Most Christians acknowledge the significance of disciple-making, but may find themselves uncertain about the practical "how-to." Below is a proven approach to assist you in making disciples who, in turn, replicate the process, thereby fostering a Disciple Making Movement (DMM). Use this a blueprint for your personal disciple-making endeavors and a model for your church or ministry.
Resources
- Watch Introduction to DMM. (9:07)
1. PRAY
Every disciple-making movement begins with a prayer movement—a united, passionate, sustained outpouring of petition. The book of Acts illustrates how every major breakthrough in the early church was fueled by earnest prayer. Prayer places us in God's presence, aligning us with His purposes and unleashing His power to advance his Kingdom.
Participate in Great Commission Prayers both individually and together as a group. Elevate your prayer life by praying more than before; go beyond the ordinary. Establish a prayer group by hosting an initial gathering and progressively increasing its regularity and attendance.
If you would benefit from guidance, choose one prayer practice from the list below that resonates with you, allowing it to guide your prayers:
PRAYER PRACTICES
The Open Prayers entails asking the Lord to open your eyes to the spiritual state of the lost (John 4:35 NIV, Matthew 9:36), to open doors for opportunities to reach them (Colossians 4:3 NIV), to open your mouth to embolden your words and bring clarity in your witnessing (Colossians 4:4; Ephesians 6:19 ESV), and to open the hearts of the lost to receive the truth about God (Acts 16:14). This succinct prayer can become a part of your daily spiritual practice.
One Thing Study: Use this devotional tool to pray for yourself, your family, ministry, etc.
Pray: Pray through the 7 key elements of a disciple-making movement, especially effective for group prayer.
DMM Prayers: Pray Disciple Making Movement (DMM) Prayers involves praying elements from particular passages for your disciples. Some passages to consider are John 17:9-26, Ephesians 1:16-20, and Philippians 1:3-11. These passages contain powerful prayers that can be adapted and personalized for your disciples' spiritual growth and the advancement of disciple making efforts.
THUMB is an acronym for praying for the five major unreached people groups: Tribal, Hindu, Unreligious, Muslim, and Buddhist. It involves praying for these groups collectively and for any workers partnering to reach them. Consider focusing on one group per day throughout the week. The same applied to the PIPSY below.
PIPSY stands for praying for the Poor, Internationals, Prisoners, Sick, and Youth, as they are often the most receptive to discovering more about God. It involves praying for these groups collectively and for those who are serving among them.
Contact List: Pray for at least one person from your contact list daily, aligning their last name initial with the day of the month. Consider reaching out to connect with them and ask how you can pray for them.
Prayer Calendar: Utilize a creative method to pray for others.
Beyond.org serves as a valuable resource housing numerous prayer materials dedicated to interceding for unreached people groups and those actively engaged in serving among them.
110cities.com: Join in a collaborative strategy to saturate key global centers with prayer.
One Thing Study: Use this devotional tool to pray for yourself, your family, ministry, etc.
Pray: Pray through the 7 key elements of a disciple-making movement, especially effective for group prayer.
DMM Prayers: Pray Disciple Making Movement (DMM) Prayers involves praying elements from particular passages for your disciples. Some passages to consider are John 17:9-26, Ephesians 1:16-20, and Philippians 1:3-11. These passages contain powerful prayers that can be adapted and personalized for your disciples' spiritual growth and the advancement of disciple making efforts.
THUMB is an acronym for praying for the five major unreached people groups: Tribal, Hindu, Unreligious, Muslim, and Buddhist. It involves praying for these groups collectively and for any workers partnering to reach them. Consider focusing on one group per day throughout the week. The same applied to the PIPSY below.
PIPSY stands for praying for the Poor, Internationals, Prisoners, Sick, and Youth, as they are often the most receptive to discovering more about God. It involves praying for these groups collectively and for those who are serving among them.
Contact List: Pray for at least one person from your contact list daily, aligning their last name initial with the day of the month. Consider reaching out to connect with them and ask how you can pray for them.
Prayer Calendar: Utilize a creative method to pray for others.
Beyond.org serves as a valuable resource housing numerous prayer materials dedicated to interceding for unreached people groups and those actively engaged in serving among them.
110cities.com: Join in a collaborative strategy to saturate key global centers with prayer.
2. DISCOVER
During the discovery phase, the goal is to find a person of peace, someone who is open and receptive to your message and invitation. This person may be the one who welcomes your presence and message initially, or they may lead you to such an individual. The objective is to identify those whom God has prepared to become disciple makers.
Discovering people of peace can occur situationally through the FARM Conversation method, allowing engagement with anyone, anywhere, at any time. Situational witnessing takes place as you go; amidst daily routines and interactions.
Alternatively, intentional discovery involves Prayer Walk, targeting those most likely to respond positively to your discipleship invitation. One effective approach is to address practical needs through a Compassion Ministry (such as food distribution) and then follow up with a spiritual conversation.
Resources
- Watch Person of Peace. (5:41)
- Watch Compassion. (8:04)
- Watch Prayer Walking (3:11)
- Watch First Contact (4:53)
- Watch Miracles and Healings (5:11)
3. DISCIPLE
Disciple comprises three essential components: training others, coaching them, and receiving coaching yourself. Training involves both explanation and demonstration of various tools such as Discovery Bible Study (DBS), FARM Conversation, Prayer Walk, One Thing Study, and Pray. Usually, DBS serves as the foundational tool taught initially, followed by others based on individual preferences. Training sessions concentrate on one tool at a time, typically spanning one to three sessions, followed by a one-month application period with weekly coaching sessions. Structured training templates like Launch and Multiply offer organized approaches to this process.
Continual coaching is vital for sustained growth and application in the disciple-making journey, offering personalized support and guidance beyond initial training. While training kickstarts the process, coaching ensures ongoing implementation and development. Resources like Coach offer valuable templates for structuring coaching meetings, fostering effective disciple-making relationships. The objective of coaching is to shepherd disciples through the stages of forming a Discovery Group, which centers on DBS, and then transitioning into a Disciple Making Community that embraces the 7 elements of a Disciple Making Movement (DMM) as shown on Pray.
Moreover, individuals in coaching roles must also receive coaching themselves to enhance their skills and effectiveness. One option is to join a national weekly online coaching meeting after completing the eLife DMM Training, a free 8-week program. Alternatively, you can seek out a like-minded individual dedicated to disciple-making and engage in mutual coaching using the provided map.
Resources:
- Watch Church (6:33)
- Watch Leadership (10:30)
- Watch Discipleship (3:51)
- Watch Church Planting Movements (7:57)
- View DMM Resources *