Growing a large online audience doesn’t always create a healthy community. Brandon Robbins outlines a framework for discipleship that helps people see where they are on their journey, take the next steps, and support one another in following Jesus.
It began as an escape from writing articles for my church’s newsletter. It became an online community of over 400,000 people.
In 2019, I started a YouTube channel. It didn’t amount to much at first—maybe a few dozen views per video. But in 2021, I created a video about Season 1, Episode 1 of The Chosen. I was amazed by how accurately the show depicted the first-century world of Jesus and wanted to show people. It took off! Within a few weeks, my channel exploded, and I realized that this topic I loved—learning the context of the Bible and how it transforms the way we read it—was something others loved too. Since then, my channel has grown to over 350,000 subscribers and more than 35 million views. But with those numbers came a harsh realization: numerical growth does not equal kingdom growth.
What became clear over time was that, while I was building an audience, I wasn’t building a community. I regularly saw comments from people who were lonely and longing to grow closer to Jesus. They didn’t have a Christian community to walk with them or disciple them.
This weighed heavily on me. In a world with endless opportunities to connect, people still feel profoundly alone. They long to know Jesus and journey with others, yet they find both surprisingly difficult to achieve. They turn to the internet—the most accessible resource they have—but don’t know where to begin. The sheer volume of information is overwhelming, the path is unclear, and as a result, many remain stuck.
I knew that I needed to create some sort of community for my audience. But I quickly learned that this is far more complicated than starting a Facebook group and hoping for the best. After many failures, I eventually began studying and implementing a principle that has since reshaped how I build community—both online and in my local church. The idea is simple: in order to grow, people need a clear picture of what growth looks like, how to pursue it, and how others fit into the process.
It surprised me how easy this is to overlook. It seems obvious. But when I evaluated what I was communicating—both in my church and online—I realized that what was clear to me wasn’t necessarily clear to others.
Can I ask you a question?
Is the path clear for the people you serve?
Do they know what it looks like to be a healthy, growing, fruitful disciple of Jesus?
Do they understand how to grow and where they currently are on that journey?
Is your role in that process, or the role of others, clear to them?
Discipleship is not a linear journey with a defined endpoint. There is no moment when we have “arrived” and can finally call ourselves “true” disciples. But, we do instinctively sense when something is missing—when there is more to following Jesus than what we are currently experiencing.
This is why a clear path matters. When people can see where they are, it becomes easier to know what steps to take next. And when they see how others fit into that journey, they gain the support they need to move forward. In our community, we compare discipleship to climbing a mountain. The journey for most people begins when they SEE the mountain. If the peak of the mountain is a relationship with Jesus that transforms our lives, this is the moment they glimpse it and begin to yearn for it.
The next step is to LEARN how to ascend the mountain. Here, people begin to discover who Jesus is, how to study Scripture, and what the journey of discipleship can look like. They also start to recognize the value of community. While it’s possible to climb alone, why would you? Others can offer wisdom, encouragement, and perspective from their own journeys. And they can join you on the climb, helping you succeed.
From there, we help people APPLY what they are learning. This is the journey up and down the mountain. Along the way, they experience the “peak”—a moment of profound transformation when Christ enters their hearts, they experience the gift of salvation and are forever changed. This “peak” is not the end of their journey—not by any means. It is simply a critical point, a huge celebration, along the path. As they leave that peak moment, they will continue to be transformed, always applying Jesus’ teachings to their lives.
Finally, there is one other essential moment on their journey that they must not overlook. They will need to SHARE what they’ve experienced with others. Many are still waiting at the base of the mountain, wondering how to reach that peak themselves. It is the role of a disciple to help them make that journey.
This analogy is helpful because it not only reveals the path—it clarifies the role of community. Just as no one would attempt to climb Everest alone, we aren’t meant to grow closer to Jesus in isolation. We depend on one another, learning from those ahead of us on the journey, and offering support to those who follow.
While nothing about this analogy is new, it is the visual that helps make it achievable for people. When they can see the path, they can locate themselves on it, understand their role, and make sense of their experiences. It addresses questions like, “Why does this feel so hard?” or “What happens if I stumble?”
Is the analogy perfect? No. But it works for our community.
What would work for yours?
How can you help people see where they are on the path?
What will help them understand their role?
Whether we are growing a local congregation or forming an online community, our goal is the same: to make disciples. A clear path is essential to that process. Since implementing a defined path in our online community, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in participation and testimonies. Lives are changing. Leaders are stepping up. And while many other strategies and tactics contribute to a healthy community, none of them are effective without a clear path. Without it, even the best strategies fall short.
Brandon Robbins is a pastor, author, and YouTube creator. He uses the context, history, and culture of the Bible to make it easier to understand and to help people see it with an entirely new set of eyes. Learn more at brandonrobbinsministry.com.
Related Resources
- Digital Ministry Trends and Perspectives featuring Jim Keat — Watch the Leading Ideas Talks podcast video | Listen to the podcast audio version | Read the in-depth interview
- Reading the Cultural Signs by Jevon Caldwell-Gross
- Increasing Active Engagement, a Lewis Center video tool kit resource
- 3 Strategies for Doing Church Online by Heidi A. Campbell
- Hybrid Evangelism: The New Reality for Congregations, a Lewis Center webinar recording
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