Why the Future of the Church Won’t Drop from the Sky

About this conversation

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 (Multiply Disciples, Leaders, Churches) and the bold challenge on the table for the next decade: – Raise up 2,000 leaders – Plant 1,000 churches Scott reflects on being called “the most important person in the CRC you haven’t heard of,” why he resisted the academic track, and how decades of trial, error, and quiet experimentation at Sunlight turned into a transferable model. Zach presses into why pastors and councils are often so risk-averse, and how a gospel-centered identity actually frees leaders to try, fail, learn, and try again. They also tease a new public reading of Scripture service in downtown Fort Pierce—and what it might look like to plant in a simpler, more reproducible way. If you left the conference asking, “Okay… but what do we do now?” this conversation is for you. Watch Paul's Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j3c9XI-gxw Watch the full clip of Leslie from the Conference: https://youtu.be/8ZM1cImKtGk Timestamps: - https://disciplestandard.com/ Support the Podcast - https://www.patreon.com/c/DiscipleStandardPodcast Visit our church - https://sunlightchurch.com/ Connect with us - https://multiply222.com