As compiled by practitioners
For Everyone: The Great Commission applies to every believer, regardless of background. All are equipped and encouraged to make disciples. Put simply, every follower of Christ is also a fisher of men.
Prayer is Foundational: Devoted and extraordinary prayer is essential to the process of disciple-making and multiplication. It fuels the movement, aligning hearts with God’s will and empowering believers to reach others effectively.
Jesus Strategy is Modeled: Jesus did not merely issue the Great Commission with a simple ‘go and figure it out.’ He provided a clear model for disciple-making, as seen in His sending out of the twelve and the seventy in Luke 10 and Matthew 10.
Work with those God is Drawing: John 6:44-45 reminds us that God draws people to Himself. Our goal is not to reach everyone indiscriminately, but to find those whom God is already drawing, so we can join in His work rather than asking Him to bless our own efforts.
Person of Peace: Identify and invest in people receptive to the message, who can then access their networks to share the gospel further. Find the one person in a community who is God friendly, and train and coach them to reach that community.
Discipling the Lost to Commitment: Disciple making begins with immediate obedience, not a delayed process for committed Christians. Obedience is the pathway towards belief and multiplication.
Obedience-Based Discipleship: Emphasis is placed on active obedience to God’s word rather than solely accumulating knowledge.
Sacred Commitment: The obedience required is directed toward God and what He has revealed to us, rather than following tasks assigned by a professor, teacher, or facilitator. This makes obedience a holy obligation. The key is doing what God is telling you to do.
Focus on Groups: Jesus modeled reaching groups, not individuals, aiming for communal transformation through disciple-making. Training and coaching one person over a short time period (three meetings) should be for the purpose of reaching a group. Disciple making is not a one on one strategy.
Decentralization: Many smaller groups rather than one large group. Rather than a process where believers bring others to one location, believers help people use their home as a place to invite friends, family and neighbors to learn more about God.
Lay Driven: Christ did not assign pastors the task of performing baptisms; instead, He entrusted them with proclaiming the Good News. He instructed them to share this message without using persuasive words, which could detract from the power of the cross of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:17). Who can baptize? Everyone! This is a significant step in breaking down barriers traditionally reserved for clergy.
Empowerment of All: Everyone is encouraged to hear from God and share, breaking down traditional barriers that limits sharing to religious leaders, pastors or seminary graduates.
Unique Leader Role: Leaders model and foster dependence on God as the primary teacher through Scripture, serving as coaches who guide rather than control. The role facilitator, or one who guides a discussion with questions, is prominent.
Multiplication as the Outcome: The goal is not just to make disciples, but to make disciple-makers. The desired result is multiple generations—disciples who make disciples who, in turn, make more disciples. Guided by 2 Timothy 2:2, our aim should be four generations. This focus helps us keep our strategy and tools lean and simple.
Simplicity Leads to Growth and Multiplication: When disciple-making is kept simple, it can spread more easily. By focusing on hearing, obeying, and sharing the Word, we create a process that is both effective and easy to replicate. Simple.
Prayer is Foundational: Devoted and extraordinary prayer is essential to the process of disciple-making and multiplication. It fuels the movement, aligning hearts with God’s will and empowering believers to reach others effectively.
Jesus Strategy is Modeled: Jesus did not merely issue the Great Commission with a simple ‘go and figure it out.’ He provided a clear model for disciple-making, as seen in His sending out of the twelve and the seventy in Luke 10 and Matthew 10.
Work with those God is Drawing: John 6:44-45 reminds us that God draws people to Himself. Our goal is not to reach everyone indiscriminately, but to find those whom God is already drawing, so we can join in His work rather than asking Him to bless our own efforts.
Person of Peace: Identify and invest in people receptive to the message, who can then access their networks to share the gospel further. Find the one person in a community who is God friendly, and train and coach them to reach that community.
Discipling the Lost to Commitment: Disciple making begins with immediate obedience, not a delayed process for committed Christians. Obedience is the pathway towards belief and multiplication.
Obedience-Based Discipleship: Emphasis is placed on active obedience to God’s word rather than solely accumulating knowledge.
Sacred Commitment: The obedience required is directed toward God and what He has revealed to us, rather than following tasks assigned by a professor, teacher, or facilitator. This makes obedience a holy obligation. The key is doing what God is telling you to do.
Focus on Groups: Jesus modeled reaching groups, not individuals, aiming for communal transformation through disciple-making. Training and coaching one person over a short time period (three meetings) should be for the purpose of reaching a group. Disciple making is not a one on one strategy.
Decentralization: Many smaller groups rather than one large group. Rather than a process where believers bring others to one location, believers help people use their home as a place to invite friends, family and neighbors to learn more about God.
Lay Driven: Christ did not assign pastors the task of performing baptisms; instead, He entrusted them with proclaiming the Good News. He instructed them to share this message without using persuasive words, which could detract from the power of the cross of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:17). Who can baptize? Everyone! This is a significant step in breaking down barriers traditionally reserved for clergy.
Empowerment of All: Everyone is encouraged to hear from God and share, breaking down traditional barriers that limits sharing to religious leaders, pastors or seminary graduates.
Unique Leader Role: Leaders model and foster dependence on God as the primary teacher through Scripture, serving as coaches who guide rather than control. The role facilitator, or one who guides a discussion with questions, is prominent.
Multiplication as the Outcome: The goal is not just to make disciples, but to make disciple-makers. The desired result is multiple generations—disciples who make disciples who, in turn, make more disciples. Guided by 2 Timothy 2:2, our aim should be four generations. This focus helps us keep our strategy and tools lean and simple.
Simplicity Leads to Growth and Multiplication: When disciple-making is kept simple, it can spread more easily. By focusing on hearing, obeying, and sharing the Word, we create a process that is both effective and easy to replicate. Simple.