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Replicate: How to Create a Culture of Disciple-Making Right Where You Are
A Practical Guide to Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Disciple-Making in Any Church
Over the last few decades American churches have produced plenty of converts but not as many mature believers. Studies show the majority of Christians don’t even understand the basics of faith. But how do you tackle such a big problem?
Replicate shows church leaders how to make disciples who make disciples and get the rest of your church on board as well. This one-on-one relational ministry is how Jesus laid the foundation for His church that is still growing today, and it’s how we continue the work in our own local congregations. Learn the five marks of a healthy disciple-making church, how to influence culture, uproot misconceptions of the church and the gospel, and change your church and community. No more focusing on mere numbers, it’s time to grow in maturity and through multiplication.
Over the last few decades American churches have produced plenty of converts but not as many mature believers. Studies show the majority of Christians don’t even understand the basics of faith. But how do you tackle such a big problem?
Replicate shows church leaders how to make disciples who make disciples and get the rest of your church on board as well. This one-on-one relational ministry is how Jesus laid the foundation for His church that is still growing today, and it’s how we continue the work in our own local congregations. Learn the five marks of a healthy disciple-making church, how to influence culture, uproot misconceptions of the church and the gospel, and change your church and community. No more focusing on mere numbers, it’s time to grow in maturity and through multiplication.
336 pages, Paperback
Published June 2, 2020
81 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
January 23, 2024
I enjoyed this much more than I anticipated I would. It’s pragmatic, but they spend quite a bit of time prioritizing spiritual health. The core seems to emphasize discipleship groups where 3-5 individuals hold each other accountable to Scripture reading, evangelism, and memorization.
June 23, 2022
"Will your investment outlive you?"
"'I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I am more afraid of succeeding at things that don't matter.'"
Excellent book on holistic discipleship that focuses on what matters (making disciples who make disciples).
I appreciated that this book included practical answers to the most common discipleship questions in a format that was enjoyable to read.
"'I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I am more afraid of succeeding at things that don't matter.'"
Excellent book on holistic discipleship that focuses on what matters (making disciples who make disciples).
I appreciated that this book included practical answers to the most common discipleship questions in a format that was enjoyable to read.
November 20, 2023
Raw, authentic, must read!
April 21, 2025
Very very good book! Highly recommend it to anyone who wants to be used by God to advance his kingdom. Didn’t do the last star cause I feel like it wasn’t a Mere Christianity knock your socks off level. Also a lot of strong language that in reality can be taken as suggestions. Overall, great book!
July 20, 2024
A fantastic book on disciple making that challenged me to reflect on the practice of disciple making in my own life.
September 30, 2023
Great, practical book on being, and making disciples.
January 2, 2026
There is a lot of good to be found in "Replicate" but the reader has to wade through some negatives to get those benefits. If you haven't read this book, a brisk read through of parts 1 and 3 while surveying the rest of the book would be sufficient to get the benefit out of it.
The Good:
Gallaty and Swain offer both a robustly biblical outlook on discipleship and a very practical how-to guide for discipleship groups.
The book is at its best when its dissecting the repercussions of easy-believism. This unbiblical teaching has had horrible effects on the church. The "free" grace movement (or better described as cheap grace) says that one can accept Christ as Savior without accepting Him as Lord. This false teaching had brought havoc specifically on discipleship in today's churches. Gallaty and Swain are right when they diagnose this as a key problem, but I wish they had gone further in calling out the movement and its proponents and condemning it as a false teaching. The book nonetheless offers a biblical path forward. Believers are not just "converted" by praying a prayer; rather, believers are brought into a lifetime journey towards Christ-likeness which is accomplished through relational discipleship in the local church.
The book is also very helpful in going into the small details that other discipleship books leave unspecified - what does a small discipleship group do exactly? How does such a group work? The authors go in depth in describing what the group can do to further discipleship, outlining how long the group should spend on various activities and how often it should meet together, detailing the benefits of a group working through these activities, explaining how big a group should get before a new group should be formed, etc. This instruction can be helpful to the church-leader who is all-in on discipleship as a concept but does not know where to start.
The Bad:
To get these excellent positives, the reader has to overcome some significant negatives. First, the book is far, far too long. There is quite a bit of fluff, overly long examples, and needless repetition that stuffs the page count to over 320 pages. In reality this needed to be at most a 200 page book if not shorter. The concepts are important, biblical, and helpful but they are not so lofty as to require this hefty page count. A good author could take these concepts, clearly and concisely communicate them, and stay under 200 pages.
Second, related to the previous critique, much of what the authors say is very fluffy and generic. Some whole chapters come across as as TED-talk sermons that are high on "inspirational" lingo and low on substance. This is not to say that there is no substance in the book, but many pages in the book are light on substance, and these pages needed to be cut.
Finally, while I agree with many of the authors' conclusions, the exegesis of the Scriptures done in the book to reach those conclusions is often questionable. A couple examples of this are:
1) The authors use the "breaking of bread" in Acts as an example of the hospitality of sharing a meal together. They do this despite the fact that NT scholarship has concluded that the "breaking of bread" was the partaking of the Lord's supper specifically. We ought to certainly conclude from 1 Cor. 11 that the Lord's Supper ought not to exclude anyone within the body of Christ. Gallaty and Swain go a step too far though and use this picture of the Lord's Supper in Acts as a prescription to share meals in discipleship groups. Luke is simply not describing such interactions with the words "breaking of bread," and Paul's description in 1 Cor. 11 of the Lord's Supper backs this up ("Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?") The authors would have been better off to use 1 Cor. 13 in which love is described as hospitable to make this point.
2) The authors take the phrase "some doubted" in Matt. 28 to be a reference to the disciples doubting themselves and doubting whether they can accomplish Christ's mission for them. Not only is such an interpretation completely novel and not proposed by any other commentators (modern or ancient) to my knowledge, but also the concept of "doubting oneself" is a modern (or really a post-modern) idea. Such a way of thinking would (in my estimation of how the word "doubt" is used in the NT and NT-contemporary literature) be foreign to the NT audience; thus, the authors' interpretation is by all accounts an anachronism. There is however plenty of material in the NT on fear of persecution and fear of the world which is quieted when we acknowledge Christ as the authority over all heaven and earth. This in fact was the whole point the authors were trying to make.
Beyond these two rather blatant errors, the rest of the exegesis in the book is not strictly wrong but the authors often draw a point from the text of Scripture that is not really the main point of that particular passage. All this is to say, the authors play it fast and loose with the Scriptures, and this seems to be a product of faulty exposition. The authors start with an idea (a good idea mind you) and then they go hunting for a passage to back up their point rather than working the other way around- start with Scripture and develop the good idea from a sound reading of the passage.
All in all despite these negatives, I still like the book as a whole. It comes to some very good, sound, and biblical conclusions about discipleship, and it offers helpful guidance on how to accomplish discipleship. But as I said, because of the negatives, the reader would be best served to only read the good parts (parts 1 and 3) and survey the rest.
MICROREAD
The Good:
Gallaty and Swain offer both a robustly biblical outlook on discipleship and a very practical how-to guide for discipleship groups.
The book is at its best when its dissecting the repercussions of easy-believism. This unbiblical teaching has had horrible effects on the church. The "free" grace movement (or better described as cheap grace) says that one can accept Christ as Savior without accepting Him as Lord. This false teaching had brought havoc specifically on discipleship in today's churches. Gallaty and Swain are right when they diagnose this as a key problem, but I wish they had gone further in calling out the movement and its proponents and condemning it as a false teaching. The book nonetheless offers a biblical path forward. Believers are not just "converted" by praying a prayer; rather, believers are brought into a lifetime journey towards Christ-likeness which is accomplished through relational discipleship in the local church.
The book is also very helpful in going into the small details that other discipleship books leave unspecified - what does a small discipleship group do exactly? How does such a group work? The authors go in depth in describing what the group can do to further discipleship, outlining how long the group should spend on various activities and how often it should meet together, detailing the benefits of a group working through these activities, explaining how big a group should get before a new group should be formed, etc. This instruction can be helpful to the church-leader who is all-in on discipleship as a concept but does not know where to start.
The Bad:
To get these excellent positives, the reader has to overcome some significant negatives. First, the book is far, far too long. There is quite a bit of fluff, overly long examples, and needless repetition that stuffs the page count to over 320 pages. In reality this needed to be at most a 200 page book if not shorter. The concepts are important, biblical, and helpful but they are not so lofty as to require this hefty page count. A good author could take these concepts, clearly and concisely communicate them, and stay under 200 pages.
Second, related to the previous critique, much of what the authors say is very fluffy and generic. Some whole chapters come across as as TED-talk sermons that are high on "inspirational" lingo and low on substance. This is not to say that there is no substance in the book, but many pages in the book are light on substance, and these pages needed to be cut.
Finally, while I agree with many of the authors' conclusions, the exegesis of the Scriptures done in the book to reach those conclusions is often questionable. A couple examples of this are:
1) The authors use the "breaking of bread" in Acts as an example of the hospitality of sharing a meal together. They do this despite the fact that NT scholarship has concluded that the "breaking of bread" was the partaking of the Lord's supper specifically. We ought to certainly conclude from 1 Cor. 11 that the Lord's Supper ought not to exclude anyone within the body of Christ. Gallaty and Swain go a step too far though and use this picture of the Lord's Supper in Acts as a prescription to share meals in discipleship groups. Luke is simply not describing such interactions with the words "breaking of bread," and Paul's description in 1 Cor. 11 of the Lord's Supper backs this up ("Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?") The authors would have been better off to use 1 Cor. 13 in which love is described as hospitable to make this point.
2) The authors take the phrase "some doubted" in Matt. 28 to be a reference to the disciples doubting themselves and doubting whether they can accomplish Christ's mission for them. Not only is such an interpretation completely novel and not proposed by any other commentators (modern or ancient) to my knowledge, but also the concept of "doubting oneself" is a modern (or really a post-modern) idea. Such a way of thinking would (in my estimation of how the word "doubt" is used in the NT and NT-contemporary literature) be foreign to the NT audience; thus, the authors' interpretation is by all accounts an anachronism. There is however plenty of material in the NT on fear of persecution and fear of the world which is quieted when we acknowledge Christ as the authority over all heaven and earth. This in fact was the whole point the authors were trying to make.
Beyond these two rather blatant errors, the rest of the exegesis in the book is not strictly wrong but the authors often draw a point from the text of Scripture that is not really the main point of that particular passage. All this is to say, the authors play it fast and loose with the Scriptures, and this seems to be a product of faulty exposition. The authors start with an idea (a good idea mind you) and then they go hunting for a passage to back up their point rather than working the other way around- start with Scripture and develop the good idea from a sound reading of the passage.
All in all despite these negatives, I still like the book as a whole. It comes to some very good, sound, and biblical conclusions about discipleship, and it offers helpful guidance on how to accomplish discipleship. But as I said, because of the negatives, the reader would be best served to only read the good parts (parts 1 and 3) and survey the rest.
MICROREAD
May 27, 2024
Very good. It is theological and practical. It's not perfect for sure. I don't believe this model of disciple-making is the ONLY way it can be done, but I believe it is a faithful way to make disciples according to the scriptures. I recommend it!
June 3, 2020
In the book Replicate, authors Robby Gallaty and Chris Swain, write about changing our mindset in the church from emphasizing converts to developing mature believers. They write: “Every church has two types of people: consumers and coworkers. Our goal as leaders and disciple-makers is to move people from the first category to the second. A consumer is a spectator. A coworker is a participant. A consumer shows up late to the service. A coworker arrives early to help. A consumer criticizes everything that doesn’t line up with his or her preferences. A coworker appreciates what God is doing in the church. A consumer comes to sit and get. A coworker looks to go and serve. A consumer asks "What’s in it for me?" A coworker asks: "What’s in it for you?" A consumer only takes in for themselves. A coworker pours out to others. A consumer sees himself as a cistern to store truth. A coworker sees himself as a channel to bestow blessing.”
The emphasis of the church has to change to see this trend change. They write: “We’ve spent so much time trying to make sure someone can share their faith with unbelievers that we’ve forgotten to teach them how to share their lives with them.”
This was a good read with some very good ideas. I would recommend this book. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The emphasis of the church has to change to see this trend change. They write: “We’ve spent so much time trying to make sure someone can share their faith with unbelievers that we’ve forgotten to teach them how to share their lives with them.”
This was a good read with some very good ideas. I would recommend this book. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2020
A great tool by Robby Gallaty!
I love Robby's no-nonsense practical words and application when it comes to discipleship. There are many baptisty quotes and quips I've noted down from this material. Gallaty brings wisdom from years of experience and doing. That's surprisingly rare when exploring discipleship materials. I may be overloaded on Robby's teaching to glean too much from this book. I really enjoyed his book Growing Up, maybe more than this book but I also really enjoy his podcast. I love his podcast because you get Robby's passion and attitude packed into the same content. I think I'd recommend the podcast above all three to a new person interested in Robby Gallaty. I've read many books on discipleship, but Robby brings a great number of his own original insights. I LOVE his attitude and testimony!
I love Robby's no-nonsense practical words and application when it comes to discipleship. There are many baptisty quotes and quips I've noted down from this material. Gallaty brings wisdom from years of experience and doing. That's surprisingly rare when exploring discipleship materials. I may be overloaded on Robby's teaching to glean too much from this book. I really enjoyed his book Growing Up, maybe more than this book but I also really enjoy his podcast. I love his podcast because you get Robby's passion and attitude packed into the same content. I think I'd recommend the podcast above all three to a new person interested in Robby Gallaty. I've read many books on discipleship, but Robby brings a great number of his own original insights. I LOVE his attitude and testimony!
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July 13, 2021Replicate focuses on the idea that discipleship groups should be 3-5 people, gathering to follow a specific pattern: pray together, memorize scripture together, discuss how God is working (HEAR journals), and be accountable to one another.
It asks some helpful questions, but feels a little disjointed throughout and made this reader wonder a few times how various ideas of the authors (though good) related to discipleship. That said, the picture of Christians that this book describes is beautiful - people actively engaging in their church and with their community, spending time rooted in the word with other believers for the sake of both their own and other’s growth - and one I think the church’s witness would benefit from.
It asks some helpful questions, but feels a little disjointed throughout and made this reader wonder a few times how various ideas of the authors (though good) related to discipleship. That said, the picture of Christians that this book describes is beautiful - people actively engaging in their church and with their community, spending time rooted in the word with other believers for the sake of both their own and other’s growth - and one I think the church’s witness would benefit from.
June 29, 2020
Very well-written and very clearly articulated book as always. The difference between this book and Robby’s other books focused on discipleship is that this book is more focused on the “Why?” Of discipleship rather than the “How?”.
His book “Growing Up” is the VERY practical laying out of HOW to begin discipling others. “Replicate” is a good starting point for those who are not sure what disciple-making is or why it is important, but I encourage all readers to quickly purchase a copy of “Growing Up”, go to replicate.org, download the “Growing Up Leaders’ Guide” and begin the process with 2-3 others.
His book “Growing Up” is the VERY practical laying out of HOW to begin discipling others. “Replicate” is a good starting point for those who are not sure what disciple-making is or why it is important, but I encourage all readers to quickly purchase a copy of “Growing Up”, go to replicate.org, download the “Growing Up Leaders’ Guide” and begin the process with 2-3 others.
September 28, 2020
In this book, Gallaty lays out his plan for creating disciples. Gallaty explains his understanding of the Great Commmission. He explains the need to "make disciples who become disciple makers." I have been studying discipleship for a few years. My desire was to be able to begin creating a discipleship culture in the church I pastor. Gallaty lays out his plan in Replicate. If you are looking for a way to create a culture of discipleship in your church, pick up Replicate. This book is a self-help guide to creating the discipleship culture.
December 30, 2020
Authors Robby Gallaty and Chris Swain present their “Replicate” model for multiplying discipleship efforts across the church. The book hinges on real, group focused accountability, that encourages members of the body to admonish one another and spur on mutual growth.
An excellent read from front to cover. As someone who is not on staff at my church, but passionate about growing the kingdom, I felt moved and convicted by every page.
We’re called to make disciples, not church attendees. I pray that more leaders will find this material and join the Replicate movement. This may spur the Great Revival we are all seeking.
An excellent read from front to cover. As someone who is not on staff at my church, but passionate about growing the kingdom, I felt moved and convicted by every page.
We’re called to make disciples, not church attendees. I pray that more leaders will find this material and join the Replicate movement. This may spur the Great Revival we are all seeking.
April 6, 2021
Convicting.
This is all information that I am familiar with, but I read this book as I started my own discipleship group and it really just laid the Bible in front of me and showed me the areas I wasn't being faithful in. "Replicate" pointed me right back to the Bible and I now have better studying practices and can point my group to better practices as well.
What I appreciate about this book and how Gallaty presented the information is that it didn't beat around the bush. Simple words for simple (but convicting) information.
This is all information that I am familiar with, but I read this book as I started my own discipleship group and it really just laid the Bible in front of me and showed me the areas I wasn't being faithful in. "Replicate" pointed me right back to the Bible and I now have better studying practices and can point my group to better practices as well.
What I appreciate about this book and how Gallaty presented the information is that it didn't beat around the bush. Simple words for simple (but convicting) information.
August 4, 2022
I like Gallaty's life story and his tenacity, and his book on discipleship was a new idea I had never seen used before. Because his 4-person discipleship groups are different from what I'm used to, our church hasn't instituted it, but I think the one-plus-three concept has a lot of great purposes behind it.
I read this along with several other books for a discipleship series at the time, and it's interesting how many takes there are on the topic!
I read this along with several other books for a discipleship series at the time, and it's interesting how many takes there are on the topic!
November 14, 2022
I read this book and I said a huge yes and amen! This is by far, in my opinion, the best discipleship strategy that exists! Replicate focuses on building the Biblical Spiritual Disciples, and as the pastor of a small church, I have already lead our elders through it and they are each discipling other men now. Pastor, teachers, and leaders, read this book. My heart was so sad when Chris went home to be with Jesus, too young, loved the man - he and Robby produced a great book!
September 18, 2020
Every church leader and disciple maker should read this book. Filled with great practical encouragement for reproducing disciples who reproduce disciple makers. I literally put off homework because I couldn’t stop reading this book. It will be a book that I come back to over and over again. Read it. Buy it. Give it. And make disciples.
August 8, 2021
A very solid read about what we are called to do as disciples of Jesus. Very attainable information. Very practical steps to follow through with. Encouraging and convicting to be followers of Jesus that want to grow closer to Him and see others do the same. And encouraged and running with the baton!
September 1, 2021
This book was very good for church leaders who wish to fulfill the great commission of making disciples who make disciples. I sometimes found it a little heavy on the theory side and light on the practical side, but not entirely. Overall it was motivating, thought provoking, and Biblically driven. It has motivated me to take some next steps in our current disciple-making processes.
January 21, 2023
A practical and helpful tool for creating a discipleship culture in the church. I think I have overcomplicated discipleship over the years, so this book was a helpful and refreshing reminder to keep things simple. It is a bit repetitive at times, but the point comes through: if we are not making disciples in our churches, what are we doing? I'll be coming back to this one.
June 12, 2024
This book had lots of practical advice about disciple making. It was also a bit dogmatic at times. His tone seemed to convey that if you don't do things his way, you're not doing it right. Although I think the church would do well to adopt some of the practices he laid out, this book would be improved with more nuance.
August 24, 2024
Incredible read. This is the beginning of the Rediscovery of Discipleship. Gallaty's work is a reminder of discipleship's past, and a clear roadmap for the future. All Christians should would do well to glean from these teachings and implement them in their lives. Discipleship is a lifestyle, not merely the destination of evangelism.
October 23, 2020
“When asked ‘What’s the first step in making disciples?’, I say the first step is to repent for not making any thus far in your walk...”
Fantastic book that has renewed my Spirit. Time to get to work.
Fantastic book that has renewed my Spirit. Time to get to work.
March 6, 2021
Read this Book today!
The pathways toward discipleship is one of the more helpful pictures of what a process for discipleship could look like in a church. Replicate is steeped in Scripture and highly practical.
The pathways toward discipleship is one of the more helpful pictures of what a process for discipleship could look like in a church. Replicate is steeped in Scripture and highly practical.
May 30, 2025
Nothing new for me here so 2 stars - portions were good because they emphasized some best practices. I can see how this book could be really helpful to others who need a new mindset around discipleship; I was looking for something at a different, deeper level.
September 22, 2020
Love Robby’s writing. I’m implementing this book at our church and look forward to more clearly defining a discipleship pathway for our people.
January 28, 2022
Very helpful book on discipling, discipleship pathways and culture, and leadership.
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February 2, 2022Excellent inspiration and instruction in discipleship. I call Pastor Robby, "the guru of discipleship."
February 15, 2024
Excellent read about disciple making in the local church!! Lots of gold nuggets. I recommend to any Christian and hope to re-read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews