An interview with Adam Shepski
Executive Director, Disciple a City

"You teach what you know, but you reproduce who you are," is a widely cited principle in servant leadership and discipleship that emphasizes modeling over mere instruction. In other words, relationship building matters more than business project goals or programs.

As Executive Director of Disciple a City, Adam Shepski and his team are currently engaged in training about 10,000 believers across Canada to become disciples, using tracks for individuals, local churches and event leaders. 
Adam’s dreams are gigantic! Imagine if every ordinary believer in Canada was able to share the extraordinary good news of the gospel, with the goal of making Canada the most evangelized nation in the world!

Adam Shepski’s Story

Growing up in a rural community of Listowel, Ontario, Adam enjoyed the privileges of a middle class family. However, boredom and limited social events caused sixteen-year-old Adam to get into trouble. He began to drink and use drugs. By age nineteen he was an addict, taking drugs daily, and battling depression and suicidal thoughts. Life, for him, had no purpose.

One day a friend invited him for coffee, and shared the gospel message; he told him that God has a purpose for his life! That deeply touched Adam’s soul. But he was not ready to change.

One week later with enough pills to end his life in one hand, and a bible in the other hand, Adam faced the most important decision of his life: suicide or Jesus? If Jesus was real, He could help him. If not real, Adam knew he’d be dead within the month.

So he cried out to Jesus, and in desperation asked for help. That was his turning point. Soon after his friend took him to church, and a Youth for Christ group of young people there began to fervently pray for him, even keeping a prayer journal of answered prayers. Before long he had new friends, a purposeful life and then he met his future wife, Melissa. 

Once married, Melissa and Adam served in local and global Youth for Christ ministries, expanding their leadership roles as they moved from Listowel to Wingham, and then to Bobcaygeon, Ontario.

In 2016 Adam led an international prayer ministry at Youth for Christ, working with hundreds of leaders in Africa and providing support for international missionaries.

In 2019 Adam launched Disciple a City Ministries, which teaches “good shepherd leadership training”. Leaders who build big people, not big projects commit to three things: providing, protecting and presence.  With caring as their heart motive, these leaders seek to model good shepherd leadership support, watching over their flock.

As servant leaders we ought not judge ourselves by our motives and others by their actions. Instead, when someone makes a mistake, look first at the intentions of someone’s heart. This builds an environment of trust, where people are allowed to learn from their mistakes.

Prioritizing presence, or being present as a leader, means giving sufficient time to those needing something whether it’s training, equipping, encouragement or problem solving.

Biblical Principles
Be Willing Shepherds of God’s Flock: 

Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them ---not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve, not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 1 Peter 5: 2-3 NIV

Model the Fruit of the Spirit:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Jesus’ Disciples Must Serve Others:

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.  Matthew 20: 26, 28 NIV

Looking Forward…

Adam continues to advance his vision to equip ordinary believers to share the gospel’s extraordinary good news with the goal of making Canada the most evangelized nation in the world.

But as magnificent a vision as this is, Adam warns that administrative leadership gifts are also crucial, including creating the right job descriptions and applying project management skills. Like engines without fuel, visions can stall then die without administrative support.

Adam recommends a book by Patrick Lencioni, entitled The Six Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team. Here, Lencioni identifies six “work processes” that motivate different individuals: wonder, invention, discernment, galvanizing, enablement and tenacity. Adam practices this by identifying team members’ unique strengths and placing them in the right roles, similar to “the right seat on the bus” analogy.