And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV)
Who’s on your Mount Rushmore of discipleship? Who are those people who have invested in you, walked alongside you, and mentored you in your faith? Maybe it’s the Sunday school teacher who first explained the Gospel to you. Maybe it’s the neighbor who demonstrated Jesus’ love to you. Maybe it’s your parents who taught you how to study God’s Word. Maybe it’s the pastor who baptized you. Maybe it’s the small group leader who regularly prayed for and with you. Can you narrow your list to only four people, or do you need multiple Mount Rushmores to encapsulate all the people who have discipled you?
Perhaps your list has changed during different seasons of your life. Mine has. Growing up in a Christian home, my parents and grandparents were the first and biggest influences in my faith journey. They will forever remain on my Mount Rushmore as those who consistently point me back to Jesus and model His love for others. As a teenager, my youth leaders were instrumental in developing my understanding of what it looks like to follow Jesus. As a newlywed, couples who read books with my husband and I and modeled godly marriages helped shape our relationship to reflect the selfless love of Jesus. As an adult, pastors who have faithfully taught the scriptures and mentors who have personally invested in my relationship with God have been fundamental to my journey in understanding God’s Word.
Discipleship is multifaceted and there is beauty in pursing it with others.
So how do we “go therefore and make disciples”? By building relationships where we speak truth and love into one another’s lives. By studying and teaching God’s Word. By modeling obedience to Jesus’ commandments. By continually pointing others to Jesus and allowing ourselves to be continually shaped into His likeness. This is disciple-making, and this is what Jesus calls us to do. However big or small your Mount Rushmore might be, follow Jesus’ command and be bold enough in your disciple-making that others would add you to their Mount Rushmore.
Written by Randi Walle for the Year in Review 2024–2025, adapted and updated July 2026. Randi serves as the editor and communications manager for the Charis Fellowship. She is a member and life-long attender of Grace Polaris Church in Westerville, Ohio, where she serves as the communications director. She and her husband, Jesús, have been married for eleven years.