About Disciple-Making Movements

Disciple-Making Movements are driven by rapidly reproducing disciples who launch disciple-makingmovements. The momentum that this creates can sweep through previously unreached or unchurched areas with the ability to create thousands of simple churches in a relatively short period of time. Discipling, equipping and coaching church planters is based on a system of personal discovery of God and His will from the Bible and a highly intentional commitment to immediate personal obedience. This approach to leadership development produces highly committed men and women with the character, capacity and skills to produce a new kind of leadership and a new level of Kingdom impact.

These types of movements are qualitatively different from traditional Christian ministry and thus have unique definitions:

Church: A group of local believers who are being baptized, who gather together regularly to worship and study the Word, and who are seeking to engage in all the functions of church, particularly as expressed through the commands of Jesus, and the “one anothers” of the New Testament.  

Church Planting: Planting churches is the work of God, a divinely produced phenomenon.  Jesus said, “I will build my church….”  (Matt. 16:18).  The church planter’s job is to discover what He is doing and cooperate with Him.  Imagine being part of that seminal event when “everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles” (Acts 2:43).  The account of these awesome events makes it clear that the apostles were not the builders of the church but the catalysts. New church development should be the spontaneous and natural outcome of effective disciple-making. 

Church planting today is often understood as a program or strategy which church leaders develop and implement. They gather the financial resources, appoint a charismatic leader, establish an organizational structure, secure property, construct a building, and initiate a marketing program to draw people into the church building for various programs and activities. Perhaps a more meaningful expression is that of the church emerging. The church emerges (is planted) when the seed of the gospel is planted in the hearts of men and women and they are encouraged to gather together for worship, fellowship, encouragement, support, mutual accountability, and mission.