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Disciple-making is not a short burst of passion—it’s a way of life sustained through shared rhythms. In this episode of the Take Off Podcast, Thomas Clark explores how disciple-making movements are sustained not by intensity or events, but by simple, repeatable practices that shape everyday life.

Building on the previous episode about relationships becoming pathways, Thomas asks an honest question: Why do so many disciple-making efforts start strong but fade over time? Drawing from Scripture, lived experience, and years of practicing disciple-making in real contexts, he explains how burnout often comes from passion without rhythm—and why movements endure when practices are embedded into daily life.

Listeners are introduced to core disciple-making practices like prayer, listening, shared meals, service, Scripture engagement, reflection, and sending—framed through the B.L.E.S.S. practices and the simple “up, in, and out” rhythms seen in the life of Jesus. Rather than offering a formula, this episode highlights what has emerged faithfully over time: practices that travel with people, multiply naturally, and protect discipleship from burnout.

The episode concludes with a reflection question and a practical “I will…” invitation, helping listeners identify which rhythms are shaping their lives—and which ones need to be reclaimed or simplified—so disciple-making can be sustained with faithfulness, not flash.

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Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples.

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In Season 5, Episode 5 of the Take Off Podcast, Thomas Clark builds on the last episode’s focus on persons of peace and takes the next step: What happens after peace is discovered? This conversation explores a movemental truth many believers miss—peace may open the door, but pathways move people forward.

Thomas unpacks how God doesn’t just connect us to people of peace—He turns those relationships into disciple-making pathways, where spiritual formation can grow naturally through shared life. Drawing from the way Jesus walked with people over time, this episode names what has proven faithful in real contexts as The Launching Pad Worldwide has practiced release-based discipleship—equipping and releasing disciple-makers back into their everyday environments to make disciples where life already happens.

You’ll hear why friendship alone isn’t the destination, why “niceness” can be confused with discipleship, and how intentionality creates movement without manipulation. Thomas introduces practical, reproducible examples of disciple-making pathways—walking together, sharing meals, prayer moments, Scripture conversations, serving side-by-side—and clarifies what pathways are not (not a class, not a curriculum-first process, not pressure-driven).

The episode also addresses why many relationships never become pathways (fear of rejection, fear of being misunderstood, waiting for the “perfect time”) and offers gentle, simple “pathway starters” that honor trust while inviting growth. Ultimately, pathways emerge when we learn to walk at the speed of trust.

The episode concludes with a reflection question and an “I will…” invitation to help you take a concrete next step:

Reflection Question: Who has God already given me relational access to—and what step am I hesitating to invite them into?
I Will Challenge: This week, I will intentionally invite ______ into a simple next step of shared life with me.

Remember: Peace opens doors, but pathways build disciples—and discipleship is relational long before it is instructional.

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Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples.

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In this episode of the Take Off Podcast, Thomas Clark explores a crucial shift in disciple-making: God sends us to places, but He reveals His mission through people. Building on the previous conversation about being scattered on purpose, this episode moves from where God sends us to who God highlights as He sends us.

Rather than offering a formula or strategy, Thomas names what has proven faithful over time within a disciple-making movement. He challenges the common question, “What should I do?”, and reframes it with a more biblical lens: “Who should I notice?” Disciple-making movements don’t begin with plans—they begin with discernment.

Drawing from Luke 10 and the concept of persons of peace, this episode unpacks how movements grow through relationships, not programs; through attentiveness, not efficiency; and through people God has already prepared. Thomas shares lived examples that show how persons of peace—often unexpected and sometimes overlooked—become bridges for the gospel rather than bottlenecks.

Listeners are invited to reflect on how program-driven ministry can unintentionally overshadow people-driven mission, why trust precedes teaching, and how mutuality transforms discipleship from a patron–client model into shared partnership on mission.

The episode concludes with a reflection question and a practical “I will…” invitation, encouraging listeners to intentionally invest in the people God has already opened to them—right where they live, work, learn, and play.

Support the show

Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples.

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In this episode of the Take Off Podcast, Thomas Clark explores a vital discipleship truth: we are scattered on purpose and sent to specific places. While God gathers His people for formation, He intentionally scatters them for mission—not randomly, but with divine purpose. Drawing from Scripture and lived experience within a disciple-making movement, Thomas clarifies two common errors in the Church today: staying gathered and never going, or scattering without shared identity and purpose. This episode reframes scattering not as a weakness of the Church, but as God’s design for reaching His world.

Thomas unpacks how Jesus formed His disciples before sending them, why the Church was never meant to be a place we “go to” but a people who are sent, and how our neighborhoods, workplaces, and everyday gathering spaces are commissioned mission fields. Listeners are invited to see geography as theology—recognizing that where we live, work, learn, and play is where God has already sent us. The episode concludes with a reflection question and a practical “I will…” invitation, challenging listeners to engage one specific place God has entrusted to them with intentional, faithful presence.

Support the show

Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples.

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In Season 5, Episode 2 of the Take Off Podcast, Thomas Clark explores a foundational truth for disciple-making movements: God does not send isolated individuals—He sends a people. Drawing from Scripture and lived experience, this episode challenges the deeply individualistic assumptions many of us carry and invites listeners to rediscover God’s design for mission as communal, shared, and embodied life together.

Thomas unpacks the difference between crowds and community, audience and body, and shows how Jesus formed a people—not solo heroes—to live sent lives in real places with real problems. From the life of Abraham to the formation of the early church, we see that God’s mission has always moved through a collective shaped together in tension, trust, and shared obedience. This episode calls listeners to move from isolation to collaboration, to resist burnout disguised as faithfulness, and to embrace discipleship as a shared way of life.

As always, the episode ends with a reflection question and a practical “I will…” invitation, helping you discern how God may be calling you to live His mission with others where you live, work, learn, and play.

Please consider following this podcast so that you do not miss an episode. Also, please support the work we are doing with either a monthly or yearly subscription. Subscribers will receive early access to episodes along with other perks.

Support the show

Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples.

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https://www.taclark4ministries.com/

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In this opening episode of Season 5, Thomas Clark lays a foundation that quietly reshapes everything we believe about discipleship, mission, and the Church. On a “capital C” level, the Church of Jesus Christ does not have a mission—God has a mission, and the Church exists because of it. Thomas explains why phrases like “the church has a mission” or “we need to do more mission” can unintentionally make mission feel optional—like a department, a program, or an outreach night—when in reality mission flows from the very nature of God. Introducing the missio Dei (the mission of God), he walks listeners through the biblical storyline of creation, fall, redemption, restoration, and new creation, showing that God’s ongoing work is to restore humanity back into His shalom (peace) through Jesus Christ.

Thomas then connects this to the sending nature of God: God sends Abram, Moses, Isaiah, and ultimately sends His Son. God doesn’t send ideas—He sends people. Jesus is the ultimate “sent One,” and in John 20:21 Jesus makes it clear that as the Father sent Him, He now sends His followers. This episode challenges listeners to stop thinking of mission as something we initiate or “take God” to, and instead to become discerners—joining God where He is already moving in everyday places. The episode ends with a tension-building question and an “I will” challenge to help listeners take a concrete next step toward living as sent disciples in their neighborhoods, workplaces, and third places.

Please consider following this podcast so that you do not miss an episode. Also, please support the work we are doing with either a monthly or yearly subscription. Subscribers will receive early access to episodes along with other perks.

Support the show

Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples.

https://www.facebook.com/bishopthomas.clark/

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https://www.taclark4ministries.com/

https://x.com/TAClark4

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"You may retire from employment, but you never retire from discipleship."

In the conclusion of this two-part conversation, Thomas Clark and Ruth Price dive deep into the "Third Place"—those community hangouts like gardens, town halls, and local festivals where social momentum is built. Ruth shares her incredible journey of becoming "the church" at the Harambee Community Garden and beyond, proving that making disciples is about being present where life is already happening.

In this episode, we explore:

• The Power of the Third Place: How a community garden or a local jazz show becomes a sanctuary for God’s peace.
• The B.L.E.S.S. Rhythms in Action: A practical look at how Ruth uses prayer, listening, eating, serving, and story-sharing to bridge the gap between neighbors.
• Assessment vs. Assumption: How to move past "guessing" what a community needs by using surveys, Google forms, and active listening at police district meetings.
• Overcoming Ethnocentrism: A candid, "funny" story from Ruth about a 200-year-old tree and the conscious choice to value a neighbor’s perspective over her own opinions.

Movement thinking requires us to see that Christ is present 24/7. Whether Ruth is talking to a neighbor about a memorial or serving refreshments at a garden, she is "invading the world" with the shalom of God. This episode will challenge you to look for the "hidden gems" in your own community and ask: How can I be the presence of Jesus here?

The B.L.E.S.S. Rhythms

1. B - Be in Prayer
2. L - Listen with Intentionality
3. E - Eat a Meal
4. S - Serve and Be Served
5. S - Share a Story about Christ

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• Your Challenge: How can you show up and address a specific need in your community this week?
• Your "I Will" Statement: "I will [Fill in the blank]." Share your commitment with someone who can hold you accountable!

Please consider following this podcast so that you do not miss an episode. Also, please support the work we are doing with either a monthly or yearly subscription. Subscribers will receive early access to episodes along with other perks.

Support the show

Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples.

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https://www.taclark4ministries.com/

https://x.com/TAClark4

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In the world of disciple-making, "watching" is a bad word. We don't watch—we engage.

In this episode of this powerful series, Thomas Clark sits down with his long-time friend and "mission partner," Ruth Price. At 77 years young, Ruth is a living testimony that God’s call on your life doesn't have a retirement date. Operating out of the historical Austin neighborhood in Chicago, Ruth shares how she transitioned from simply being a resident to becoming a missional, incarnational presence on her block.

In this episode, we explore:

• The Incarnational Impulse: What it means to be "enfleshed" with Christ in your first place—the neighborhood where you live.
• Breaking the "Castle" Mentality: Moving from seeing our homes as private fortresses to viewing them as outposts for the Kingdom.
• Technology as a Tool for Peace: How Ruth uses email and social media to connect over 80 neighbors, proving that tech is only as "good" or "evil" as the purpose behind it.
• Earning the Right to be Heard: The journey of inviting people into your life until they trust you enough to invite you into theirs.

Every problem is a discipleship problem, and Christ transforms culture through His followers. Are you ready to stop waving from your car and start doing a "deep dive" into the lives of the people around you?

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• Your "I Will" Statement: Based on today’s conversation, what is one specific action you will take this week to bring peace to your neighborhood? Who will you share it with?

Let’s Take Off!

Please consider following this podcast so that you do not miss an episode. Also, please support the work we are doing with either a monthly or yearly subscription. Subscribers will receive early access to episodes along with other perks.

Support the show

Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples.

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In Part 2 of my conversation with Timothy Bell, we continue exploring how a Disciple Making Movement (DMM) meets the real needs of real communities by showing up where people actually live, work, and gather. Timothy reflects on what it means to be incarnate among neighbors who face cultural tension, insecurity, and fear—especially in a community where he is one of only two non-Hispanic residents on his block. Together, we talk about how Jesus shows up through relationships, trust-building, and presence, and how seniors, children, and even the incarcerated—all often overlooked—remain image bearers who matter deeply to God. This episode highlights how Christ is already moving in these spaces and how disciples join Him, not by imposing solutions, but by listening, learning, and responding with compassion.

We also unpack what it looks like to assess the real needs of a community rather than assuming them. Timothy shares practical stories—from seed-planting social momentums, to cross-cultural learning from neighbors, to listening sessions with coworkers and inmates—that reveal how being present leads to transformation. We discuss the difference between ethnocentrism and ethnography, why slowing down helps us discern what people truly need, and how servant leaders learn from the very people they serve. This episode invites you to see how Jesus uses ordinary disciples in everyday places to create a local theology, a local testimony, and a local expression of His presence. You will walk away challenged and encouraged to ask: Where is God already moving around me—and how can I join Him?

Please consider following this podcast so that you do not miss an episode. Also, please support the work we are doing with either a monthly or yearly subscription. Subscribers will receive early access to episodes along with other perks.

Support the show

Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples.

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https://www.taclark4ministries.com/

https://x.com/TAClark4

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In this episode of the Take Off Podcast, we continue our Season 4 series exploring how a Disciple Making Movement (DMM) helps meet the needs of the community. Thomas Clark welcomes Timothy Bell — a long-time friend, servant leader, husband, father, and now grandfather — to share how he lives as an incarnate presence of Jesus in his everyday context. Building on the foundation that Christ transforms culture through His followers, Thomas and Timothy discuss how disciple-making is inherently contextual. While the biblical foundation remains the same, the expression of disciple-making looks different depending on where each person lives. Through stories of neighboring, prayerful presence, and intentional engagement, this episode shows how ordinary disciples can make extraordinary impact when they show up in the flesh where God has placed them.

Timothy shares his experience living in a predominantly Hispanic community, learning culture through relationships, identifying persons of peace, and building trust with neighbors through simple acts of love and consistency. He also speaks candidly about being incarnate in his workplace — a maximum-security correctional facility — where he brings the peace of Christ to both inmates and co-workers through compassion, prayer, and everyday conversations. From missional neighboring to social momentums to serving seniors in his third place, Timothy’s life demonstrates how DMM is lived out across real neighborhoods, real workplaces, and real challenges. This episode encourages listeners to see their own homes, jobs, and hangout spaces as mission fields where Jesus desires to show up through them.

Please consider following this podcast so that you do not miss an episode. Also, please support the work we are doing with either a monthly or yearly subscription. Subscribers will receive early access to episodes along with other perks.

Support the show

Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples.

https://www.facebook.com/bishopthomas.clark/

https://www.youtube.com/@taclark4

https://www.taclark4ministries.com/

https://x.com/TAClark4