Why Christian Education Might Be the Most Important Mission Field | Season 3 Episode 12
Release Date: 06/04/2025
Stop Chasing Vision — Start Responding to God’s Calling
The Disciple Standard Podcast
This episode began as a private Patreon conversation—but it was too important to keep behind a paywall. We explore why replacing the word vision with calling can radically change how pastors, leaders, parents, and everyday Christians understand identity, purpose, and faithfulness. Through stories from youth ministry, leadership development, and Scripture, we unpack how responding to God’s calling brings freedom, humility, and lasting fruit—without the pressure to perform or be remembered.
info_outline
What’s Missing in Church Today (and How PROS Responds)
The Disciple Standard Podcast
What if the “shallow church” problem isn’t fixed by better lights, tighter sets, or even more silence—but by deeper relationships and active participation? In this episode, we react to a clip on authenticity in church, talk about why modern services can feel like events, and unpack a simple path forward: Scripture, prayer, community, and shared responsibility.
info_outline
Why We Sing in Church (And Why Music Shapes Your Theology)
The Disciple Standard Podcast
Why do Christians sing? In this episode, we dig into the “worship wars”—hymns, Psalms, and contemporary worship—and why music reaches deeper than words alone. We talk about how songs shape theology over time, why the Psalms were meant to be sung (not just referenced), and what it looks like to recover “the soundtrack of faith” in the life of the church—especially as we prepare to launch the PROS worship service.
info_outline
The 2026 Plan: Read the Bible Twice + Plant a Church in 45 Days
The Disciple Standard Podcast
What would happen if Scripture became the center again—not just a verse, but the long-form Word of God read out loud in community? In this episode, Pastor Scott shares his 2026 vision: taking in hours of Scripture each week, praying the Psalms daily, and launching a Public Reading of Scripture church plant in Fort Pierce—with the whole journey being documented in the 45 Days series. We talk about: - How much Bible is “enough,” and whether you can actually get burned out - Why public reading + community meals are a church planting strategy - The bold hope behind it all: what God can do...
info_outline
Rethinking How Christians Celebrate Christmas
The Disciple Standard Podcast
In this Christmas episode, the guys unpack traditions, Santa, family rhythms, church practices, communion debates, and how Christians can keep Christ at the center of the season. From childhood memories to cultural pressures to navigating holiday exhaustion, this is a fun, honest, and meaningful conversation about what Christmas should look like in a Christian home and in the church today.
info_outline
Gospel, Mission, and the CRC: Defining Our Identity
The Disciple Standard Podcast
What does it actually mean to be CRC? Is it our theology? Our history? Our worship style? Our mission? And if the Christian Reformed Church is going to reverse decline and rediscover its calling, where does our true identity begin? In this week’s episode, Aaron sits down with Pastor Scott and Pastor Jary for a candid, funny, and surprisingly deep conversation about the core identity of the CRC.
info_outline
Why the Future of the Church Won’t Drop from the Sky
The Disciple Standard Podcast
The Multiply Conference is over… now what? In this episode of the Disciple Standard Podcast, Aaron sits down with Zach Olson and Scott Vander Ploeg to unpack what actually needs to happen next if we’re serious about multiplying disciples, leaders, and churches in the CRC. They talk candidly about why this movement can’t just be a top-down plan from denominational offices, why real change has to be owned at the classis and local church level, and what it will take for every region to develop its own grassroots strategy. Along the way, they unpack the simple but powerful MDLC framework...
info_outline
How Movements Start: Conversations, Classes, and Calling - Multiply Conference Day 1
The Disciple Standard Podcast
Day 1 of the Multiply Conference was less “talking heads,” more movement building. Scott sits down with Paul Vander Klay (Sacramento, CA) and Moisés “Mo” Pacheco (Chicago, IL) to unpack the day: why classes-level action beats top-down plans, what disciple-making must look like in a post-Christian moment, and why real multiplication starts with raising leaders (not just planting churches). Highlights: - Why grassroots/classis collaboration is the engine for church planting - The transmission crisis: discipling in a post-Christian, mobile, media-soaked culture - Parents discipling their...
info_outline
Pre-Conference Recap: Scripture, Psalms, and a Movement of Multiplication
The Disciple Standard Podcast
The Multiply Conference is here, and before the main sessions even kicked off, we gathered pastors and leaders to do something simple and powerful: hear Scripture publicly, pray and sing the Psalms together, and dream about multiplying disciples, leaders, and churches. In this short recap, Scott sits down with Tim and Brad (Resonate Global Mission) to unpack: - Why we began with the Public Reading of Scripture (PROS) and praying/singing the Psalms - How these ancient practices form modern disciple-makers - A candid look at biblical literacy (and why it matters for renewal) - Simple,...
info_outline
Prayer, Psalms, and the Plan: Raising Leaders Now | Season 3 Episode 35
The Disciple Standard Podcast
Leaders don’t wait for permission—they take responsibility. This week we tackle the “elephants in the room”: grassroots church movements vs. denominational centers, fears about factions, and what it really takes to multiply 2,000 leaders and plant 1,000 churches. Then we go deeper: a practical framework for gospel identity that moves you from the drama cycle (blame/avoid/complain) to the dream cycle (own the problem → plan → do → check → adjust). We talk prayer (especially the Psalms), honoring past generations, and why local churches can’t outsource discipleship or church...
info_outline🎙 Why Christian Education Might Be the Most Important Mission Field
In Episode 12 of The Disciple Standard Podcast, Pastor Aaron Mamuyac sits down with Pastor Scott Vander Ploeg and 🎓 Sarah Wilson Hyde, Head of Schools at Sunlight Christian Academy, for a powerful conversation on the role of Christian education in shaping lives and communities.
🧠They talk about:
How faith and deep thinking go hand-in-hand ✝️
Why Christian schools are more than just academics đź“š
The origin story of Sunlight Christian Academy 🌱
Building a school that disciples the whole child 🙌
What it means to follow a calling from God 🔥
School and church working together as one mission 🏫⛪
Real stories of student leadership and faith đź’ˇ đź’
Could Christian education be one of the greatest mission fields today? Tune in to hear why it might be—and how you can be part of it.
đź“… New episodes every Thursday đź”” Subscribe now so you never miss one!
💬 Comment below: What’s one thing you believe Christian education should focus on most?
Timestamps:
00:22 - Why Christian Education Matters More Than Ever
01:37 - Jiu-Jitsu and Jesus: Discipline in Everyday Life
07:31 - Are We Prioritizing the Right Things for Our Kids?
13:01 - Amusement vs. Depth: What Are We Teaching Our Kids?
17:48 - Educating the Whole Child: Mind, Body & Spirit
20:39 - Building a Loving School Community That Lasts
24:29 - How a Hurricane Launched a Christian School
27:26 - From Pastor to Preschool Director: God’s Bigger Plan
35:39 - From Corporate to Called: Sarah’s Unexpected Journey
41:01 - When God Calls, It’s Never What You Expect
49:00 - What’s the Mission of Sunlight Christian Academy?
53:04 - Two Pillars: Gospel + Academic Excellence
56:52 - How to Stay Mission-Focused While Growing Fast
59:04 - Mission vs Covenant School: Why It Matters
1:01:17 - Christian Education as Long-Term Evangelism
1:04:59 - Church + School = A Model for Discipleship
1:11:15 - How Teachers Become Life-Long Disciple-Makers
1:14:38 - Real Stories of Student Faith in Action
1:18:48 - Outgrowing the Campus: Vision for the Future
1:23:19 - Called to More: Trusting God in the Unknown
- https://disciplestandard.com/
- Support the Podcast - https://www.patreon.com/c/DiscipleStandardPodcast
- Visit our church - https://sunlightchurch.com/
- Connect with us - https://multiply222.com