Why We’re More Lonely Than Ever (and What the Bible Says About It) | Season 3 Episode 13
Release Date: 06/04/2025
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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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In this episode, Aaron, Seron, and Zach tackle one of the most challenging questions facing the modern church: Are Christians too comfortable to live courageously? From AI and spiritual laziness to local evangelism and church culture, the team gets real about what courage looks like in everyday faith — and how comfort might be the greatest obstacle to gospel boldness.
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Comfort is killing the church. For many believers today, safety has become a silent idol — but what if real Christianity has always required risk? In this episode, Scott returns from Nigeria with a powerful challenge: If Jesus is who He says He is, then risk is right. Aaron, Seron, and Scott wrestle with what courageous faith looks like in a world obsessed with control, comfort, and safety. We talk persecution, missionary legacy, a church plant born out of crisis, 63 churches in Sierra Leone, and whether the American church has lost its passion. Is the future of the CRC tied to recovering...
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An old monk had 95 theses—today we bring 20. In this episode, Pastor Scott lays out a bold, practical roadmap for renewal in the Christian Reformed Church: a gospel-first identity, every believer a multiplier, leadership pipelines that start in local churches, and church planting as the ordinary way God renews His Church. We tackle the reality of decline—and why it’s not inevitable—and cast a hopeful vision for multiplying disciples, leaders, and churches in our time. What you’ll hear: - Why renewal begins with a fresh encounter with the gospel, not new tactics - How disciple-making...
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What’s the future of church planting in the Christian Reformed Church? In this episode of the Disciple Standard Podcast, Scott sits down with Tim Sheridan (Director of Church Planting for the CRC) and Vivi Cassis (Operations Manager, Resonate Global Mission & leader at The Source Church) to talk about: -The state of church planting across North America -How diaspora and multicultural movements are shaping the future -Why prayer, fasting, and bold goals (like planting 1,000 new churches) matter -The upcoming Multiply Conference in Port St. Lucie this November -How every church—large or...
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Church attendance may be declining across the U.S., but in this episode of the Disciple Standard Podcast, Pastors Aaron, Kris, and Scott share a bold new vision for the future of churches in Florida—and the Christian Reformed Church at large. From celebrating past wins to unveiling the goal of raising 262 leaders and planting 26 churches in the next decade! This conversation digs into: - Why leadership development is the key to church renewal - How 222 Discipleship is shaping the next generation of pastors and leaders - The role of collaboration, diversity, and shared vision in fueling...
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What actually makes a church plant take root—strategy, location… or discipleship? Scott sits down with David Snapper (church planter/researcher) to unpack 40+ years of lessons: why many “parachute drops” stall, how clusters (the 20-mile/2,000 rule) change outcomes, and how to build a synthetic cluster (friendship networks, schools, training leaders in place) when you’re far from the denominational center. We also talk Acts (Jerusalem → Antioch → Athens), moving from numbers to disciples, and how conflict resolution frees a denomination to pursue Great Commission unity. You’ll...
info_outline📺 Episode 13: Let’s Talk About CommunityIn this episode of The Disciple Standard Podcast, we get real about one of the biggest issues of our time: loneliness.
Despite being more digitally connected than ever, people feel increasingly isolated. 📱
💬 Why is that? We explore:
– Why phones and distraction are killing real connection 😶🌫️
– How modern culture promotes isolation vs. what Scripture says 🧍♂️➕🧍♀️
– The Church’s role in building genuine relationships ⛪
– The power of discipleship in community 🤝
– How YOU can start creating meaningful connection again 🙌
Whether you’ve felt alone in a crowd or just want deeper faith-based friendships, this episode will challenge and encourage you to build the kind of community Jesus modeled.
🎙 With Pastor Aaron Mamuyac, Pastor Scott Vander Ploeg & Pastor Jary Reed
💡 Brought to you by Sunlight Community Church👥
Subscribe + Share this with someone who needs encouragement today!
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