How Are Resilient Disciples Really Formed—and Why It Matters for Mission? | Rick Hill

What if making disciples isn’t about running programs… but sharing your life?

And what if mission doesn’t start with strategy… but with resilient disciples formed through ordinary rhythms of church life?

In this episode of the Lausanne Movement Podcast, Rick Hill unpacks:

How Jesus formed disciples through stages of invitation (“come and see” → “follow me” → “go and make”)
Why life-on-life formation is more powerful than programs
How to build spiritual habits that create self-feeding, resilient believers
Why mission is the natural overflow of discipleship
How Ireland’s spiritual story reveals both the dangers of cultural Christianity and the hope of renewal
What the global church can learn about humility, dependence, and crossing boundaries for the gospel

If you care about discipleship, mission, or the future of the church—this episode is for you.

Links & Resources

Rick Hill’s Book:

Deep Roots of Resilient Disciples (available on Amazon & major retailers)

Connect with Rick:

Blog: rickhill.wordpress.co m
X / Instagram: @RickHillNI

Presbyterian Church in Ireland – Mission & Church Planting:

presbyterianireland.org/Mission

Lausanne Movement:

lausanne.org

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Guests in This Episode

Rick Hill

Rick Hill serves as the Mission Development Officer for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, where he helps plant and revitalize churches, cultivates a missionary posture, develops leaders, and engages their communities with the gospel. Based just outside Belfast, Rick is passionate about revitalizing churches and equipping everyday believers to grow as disciples of Jesus and to live on mission in a post-Christian culture.

He is the author of Deep Roots of Resilient Disciples, a widely used resource that explores how followers of Jesus can develop a long-haul faith through intentional formation, community, and mission. Rick has previously worked in student and youth ministry, serves as an elder in his local church, and speaks regularly across Ireland on topics such as mission, discipleship, leadership, and church revitalization.

Rick is married to Sarah and they have two young boys.