“The harvesters are in the harvest,” the trainer said. “Hmm…I thought. What could that mean?” I was curious to know more. Would it be possible to start a Disciple Making Movement with brand new believers instead of older Christians? A few days ago, one of my readers wrote this to me. “It’s hard for people …
Can community development and Disciple Making Movements flow together? This guest blog on integral mission was written by my friend Martine. Her story and input provide a clear answer to this question. My first experiences in mission were in a time of famine. We worked among a nomadic tribe. They were one hundred percent of …
This is an inside look at my heart, an invitation to pray with me today. I invite you to join me in holy dissatisfaction. As I do each year, I’ve been pondering my goals for the coming year. What is God wanting to do? What is He laying on my heart to believe Him for? …
The mountain was high, the trail steep. I’d started out enthusiastic. Now each step felt hard. Up, up, up, I went. What would keep me going until I reached the top? Starting a Disciple Making Movement can be a bit like that hike. We start well, our passion high. A few months (or years) later, …
Money can easily destroy a life…or a movement. A few days ago I was talking to another Disciple Making Movement trainer. In the course of our conversation, I blurted out, “I think we have killed as many movements as we have started.” It is not difficult to destroy a budding movement. Money can be a …
Many people struggle with the idea of reporting progress on church or ministry growth. Reporting in disciple making movements can be controversial. Recently, I had a meeting with some people to bring a better understanding of this issue. There was a lot of confusion related to this topic. Emotions ran high. Why report and track? There …
“Is my home group a church?” you may ask. “We don’t have a pastor and we are only a few families that meet together.” “Does time of day and day of the week have to do with if we should call this a church? Can a church meet on a Tuesday night and still be …
When people typically think of church, they think about a building, pastor, pulpit, church members, and a weekly meeting. Sadly, this is what the definition of a church has become. Even Merriam-Webster defines the word church as “a building for public and especially Christian worship.” This definition, though a commonly used one, is sadly not …
Last week we looked at the questions related to being ready for baptism. Today I want to look at another important baptism question. Are They A Believer? *Can someone be considered a “believer” or “disciple” if they don’t desire (or are not willing to take) this the step of obedience? To find answers to this …
Church definitions can be confusing. As a result, this question “What makes a church a church?” is an important question to ask! Last week, in Part 1, we looked at the two primary metaphors in the New Testament used to describe the church; the Body of Christ and the Family of God. Today we want …