The Church Has a Discipleship Crisis
The data is clear: we're losing ground. But it doesn't have to stay this way.
This page exists to name the problem — and point to a solution.
The Numbers We Can't Ignore
< 5% of U.S. churches have a reproducing disciple-making culture.
Only 1 in 10 born-again adults is actively discipling someone else.
15,000 churches projected to close in 2025 alone.
40 Million Americans have left the church in the last 25 years.
Only 4% of American adults hold a biblical worldview.
39% of Christians are not engaged in discipleship at all.
What's Really Happening?
These aren't just numbers. They represent millions of people who walked away. Thousands of churches that closed their doors. Generations who never learned what it means to follow Jesus and help others do the same.
Here's the painful truth:
The American church has become very good at attracting people. We've built excellent services, compelling worship experiences, and engaging programs.
But we've forgotten how to make disciples.
THE LOOP:
For decades, most churches have operated on a model that looks like this:
Attend → Consume → Repeat
People come to church. They hear sermons. They attend small groups. They consume content.
But they never become disciple-makers themselves.
The result? A church full of consumers — and a leadership team that's exhausted trying to keep them fed.
THE MISSING PIECE:
Jesus didn't command us to build churches full of attenders. He said:
"Go and make disciples of all nations... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." — Matthew 28:19-20
The Great Commission isn't about decisions. It's about disciples.
And disciples who make disciples who make disciples.
That's what's missing.
What the Research Reveals
On Discipleship:
Only 1% of church leaders say churches today are doing "very well" at discipling new and young believers. 60% say churches are doing "not too well." (Source: Barna, State of Discipleship)
Only 33% of Christians are categorized as "disciplemakers" — actively helping someone else grow in faith. (Source: Barna, 2024)
Church-initiated small groups are "generally ineffective at making disciples" according to research — often amounting to note-taking during sermons, independent Bible reading, and attendance without transformation. (Source: Cultural Research Center, 2025)
Discipleship is "dropping off the radar" — existing research provides no basis for expecting an upturn in serious discipleship activity. (Source: George Barna, 2025 Trends Outlook)
On Church Decline:
100,000 churches could close by 2050 according to the National Council of Churches. (Source: NCC)
15,000 churches projected to close in 2025 — an unprecedented number driven by aging congregations, declining giving, and post-COVID fallout. (Source: Thom Rainer, Baptist Courier)
One-third of America's 350,000 Christian congregations are "on the brink of extinction." (Source: Ryan Burge, political scientist)
Church membership dropped from 70% to 47% in one generation. (Source: Gallup, 2021)
On Generational Shift:
44% of 18-to-29-year-olds have no religious affiliation. (Source: Pew Research Center)
35 million youth raised in Christian homes are projected to disaffiliate from Christianity by 2050 — over 1 million per year. (Source: The Great Opportunity)
The Christian percentage of the U.S. population is projected to drop from 73% to 59% by 2050. (Source: The Great Opportunity)
On Biblical Worldview:
Only 4% of American adults hold a biblical worldview. (Source: Cultural Research Center, 2025)
Only 2% of parents of preteens hold a biblical worldview. (Source: Cultural Research Center, 2025)
Only 37% of Christian-church pastors hold a biblical worldview. (Source: Cultural Research Center, 2025)
92% of Americans hold a "syncretistic" worldview — blending multiple philosophies for personal satisfaction rather than biblical truth. (Source: Cultural Research Center, 2025)
Here are three in-depth reports:
Why Is This Happening?
The crisis isn't complicated. The root cause is clear:
We've substituted discipleship for consumption.
Over the past 40 years, the American church prioritized "decisions" over disciples. We focused on getting people saved and getting them in seats — but we forgot to teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded.
We became "seeker-friendly" instead of disciple-making.
And now we're seeing the fruit:
THE SYMPTOMS:
Consumer Culture Church members expect to be fed, entertained, and served — rather than equipped to feed, serve, and multiply.
The Discipleship Gap Only 17% of churchgoers know what the Great Commission is and what it means.
Leadership Exhaustion Pastors are burning out trying to do all the ministry themselves — because they never raised up disciple-makers.
Generational Dropout Young people leave because they were never discipled into a faith that could withstand the world. They attended youth group — but they were never mentored.
The Bible Study Loop Groups meet to study content. They finish one study and start another. Nobody multiplies. Nobody leads. The same people circle the same leader, year after year.
THE HARD TRUTH:
“If you make disciples, you always get the church. But if you make a church, you rarely get disciples.”
But Here's the Good News
This trajectory is not inevitable.
The data shows where we're headed if nothing changes. But the data also shows what works when churches get serious about discipleship.
Course correction is within reach.
When churches shift from consumption to multiplication — when ordinary believers are equipped to make disciples who make disciples — everything changes.
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS WORKS:
Discipleship must be intentional, not assumed. Spiritual growth doesn't happen by osmosis. It requires mentoring relationships, accountability, and a reproducible process.
Multiplication must be the goal, not just growth. Churches that focus on raising up disciple-makers — not just adding attenders — see exponential impact.
Ordinary people must be empowered to lead. The early church multiplied because ordinary, unschooled people were equipped and released. (Acts 4:13)
Small groups must go beyond content consumption. Effective discipleship happens in high-grace, high-challenge environments where people are transformed — not just informed.
What We're Doing About It
Ordinary Movement exists to solve this problem.
We're not another curriculum. We're not a church program. We're not trying to sell you anything.
We're a grassroots movement of ordinary men and women who are done with consumer Christianity — and are stepping into ownership of the Great Commission.
OUR APPROACH:
One Reproducible Process A 27-session discipleship pathway built around Intimacy with Jesus, Intentional Relationships, and Multiplication. Simple enough for anyone to lead. Designed to multiply.
Pastor-Championed, Ordinary-Led We equip ordinary believers to lead — so pastors can focus on casting vision, not managing programs.
Built for Multiplication The goal isn't to finish a workbook. It's to raise up leaders who start their own groups. 2nd, 3rd, 4th generation disciples.
Free Platform & Coaching Our app, training, and resources are free. We offer coaching throughout the launch process.
WHAT WE'VE SEEN:
We've already seen hundreds of men and women grow spiritually — and multiply into new groups. Groups are producing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation disciple-makers.
This is just the beginning. But the urgency is high.
What Could Happen
What if just 6 people in your church started leading discipleship groups?
Here's the math of multiplication:
Year 1: 1 Mentor → 6 Leaders → 60 Participants
Year 2: 7 Mentors → 60 Leaders → 600 Participants
Year 3: 67 Mentors → 600 Leaders → 6,000 Participants
Year 4: Exponential growth. A disciple-making movement.
This is how the early church grew.
Not through programs. Not through professional clergy doing all the ministry.
Through ordinary people who had been with Jesus — and were willing to help others do the same.
Will You Join Us?
The church in America is at a crossroads.
We can continue on the current trajectory — and watch the decline accelerate.
Or we can get back to what Jesus actually commanded: making disciples who make disciples.
We believe the most effective means to revive the church is through intentional discipleship that multiplies.
When that happens, everything else follows.
YOUR NEXT STEP:
Lead a Group Start a men's, women's, or co-ed discipleship group. We'll show you how.
Schedule a Discovery Call Talk with our team about how this could work for you or your church.
Create a Discipleship Pathway in Your Church See how to integrate Ordinary Movement as your church's discipleship strategy.