The Disciple Standard Podcast sparks the conversations the church can’t afford to avoid.
In an age where shallow faith and cultural conformity often pass as discipleship, we believe it’s time to raise the standard. Hosted by pastors Aaron Mamuyac and Scott Vander Ploeg from Sunlight Community Church, this show is part rallying cry, part discipleship manual, and part therapy session for believers who are hungry for something real. What started as a side conversation between church leaders has become a growing movement to restore the clarity, power, and urgency of biblical discipleship.
Subscribe and listen today!
The Disciple Standard Podcast sparks the conversations the church can’t afford to avoid. In an age where shallow faith and cultural conformity often pass as discipleship, we believe it’s time to raise the standard. Hosted by pastors Aaron Mamuyac and Scott Vander Ploeg from Sunlight Community Church, this show is part rallying cry, part discipleship manual, and part therapy session for believers who are hungry for something real. What started as a side conversation between church leaders has become a growing movement to restore the clarity, power, and urgency of biblical discipleship.
The Disciple Standard Podcast sparks the conversations the church can’t afford to avoid. In an age where shallow faith and cultural conformity often pass as discipleship, we believe it’s time to raise the standard. Hosted by pastors Aaron Mamuyac and Scott Vander Ploeg from Sunlight Community Church, this show is part rallying cry, part discipleship manual, and part therapy session for believers who are hungry for something real. What started as a side conversation between church leaders has become a growing movement to restore the clarity, power, and urgency of biblical discipleship.
Subscribe and listen today!
Why This Podcast Exists
The modern church is facing a discipleship crisis.
Despite an abundance of programs, sermons, and Christian content, many believers remain spiritually underdeveloped, relationally isolated, and missionally disengaged. We believe the way forward is not louder hype or flashier services—but deeper, more honest conversations about what it really means to follow Jesus in today’s world. That’s why we created this podcast: to open up the kinds of conversations we wish more churches were having. No fluff. No fear. Just truth, grace, and guts.
Recent Episodes
Nigerian Christians and What Scott Learned on His Trip
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 white-hot, risk-taking faith… and possibly learning from our Nigerian brothers and sisters?
📍 This is not just a trip recap — it’s a wake-up call.
👉 Want deeper conversations like this?
Subscribe on Patreon for less than a cup of coffee a month.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Was risk once a normal part of following Christ?
00:33 – The “boys” are back + Patreon banter
01:42 – Scott returns from Nigeria (32 hours of travel!)
03:17 – Prayer, fear & safety: is Nigeria too dangerous?
06:01 – “Risk is right” – when safety becomes an idol
08:39 – Publix prayers vs. cross-bearing risk
10:07 – Missionary danger & near-death experiences
11:09 – Why past generations accepted death for the gospel
12:07 – Has safety replaced calling?
13:11 – Are young people still being challenged to go?
15:31 – Who feels called to missions anymore?
17:40 – Why Africa is on fire for discipleship (222 expansion)
19:30 – Living a life that actually requires courage
21:31 – The idea of a year-long missionary apprenticeship
22:17 – “Pick your struggle”: how courage gets specific
23:46 – Planting churches from disciple-making (222 vision)
25:57 – Kenya to Nigeria: training 75+ new disciple-makers
26:49 – Nigeria may multiply faster than we report
27:49 – Persecution fuels passion — can comfort do that?
28:52 – Psalm 3 under persecution: God as shield
30:51 – Real deliverance testimonies: guns, roads, faith
32:59 – Passion born in suffering vs. comfort-born apathy
33:56 – Worship in danger changes everything
35:35 – Clarity through suffering
37:59 – Do our lives demand courage, or just preference?
40:11 – Some are called to go — others to hold the rope
42:24 – The support role still requires courage
43:21 – First church plant reflection: explosive growth
46:02 – A demolished church… and a crisis-born new plant
50:04 – “You came to our rescue”: mission impact in real time
52:17 – Mission commitment in Nigeria vs. slow U.S. growth
53:54 – Discipline for not evangelizing?!
54:49 – Imagine: every member assigned to an evangelism team
57:00 – Worship without instruments… with passion
59:17 – Dancing like David vs. American stiffness
01:00:28 – Scott’s personal calling confronts him
01:03:11 – “I may be the last Nigerian missionary standing…”
01:04:59 – The vision: Nigerians sending missionaries across Africa
01:06:04 – 63 churches planted in Sierra Leone already
01:07:20 – Reverse missions: we need their fire
01:08:10 – Scott’s midlife crisis moment of clarity
01:10:23 – Risk is right… again
01:11:10 – Join the coalition. Go. Give. Pray.
01:11:23 – If we could bottle one thing from Nigeria… Passion.
01:12:28 – Seron processes a spiritual identity crisis
01:13:26 – When everything matters, choosing becomes paralyzing
01:15:05 – Prayer, clarity, urgency
01:16:49 – Final reflections: urgency and purpose
01:17:30 – This episode shook something loose
01:17:50 – Patreon + Multiply Conference invite
01:18:20 – Outro
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Get Tickets to the Multiply Conference - https://conference.multiply222.com/
Support the Podcast - https://www.patreon.com/c/DiscipleStandardPodcast
Visit our church - https://sunlightchurch.com/
Connect with us - https://multiply222.com
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What People Say
What You'll Hear
Real talk for real disciples. Each episode dives into the issues that matter most—from spiritual formation and biblical theology to leadership, culture, relationships, and how to live as a disciple-making Christian in a distracted world. It’s unfiltered, often funny, and deeply practical. We also share how our 222Disciple process is helping everyday believers grow in the gospel, get personally invested in others, and become the kind of disciple-makers Jesus envisioned in Matthew 28 and 2 Timothy 2:2. If you’re ready to take your faith seriously and multiply your life in others, this podcast is for you.
Meet Your Host
Scott Vander Ploeg
Scott Vander Ploeg is the founder of 222Disciple and has been the senior pastor at Sunlight Community Church of Port Saint Lucie since 2004. He began this ministry in the early 2000’s, which was called Sunlight Discipleship Center at the time. Since then, he’s authored all of the lessons, is front and center in its tutorial videos, all while mentoring more than 40 people himself. The ever-expanding ministry has now grown to over 580 people under his leadership. He’s passionate about one of 222Disciple’s driving principles: disciples are called to be disciple-makers.
Meet Your Host
Aaron Mamuyac
Aaron Mamuyac brings over two decades of ministry experience and a deep love for discipleship to The Disciple Standard podcast. A long-time member and now pastor at Sunlight Community Church, Aaron has served in ministry for more than 11 years and was discipled under the faithful leadership of Scott Vander Ploeg. As an ordained Minister of the Word in the Christian Reformed Church, Aaron combines biblical depth with practical wisdom, helping listeners follow Jesus with clarity and conviction. Whether he’s unpacking Scripture, interviewing guests, or offering reflections from the trenches of pastoral life, Aaron brings a warm, insightful, and grounded voice to every episode.
Become a Sponsor
Our Audience Wants to Hear From You
Want to support discipleship while getting your brand or ministry in front of a thoughtful, faith-driven audience? Sponsor an episode of The Disciple Standard Podcast!
Here’s what you get as a sponsor:
🎬 Lower Thirds Bar: Your name or logo featured on-screen during the video version.
🎙️ Shoutouts: A verbal thank-you mid-episode and at the end.
🔗 Link Sharing: Your website or link featured in the episode description on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.
Whether you’re a business, ministry, or just someone who believes in the mission, your sponsorship helps us keep creating honest, Christ-centered conversations.