I’m a huge believer that we must constantly be learning if we want to release the kind of incredible disciple multiplication and movements God desires to bring. Learners lead with confidence, humility, and are not stuck in old paradigms that used to work, twenty years ago. We need to be constantly learning about how to multiply disciples. I read constantly. Not everyone has time to read as many books as I do, so I decided to choose one book a month to recommend as a key resource. This month it’s the recently released book by Dubois, Parks and Long called Forests in the Seed.
Favorite Quotes from Forests in the Seed
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book.
“If we are to see movements, we must shift away from our own small plans and strategies to humble ourselves before God and sit in prayer to listen for His vision and direction.” p. 67
“What makes the difference between merely planting churches and seeing sustained movements of churches? Usually leadership development.” p. 53
“We must shift from focusing on measuring the fruit of what we do and instead focus on who we are – faithful servants asked by our Lord to steward a harvest that only God can make grow.” p. 75
About local ministry partners, “They don’t want work partners. They want a family who will bear each other’s burdens and sacrifice in any way possible for their brothers and sisters. We must shift away from corporate and business-like relationships toward family relationship.s” p. 76
On challenges, they wrote about the concept that 2% is too low to categorize people groups as reached. “A history of the term ‘unreached’ shows that prior to 1980, 20% seemed to be the line between reached and unreached. Then in the 1980’s various figures such as 5%, 10% and 20% began to circulate. In 1995, the Joshua Project committee arbitrarily chose the criteria of 2% and 5%. None of these percentages seems to have a basis in anything other than speculation. In 2011, a study out of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute found that the ‘tipping point’ for the rapid spread of ideas was 10%” p. 95
Movement Accelerators
The book’s second section is all about movement accelerators. After telling us that most of the world’s movements come out of about forty movement families, the author’s make the case for the importance of partnering with existing movements to accelerate them and see these movements grow even further.
There is a chapter on each of these key accelerators:
- Prayer Strategies
- Kingdom Finances
- Heart Language Bible Translations
- Crisis Responses
- Systems for Justice and Mercy
- Surges
- Movements Starting Movements
The section on prayer strategies was especially helpful. I loved the inclusion of how movements pray and the 10 Biblical principles for praying for movements (From Forests in the Seed p. 107-111 Shedankeh Johnson’s list.) This is a great list to use when we pray for movements and disciple-multiplication!
I prayed these on a recent Instagram reel. Join me in praying through this list!
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10 Biblical Princiiples for Praying for Movements -Shedankeh Johnson
1. That God will send laborers into the harvest field and increase the number of disciple-makers and intercessors (Luke 10:2)
2. That God will touch people’s hearts and draw them to Himself (Prov 21:1)
3. For open doors to the Gospel (Col. 4:3,4)
4. For persons of peace to be discovered in communities (Luke 10:5-7)
5. For every stronghold and lie of the enemy to be broken. (2 Cor 10:3-5)
6. For a fresh anointing and boldness for disciple-makers.(Luke 4:18)
7. For an increase in signs and wonders and miracles. (John 14:12)
8. For protection and provision for workers (Matt 10:16, Phil 4:19)
9. For rapid multiplication of the work that results in movements (Acts 6:7)
10. For movements and disciple-makers all around the world (1 Thess 1:2-3)
Be a Continuous Learner
These are just a few of the insights, tools, and quotes I found particularly helpful from Forests in the Seed. Interested to get a copy?
Comments
It’s a wonderful experience, to follow to this point and the section of prayer conducted by C Anderson. There’s a lot of inspiration for me and I pray for space to finish the course.