pam baking bread for her neighbors, to a young adult who realized his role is now to disciple his own parents, to the vision that every person at every church could one day say disciples are made here wherever I live work and play. This is the Season 1 finale. And it ends the way every good campfire does, with stories worth telling and a clap to break huddle. Connect With Disciples Made Here Instagram https://www.instagram.com/disciplesmadehere/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/disciplesmadehere Website https://disciplesmadehere.org/

What is spiritual formation in the context of our daily lives? In this episode, we dive into the heart of missional living and explore why the choice isn't evangelism or discipleship—it’s both. We discuss the cost of discipleship by looking at our own "R1" relationship with Christ. Whether you're focused on outreach at work or discipleship in your home, learn how to move from "autopilot" to intentional presence.

In this episode of the Disciples Made Here podcast, Drew sits down with one of his closest friends, mentors, and pastors — Rick Dunn. This is a conversation that has been over a decade in the making, and it shows. Rick is a pastor, leadership coach, and spiritual father who has spent decades helping leaders stop trying to be God and start being sons. In this episode, he and Drew unpack what it actually looks like to move from identify to invite — not by launching a program or a gospel presentation, but by simply showing up. With compassion. With courage. With curiosity. From the story of how Drew and Rick met in a small cohort of large church pastors, to Rick's time coaching basketball as his most meaningful ministry, to the moment his own daughter told him "now you'll know the impact" — this episode is a masterclass in what faithful, humble, proximate discipleship actually looks like over a lifetime. Rick also introduces one of the most clarifying phrases in the episode: compassionate courageous curiosity. And closes with a word that every listener needs to hear. You have the freedom to be faithful. So get in the game. Most people die with their music still inside of them. Don't be one of them. ⸻ Reflection Questions Who has shown up for you in a way that changed your life? Have you told them? Who in your life right now is looking for someone to show up for them? What would it look like to take one step toward them this week? Are you approaching the people around you with compassionate courageous curiosity — or are you leading with your title, your agenda, or your fear? ⸻ Connect With Disciples Made Here Instagram https://www.instagram.com/disciplesmadehere/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/disciplesmadehere Website https://disciplesmadehere.org/

In this episode of the Disciples Made Here podcast, Drew and Heather kick off the 21-Day Challenge — a practical, reproducible guide to living out the Disciples Diamond in your everyday life. Not for pastors. Not for super Christians. For the mom, the nurse, the coach, the retiree in Arkansas, and everyone in between. Week one isn't about doing more. It's about praying first. Before you invite anyone into your life, before you share your story, before you answer a single question — you pray. You slow down. You start to name the faces in the places you already go. And you ask God to show you who He's already moving in. This episode is a reminder that your school drop-off line, your office, your coffee shop, and your sports team are not random. They are your mission field. And it starts with one simple prayer — God, who have you put in my life? ⸻ Reflection Questions Who are the faces in the places you already go? Can you name them, or at least describe them? Where do you see the same people showing up in multiple spaces of your life? That overlap is worth paying attention to. Have you set your 9:38 alarm yet? This week, when it goes off, pray specifically for the people already on your list. ⸻ Connect With Disciples Made Here Instagram   / disciplesmadehere  Facebook   / disciplesmadehere  Website https://disciplesmadehere.org/

In this episode of the Disciples Made Here podcast, Drew and Heather arrive at the fourth and final movement of the Disciples Diamond — Innovate. And it might be the most exciting part of the whole journey. You started as a follower. You became an inviter. You learned what it means to imitate Christ in front of people who are watching. And now comes the part that makes it all multiply. You become a sender. Drew unpacks what innovation actually looks like in everyday life — from the sweet spot framework of need, gifting, and joyful kingdom purpose, to the story of Rob who gave his life to Christ while walking through cancer, to a baseball team that turned into a decade of funerals, conversions, and front row seats to the kingdom of God. This episode is a reminder that faithful obedience in ordinary spaces is exactly how the gospel has always traveled. Drew and Heather also walk through all four movements of the diamond one final time, connecting each step back to the ways of Jesus in the Gospels. Come and see. Follow me. Learn from me. As the Father sends me, I am sending you. We're not innovating to be impressive. We're innovating because Jesus entrusted us with His mission and empowered us with His Spirit. ⸻ Reflection Questions Where is your sweet spot? Where do need, gifting, and joyful kingdom purpose intersect in your life right now? Who are you pouring into that you could begin releasing and sending? Are you holding onto disciples instead of empowering them to go? What ordinary space in your life — a sports team, a workplace, a neighborhood — could become a decade-long mission field if you showed up faithfully? ⸻ Connect With Disciples Made Here Instagram https://www.instagram.com/disciplesmadehere/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/disciplesmadehere Website https://disciplesmadehere.org/

In this episode of the Disciples Made Here podcast, Drew is joined by his bride Jen Sodestrom for a conversation about the most sacred discipleship community we're a part of: our families. Parenting isn't a side category of discipleship. It is discipleship. The 18-year camping trip. The identify, invite, imitate, and innovate happening in real time around the dinner table, in the car, and on the ball field. Jen brings her background as a high school teacher, college professor, children's pastor, and child psychology to a deeply honest conversation about what it actually looks like to raise kids who are rooted in Christ rather than just shaped by rules. From a four-year-old named Carson at the state capitol steps learning what it means to have a debt paid, to a car ride conversation about a teenager smoking on the side of the road that turned into a lesson on compassion and prayer, to the difference between preparing the road for your child versus preparing your child for the road — this episode is full of real stories, hard-won wisdom, and practical phrases for every phase. The goal was never behavior modification. It was always heart transformation. Heaven over Harvard. Abide over achieve. And a family that sees themselves not just as sons and daughters, but as sent ones. ⸻ Reflection Questions Are you inviting your kids into the why behind the what, or defaulting to "because I said so"?What phrases or rhythms could you introduce into your family that help your kids become self-assessors and independent thinkers rooted in Christ?Are you preparing the road for your child, or preparing your child for the road? What would need to change?⸻ Connect With Disciples Made Here Instagram https://www.instagram.com/disciplesmadehere/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/disciplesmadehere Website https://disciplesmadehere.org/

In this episode of the Disciples Made Here podcast, Drew and Heather move into the third movement of the Disciples Diamond — Imitate. And it might be the most sobering and freeing part of the whole journey. Someone is always watching. Our kids. Our coworkers. Our neighbors. The people we coach. The people we eat with. Whether we know it or not, whether we like it or not, they are following us as we follow Jesus. And that means who we are following matters just as much as who is following us. Drew and Heather unpack what imitation actually looks like in real life — through arguments with your spouse, through a 16-year-old who steps in to pray when his parents can't, through a four-generation discipleship chain that started with Todd and ended up in Brayden's youth group. They also introduce one of the most clarifying distinctions in all of discipleship: inheritance is what you leave to someone. Legacy is what you leave in someone. This episode is also an honest conversation about seasons, about the difference between natural imitation and intentional formation, and about why disciple making was never supposed to be impressive. It was always supposed to be dependent. Imitation is natural. Formation has to be intentional. ⸻ Reflection Questions Who are the five people you spend the most time with? Are they pulling you closer to Jesus or further away? What legacy are you leaving in the people around you, not to them, but in them? Who in your life is already watching you that you could intentionally invite to follow as you follow Jesus? ⸻ Connect With Disciples Made Here Instagram   / disciplesmadehere  Facebook   / disciplesmadehere  Website https://disciplesmadehere.org/

In this episode of the Disciples Made Here podcast, Drew and Heather move from Identify to the second movement of the Disciples Diamond — Invite. And the invitation might not be what you think. The highest goal isn't getting people to church. It's inviting them into life with you. Your table. Your gym. Your rhythms. The spaces you already occupy. Because disciples aren't made in a Sunday service — they're made on the three-year camping trip, around a meal, in the parking lot, on the basketball court, in the gap. Drew and Heather walk through Luke 10 and the person of peace, unpack what green shoots actually look like in real relationships, and share personal stories of what it looks like when someone lives faithfully without forcing it — and what happens when the questions finally come. Heather shares a moment with her dad on Father's Day that captures the whole idea. Drew tells the story of Drew Spencer's baptism and why not being the one to baptize him was actually the point. This episode is also a masterclass in tone, timing, and theology — and why leading with any one of them out of order can do more harm than good. We're not asking anyone to do more. We're just asking us to redeem what's already there. ⸻ Reflection Questions Who in your life has been a person of peace — asking questions, accepting invitations, showing reciprocity? Are you paying attention to them? What does your weekly rhythm actually look like? Where are the spaces you could redeem for relationship without adding anything new? Are you leading with tone, timing, and theology in the right order? Or are you answering questions people aren't asking yet? ⸻ Connect With Disciples Made Here Instagram https://www.instagram.com/disciplesmadehere/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/disciplesmadehere Website https://disciplesmadehere.org/

In this episode of the Disciples Made Here podcast, Drew and Heather dive into the first movement of the Disciples Diamond - Identify. Building on last week's conversation with Hugh Halter and the woman at the well, this episode gets practical about what it actually looks like to pray and watch for what God is already doing in the ordinary spaces of your life. From the frequency illusion to Easter egg hunts to a 12-year-old who set his own 9:38 alarm without being asked, Drew and Heather unpack why identifying isn't a new skill to learn — it's just learning to see what was already there. They walk through Matthew 9:35-38, introduce the Pray Watch List, and explain what green shoots actually are and why we're praying for them. This isn't about adding something new to your schedule. It's about tuning your brain to the opportunities already in front of you;  your Frank, your neighbor, the tall guy at the baseball field, the redhead at the coffee shop. They're already there. The Easter eggs are everywhere. We just have to look. ⸻ Reflection Questions Who are your Franks? Take a few minutes to write down a friend, relative, acquaintance, neighbor, or kid that God has already placed in your path. Where do you see the same people showing up in multiple spaces of your life? That overlap is worth paying attention to. Have you set your 9:38 alarm yet? If not, stop and do it now. And when it goes off, pray Matthew 9:38 for the people already on your list. ⸻ Connect With Disciples Made Here Instagram   / disciplesmadehere  Facebook   / disciplesmadehere  Website https://disciplesmadehere.org/

In this episode of the Disciples Made Here podcast, Drew sits down with Hugh Halter — church planter, author, painter, pizza shop owner, and one of the most incarnationally faithful missionaries Drew knows. From inner city Portland to Denver to Alton, Illinois, Hugh has spent decades simply showing up where God sends him, picking up the manna, and letting the kingdom grow from there. This conversation is a masterclass in what it actually looks like to live as an everyday missionary. Hugh unpacks the difference between missional and incarnational, why business is often not a means to mission but the mission itself, and how hospitality through food and presence has opened more doors to the gospel than any program ever could. If you've ever felt the pressure to build the church, convert people, or grow the kingdom on your own timeline — Hugh has a word for you. Chill out. Jesus said he would build his church. Your job is to walk with your eyes open and ask God to put bread on the trail. This one is for every son and daughter who wants to live sent — not just on Sundays, but wherever they live, work, and play. ⸻ Reflection Questions Where in your normal life are you already present that could become a mission field if you showed up with your eyes open? What would it look like to practice archaeology in your neighborhood, your workplace, or your community — digging around to find what's broken before crafting a response? If you left your neighborhood tomorrow, would anyone notice? What would need to change for the answer to be yes? ⸻ Connect With Disciples Made Here Instagram   / disciplesmadehere  Facebook   / disciplesmadehere  Website https://disciplesmadehere.org/

In this episode of the Disciples Made Here podcast, Drew and Heather build on the foundation of identity and calling to introduce one of the most practical frameworks in the DMH toolbox — the prayer alarm — and what it actually looks like to live as a sent one in the ordinary spaces of your life. From a youth group in 2008 to a T-ball field in El Dorado Hills to 100 baseball families showing up to Christmas Eve service, this episode is full of real stories of what happens when everyday followers of Jesus stop living on autopilot and start praying with their eyes open. Drew and Heather also introduce the concept of the flipped funnel — why Jesus didn't focus on the crowd, he focused on the one — and what it looks like for your church, your family, and your life to do the same. This isn't about adding something new to your calendar. It's about seeing what God is already doing in the spaces you already occupy. ⸻ Reflection Questions Who is your one right now — the person God keeps bringing to mind that you're praying for? Have you set your 9:38 alarm yet? If not, pause and do it now. Where in your life are you living on autopilot that could become a mission field — your gym, your kids' sports team, your workplace? ⸻ Connect With Disciples Made Here Instagram   / disciplesmadehere  Facebook   / disciplesmadehere  Website https://disciplesmadehere.org/ Shownotes https://drive.google.com/drive/folder...

In this episode of the Disciples Made Here podcast, Drew and Heather build on last week’s prayer alarm conversation and introduce a simple framework for everyday discipleship called the Disciples Diamond. Rather than treating evangelism like a scary add on or a gift for a few, this episode reframes the Great Commission as a call for every follower of Jesus to live as a sent one where you live, work, and play. We walk through the four movements of the Disciples Diamond, identify, invite, imitate, and innovate, and then open to John 4 to see Jesus model it with the woman at the well. From ordinary conversation to heart level honesty to a ripple effect that reaches an entire town, this episode is an invitation to pray and watch for what God is already doing and to join Him with humble, intentional faithfulness. ⸻ Reflection Questions • Who has God already placed in your life that you may be overlooking? • Which part of the Disciples Diamond feels most challenging right now: identify, invite, imitate, or innovate? • What would it look like to live more prayerfully and intentionally in the normal places you already go this week? ⸻ Connect With Disciples Made Here Instagram https://www.instagram.com/disciplesmadehere/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/disciplesmadehere Website https://disciplesmadehere.org/ Shownotes https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18xB-G92rhHH-RixmIwfyMu_zpSMKh2r9?usp=drive_link

In this episode of the Disciples Made Here podcast, Drew sits down with longtime pastor and Made to Flourish leader Tom Nelson to talk about what it really looks like to equip the saints for Monday. Tom shares the turning point that reshaped his pastoral paradigm, why “Sunday scorecards” can unintentionally miss the mission, and how the church flourishes when discipleship is built around intimacy with Jesus, integrity of heart, and fruitfulness in everyday life. You’ll hear practical ways to close the Sunday-to-Monday gap, a framework Tom uses to help people interpret their work and calling through God’s bigger story, and why the marketplace has always been a primary place for kingdom movement. This conversation is an invitation to reimagine your Monday as worship, mission, and formation as you live sent where you live, work, and play. Reflection Questions • Where do you feel the biggest Sunday-to-Monday gap in your life right now? • Which threat do you resonate with more: Monday dualism or Monday deism? • What would it look like to reimagine your Monday as worship, mission, and formation this week? ⸻ Connect With Disciples Made Here Instagram https://www.instagram.com/disciplesma... Facebook https://www.facebook.com/disciplesmad... Website https://disciplesmadehere.org/

In this episode of the Disciples Made Here podcast, Drew and Heather wrestle with a simple but challenging question: what if church attendance is not the goal? Using the pool metaphor and the battleship vs cruise ship framework, this conversation reframes discipleship around identity, mission, and everyday faithfulness. We talk about meeting people where they are, why discipleship is relational before it is programmatic, and how the church exists to equip and send disciples into everyday life. This episode is an invitation to rethink what it means to follow Jesus and to live as a sent one where you live, work, and play. Reflection Questions • How would you define discipleship today? • Which relationship needs the most attention right now: R1 with God, R2 with believers, or R3 with the yet to believe? • Where might God be inviting you to be more intentional this week? ⸻ Connect With Disciples Made Here Instagram   / disciplesmadehere  Facebook   / disciplesmadehere  Website https://disciplesmadehere.org/ Shownotes