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Generate One Day Event

�

EMBRACE

THE COMMISSION

OF JESUS

CHANGE WHAT

YOU CARE ABOUT

IDENTIFY THE

DISCIPLEABLE

INTENSIFY

MULTIPLICATION

UNLEASH

COMMUNITIES

START A

CHURCH

ARE YOU JUST STARTING A CHURCH OR ARE YOU

STARTING A DISCIPLESHIP MOVEMENT?

�1 GENERATE ONE TRAINING INTENSIVE

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For more information about the Ignite Network go to www.ignite.network


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Training Events

Generate OneOne Day Live Training // Online Training // Coaching Simulcast

You can start a movement, we can show you how. Most of us began hopeful that we would lead a disciple-making movement. Often the reality is we are just leading church programs.

We will give you a modern day process that is patterned from the principles and processes that Jesus used to rapidly multiply disciples who multiply disciples. If you are interested in launching a reproductive disciple-making movement don’t miss this.

Eligibility for Generate Two requires completion of: One Day Live Training, Online Training, Coaching Simulcast, Reading “Starfish Movement”

Generate ThreeTwo Day Live Training

This two-day intensive seminar is used to establish the public gathering stage of church planting. This training will focus on understanding your culture and establishing a plan to reach the area to which God has called you.

Generate TwoTwo Day Live Training // Online Training // Network Simulcast

This intensive will give you practical steps to launch a disciple making movement out of your church. If you are a church planter or the pastor of an existing church you can shift to become a rapidly reproduction disciple culture.

Eligibility for Generate Three requires completion of: Two Day Live Training, Online Training, Participation in Network Simulcast, Launching of the Local Culture

http://www.ignite.network



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Resources

Starfish Movement - BookDan Grider

After more that 25 years of church planting and launching discipleship movements on both coasts, Dan has developed a strategy for launching discipleship movements that work. This approach takes the core principles and strategies that Jesus used and applies it to the American church context.

The God Questions - BookDan Grider & Hal Seed

You can be confident as you engage in spiritual conversations. This book deals with the 40 top questions people have related to God. It is also designed to be used as a conversation tool with those you are discipling. The God Questions has been written in a way that everyone can tackle topics they would otherwise shy away from.

Network SimulcastHosts Dan Grider & Rodney Arnold

Need encouragement, direction, and motivation? Once a month you’ll get relevant insights that help effectively deal with the issues you face every day. Our hosts present topics that are designed to assist you as you build a disciple-making culture that will grow into a movement.

Personal CoachingCoaching Cohorts and Live Personal Coaching

Meeting together with leaders who are facing the same issues that you face can make the difference. There are some situations that need one on one help. Our cohorts and live coaching will come alongside you as you work through the situations that arise in your local ministry setting.




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Presenters Dan GriderLead Architect, Ignite Network

Dan has led church planting movements on both coasts over the past 25 years. He has led two churches to grow to approximately 2,000 in attendance by using discipleship reproduction and multi-site expansion. He has established a network to empower leaders to reproduce disciples that start movements. To date, the Ignite Network has launched churches in nine states. Dan lives in Knoxville with his wife Debbie. They have two children, Chase and Tiffany. They are the proud grandparents of 4 fun eclectic grandchildren.

Contact Info: [email protected] (843) 855-0216

Rodney ArnoldPastor of OneLife Church, Knoxville Director of Ignite Network

Rodney has helped support and launch 5 churches and campuses on all sides of Knoxville over the past 5 years. Both churches and campuses have grown to approximately 1200 in attendance using the methods in the Generate training. Rodney lives in Knoxville with his wife Harrison, daughter Mariclaire, and son Aaron.

Contact Info: [email protected] (865) 238-4242 x 200


Table Of Contents1.0 Embrace The Commission of Jesus Page 7

2.0 Start Movements Don’t Start Churches Page 21

3.0 Change What You Care About Page 27Session 1- Online Training Page 27Session 2- Online Training Page 35

4.0 Spiritual Conversations Page 43Session 3- Online Training Page 43Session 4- Online Training 3

Training Manual for the Generate One Intensive Page 67

Embracing Christ’s Worldview Page 70

Change What You Care About Page 75


�5

Generate One Single Day Schedule

Arrive Registration

Session 1 90 min

Welcome… • Introduction • Embrace the Commission of Jesus You Must Be The Disciple First

Break 5 min

Session 2 110 min

• The Virus & Detox • Are you starting a church or a Movement?

Lunch Break

Session 3 65 min

• Change What You Care About • The Factory • Remove the Queen

Break 5 min

Session 4 70 min

Change What You Care About • Incremental vs Categorical • Spiritual Conversations


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Steps to Start a Discipleship Movement1.0 Embrace The Commission Of Jesus

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 29:19-20

�7 GENERATE ONE TRAINING INTENSIVE � 7

EMBRACE

THE COMMISSION

OF JESUS

CHANGE WHAT

YOU CARE ABOUT

IDENTIFY THE

DISCIPLEABLE

INTENSIFY

MULTIPLICATION

UNLEASH

COMMUNITIES

START A

CHURCH



Making Disciples Like Jesus Did Is The “Commission Of Jesus”

How Did Jesus Make Disciples?

Describe His Method?

Used by permission Copyright Dan Grider


ACTION STEP 1.1

The Tension Of Disciple Making1. A bus has arrived outside to help us with our training event.

2. Place your cell phones and wallets on the table.

Write a brief note to your family to explain what you will be doing for the next six months.

Principle: We are unable to learn what we think we already know.

Our minds are designed for efficiency. In our complex world we have much to process. Our brains resist replacing information we currently hold with new information unless we perceive that the old information poses a risk to us.

Jesus used tension to get the attention of his disciples.He knew that His message was, “new wine.” He explained that the old containers would not be able to hold this new way of living. He used a startling method to get the attention of his new followers. He sent them out in pairs with no resources.

They would have to depend on the Holy Spirit to provide for them.



.

ACTION STEP 1.2

The Principle of the BriquettesMatt 11:1 “The day came when a Jesus finished instructing his twelve disciples”

Principles:Briquettes don’t get white hot when isolated.

More starter fluid doesn’t make them white hot.

Place those who have been filled with the Spirit together.

Jesus instructed the twelve on how to launch a discipleship culture. He said, “When you enter a house (oikos), first say, ‘Peace to this house (oikos).’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house (oikos), eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house (oikos) to house (oikos).” Luke 10:5-7

Have you had a time when you were in a community of Christ followers who had been radically transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit, and you were seeing

lives be transformed?

Describe what was taking place:


c

Xcellerate Discipleship Multiplication

What is Xcellerate?Xcellerate is a rapidly multiplying discipleship process that is designed to be used in the local church to engage the attenders in the core mission that Jesus gave us in the great commission.

The name says it all. • In algebraic equations “X" represents the missing factor. In the

American church, the missing element has been the part that Jesus gave in the great commission. Jesus gave us a model for discipleship reproduction to the fourth generation.

• He placed his disciples into reproducing “cells”. He empowered them to rapidly increase the speed of reproduction.

• To “erate” is to reproduce rapidly. The name Xcellerate defines the process of discipleship reproduction to the fourth generation.

“X” - Disciples that reproduces to the fourth generation

“Cell” - Getting the briquettes connected to each other

“Erate” - Using Jesus and the Acts Church methods to increase the speed of multiplication, through the power of the Spirit.


incre

ACTION STEP 1.3

You Must Be The Disciple FirstDon’t start making disciples until you first become a disciple.

Principle: As Christ-followers who lead churches, we often use metrics that measure what we do. Jesus urges us to live in a way that flows from who we are.

Being a disciple must define me more than being a

_________________________.

What metrics have you used to measure your worth and value?

How can we make the shift to allow our actions to flownaturally from who we have become as a disciple of Jesus?


Evidences Of A DiscipleAccording to Jesus A Disciple:

Is filled with God’s Spirit. Acts 13:52 Reproduces other disciples who multiply rapidly. Acts 6:1 Has a Kingdom of God focus versus an institutional focus. Luke 9:62 Does ministry in community for reproduction. Acts 2:46-47 Builds relationships with those far from Christ. Mark 2:15-17 Develops a Biblical world view. Acts 6:4 Is willing to embrace a new way of thinking and living. Matt 8:21

Principle: Tension is the key to making disciples that reproduce.

Douglas HydeBorn in England Became a Communist at age 17 Age 37 became a Christian

When he became a disciple of Jesus, Hyde asked, “Why is it that the Communists make disciples like Jesus did, but the Church doesn’t?”

How does the Church avoid and reduce tension for people?


ACTION STEP 1.4

DiscipleshipWe must agree…what is a disciple?

The church culture in America talks about discipleship often but would define a disciple differently from the way a New Testament church would define the term.

How would most Christians define a disciple of Jesus?

How would Jesus define a disciple?

Matt 28:19 - What are we to do as we go about our lives?

John 15:8 - What proves that we are disciples?

Matt 3:8 - What does repentance do?

John 10:27 - What would change if I listened to Jesus voice?

John 15:16 - What is fruit that is eternal?



ACTION STEP 1.5

Jesus Strategy12 2nd Generation

“Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two…” Mark 6:7

72

“Jesus appointed seventy- two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest…’” Luke 10:1

“Jesus said, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’” Luke 10:18-20


5004th Generation

3rd Generation

Evidence of Multiplication



If 12 disciples are sent out in groups of two and they multiply to 12, and you continue to multiply in that same fashion, the results are very close to the expansion of disciples that we read about in the New Testament.

Luke 10:17-20 The 12 Multiply to 72 1 Corinthians 15:6 The 72 Multiply to 500 Acts 2:41 The 500 Multiply to 3,000 Acts 4:4 The 3,000 Multiply to 18,000

(The men numbered 5,000 with a total number of approximately 17, 000 to 20,000)

1272

500

3,000

18,000

Evangelism vs DiscipleshipEvangelismThe American Church has made the practice of the first part of the great commission a stand alone practice of the church.

In the Bible there is no “ism” to the evangel (the good news).

List the steps to doing “evangelism”:

DiscipleshipIn the Bible the first step of discipleship is to engage in spiritual conversations this can occur with Christians or persons far from Christ.

Jesus did not make the second step of discipleship to be the introduction of a “sinners prayer”.

Jesus built a life change culture that centered around a new way of thinking called “living in the Kingdom of God.”

This culture was reproduce in His disciples. This culture reproduction is real discipleship.



ACTION STEP 1.6

Discipleship Vs. DisinfectionAttenders Evidence of a Decision-Based ModelThe Win = leading a responsive person to Make a Decision and attend

• Use of a rehearsed conversation/script. • Conversion moment is made in response to guilt for sin or fear of going to Hell. • Opportunities for growth and follow-up are programmatic and church centric. • Awareness of the Kingdom/bigger picture of God's mission is often absent.

Reproduction Evidence of a Disciple-Making ModelThe Win = leading a responsive person to Reproduce Disciples

• Conversations are Spirit-led. • Point of conversion is the result of an intentional, yet Spirit-led process. • Opportunities for growth and follow-up are naturally continued through the pre-

existing relationship. • A disciple is taught how to share their story with others in order to advance the

Kingdom.

Disinfection vs DiscipleshipDescribe the journey that a new Christ Describe how Jesus prepared Disciples follower has in most churches.


ACTION STEP 1.7

The VirusAccording to Jesus we must recognize and address the virus“Jesus said to them, ‘Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees…guard against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” Matthew 16:11-12

• What is the Virus?

The Virus is an insidious spreading corruption that renders disciples and the church impotent.

• How is the Virus at Work in Me?



ACTION STEP 1.8 DetoxJesus isolated his disciples in the detox phase. “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life…” John 5:39-40

Jesus intentionally:Didn’t invite any of the “Bible people” to be disciples.Didn’t conduct “Bible studies” that were sterile learning events. Did not believe that intensive Scripture study made disciples.

Jesus isolated the 12 so they would be able to detox from the “Bible Culture.”

“There are religious people who want to take you captive through a hollow and deceptive philosophy (world view), They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings… But that's not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to uncover the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without Him.” Colossians 2:8-9



Steps to Start a Discipleship Movement2.0 Start Movements Don’t Start Churches


EMBRACE

THE COMMISSION

OF JESUS

CHANGE WHAT

YOU CARE ABOUT

IDENTIFY THE

DISCIPLEABLE

INTENSIFY

MULTIPLICATION

UNLEASH

COMMUNITIES

START A

CHURCH



ACTION STEP 2.1

Which Are You Starting:A Church or a Movement?Starting a Movement: God placed the potential for a movement in the heart of every Spirit filled Christ follower.

“‘As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ After saying this, He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit…’” John 20:21

Principle: Jesus said to start with the basic unit of the movement, make disciples who make disciples.

The New Testament is a descriptive study showing that everything Jesus did was designed around the deliberate intention to start a movement.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples…” Matthew 28:19

Principle: Everything must be designed with reproduction in mind. Most are not willing to deliberately follow the Master’s ways.

Start a Church: Why is it that most church plantertraining is centered around how to start a Church service and programmed events?



Starfish and the Anthill

Anthill Starfish

Tombstone House


Hi D

irectional Leader Low

Low Discipling Leader Hi

ACTION STEP 2.2

The Four Functions of MathThe church does all four of these very well, Jesus only told us to do one function.

— — + x What happens when the Church does:

Subtraction: Divison:Addition:Multiplication:

Addition has been the focus of the American Church. It can be a distraction that takes us off mission and keeps us from Multiplication.

We currently spend $16,000 to add one convert to the American Church.

Based on the above info; if every dollar that was received by the American Church was invested in New York we would only be able to reach all of Mid-town Manhattan.


:

Multiplication Begins Slowly If it took Jesus the Incarnate Son of God three years to detox a group of mildly infected peasants, it’s doubtful you will improve on His performance. It will take a season for you and your team to embrace this new culture.

Church vs Discipleship Russia China

1915

1990 Estimated 76,000 Estimated 160-220 million (1/10 of 1 million)

The institutional church has historic: The organic church: Buildings No Buildings Services No Services Structure Relational Structure Most are casually associated with Radical life change the state church. Their lives remain unchanged.


Principle Of The “42’s”Spiritual conversations must center on the story of Jesus, as told through your life.Principles:

Spiritual conversations were the central element of how a group of untrained peasants transformed the world in a few short years.

The principle of the “42’s” show us how, a group of Christ followers who began in Acts 2:42 by “devoting” themselves, to examine the way that Jesus refocused his followers to live a Kingdom centered life.

This group proceeded to engage the culture in the dialogue about Jesus that had changed their lives.

Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to listen to the apostles share about Jesus and his message…”

Acts 5:42 “Day after day…they never stopped speaking about and sharing the amazing news about Jesus…”

Acts 9:42 “They spoke of what God had done all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.”

Acts 10:42 “…The Father compelled us to speak about these things to the people and to share our story that Jesus is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.” Acts 13:42 “As they were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about the things God was up to the next time that they gathered.”

What does this teach you about spiritual conversations?


3.0 Change What You Care AboutXcellerate Phase 1


Teaching Available Online Session 1

EMBRACE

THE COMMISSION

OF JESUS

CHANGE WHAT

YOU CARE ABOUT

IDENTIFY THE

DISCIPLEABLE

INTENSIFY

MULTIPLICATION

UNLEASH

COMMUNITIES

START A

CHURCH



Session 1 - Online training at generatedisciples.com

http://generatedisciples.com


ACTION STEP 3.1

What Is Our Factory Designed To Produce?

Most American Churches produce:Events to attract and keep consumers who attend servicesDisciples in mass who are sterile and attendance focusedMissional events to build attendance Buildings, programs and events

The raw materials that go into your factories are:

What rolls out of your factory door?

Why is the product that comes out of the factory so far from what Jesus commissioned us to do?


Factory

What do you want to roll our of you factory?

What do you prayerfully expect to come out of the assembly line of the (Church) factory that God has called you to plant?

List the qualities produced from the (Church) factory that God is

moving you to plant.

Discuss in groups the above list and the statements below.

When we focus on building the attractional church, disciples rarely emerge.

When we effectively make disciples, the church emerges from that process.

Most of us want to do what Jesus told us to do, but we don’t know how.



Factory

Incremental vs Categorical The “Good to Great” tension Jim Collins popularized states: Good is the enemy of Great.

Likewise, incremental change is the enemy of Categorical change that produces transformation.

IncrementalIncremental change is the belief that improvement, growth and change can happen over time by making gradual incremental improvements.

Examples:

Move to a new buildingHire new staff member Develop an advertising and marketing strategy

Make purchases that will improve the environment and worship experience

Categorical Categorical change is a global change that alters the operating system that shifts a church to become a movement.

Examples:

Adopting a culture of discipleship multiplicationMake staffing decisions based on the new culture Reducing schedule complexity to empower the culture to take hold



ACTION STEP 3.4

Incremental PursuitsIncremental pursuits that you have seen churches pursue (list below):

What Categorical Change Is Necessary?



Navigating The Leader Ship


Older Younger

ACTION STEP 3.5Multiply A Movement vs Start A ChurchMovements require a dependency on the Holy Spirit and an intentional process for making disciples.

Principle: Church growth can happen without the Holy Spirit.

Let's be honest:

If you combine a charismatic speaker A talented worship bandSome hip, creative events

People will attend your church.

“Yet this does not mean that the Holy Spirit of God is actively working and moving in the lives of the people who are coming. It simply means that you have created a space that is appealing enough to draw people in for an hour or two on Sunday." Francis Chan, “Forgotten God”

What in your church would happen without the help of the Holy Spirit?

What can only happen with the help of the Holy Spirit?




EMBRACE

THE COMMISSION

OF JESUS

CHANGE WHAT

YOU CARE ABOUT

IDENTIFY THE

DISCIPLEABLE

INTENSIFY

MULTIPLICATION

UNLEASH

COMMUNITIES

START A

CHURCH






ACTION STEP 3.6

Remove The Queen

How will you teach people to be the church and make disciples before you begin a weekly service?


Ekklesia vs KircheMinistry direction must be reversed

Kirche Uses Centripetal ForceExample: The movement of water as it goes down a drain or a bowl

Ekklesia Uses Centrifugal ForceExample: The movement of a centrifuge, or a merry-go-round



Ekklesia vs KircheEkklesia: A gathering of Christ followers who have been changed and empowered to live a Kingdom life.

According to Jesus He would be the One to build Ekklesia.“Jesus said, ‘And on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.’” Matthew 16:18

Kirche: A building or location for religious purposes.

German scholars substituted the word Kirche for Ekklesia.

How does this substitution effect the way that the American Church responds to the commission of Jesus?

“Go train everyone who will respond, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19 (Message Version)



Multiplication Is a Platform Shift

1. Which side of the road you drive on is Platform Shift.

How Cars are Made

How Cities are Designed

Direction of Round-A-Bouts

2. The move from Cell to Smart Phone is a Platform Shift.

Changes how we communicate -TXT-Facebook vs Calls

Replaces 80% of devices -

GPS - Maps - Bible - Camera - Video Camera - Weather Channel -Decible Meter - -Photo Albums - -Remote Control -

3. The move from Kirche to Ekklesia is a Platform Shift.


ACTION STEP 3.7

Barrel & StavesWhich staves have been the focus and which have been neglected?

Draw your barrel and staves that represents how your church/team currently invests their time, energy, and resources.

Principal: Too much focus on the wrong staves will rob vitality and life.

Which needs more focus, and which needs to be de-emphasized?

For more information on the Barrel and Staves go online and take the NCD church evaluation


ACTION STEP 3.8

Minimum Levels Of AcceptabilityStrive to achieve the minimum level. There is no advantage to exceeding the minimum level.

How would you redraw your barrel based on this principle?

Principal: Not all staves are of equal impact. Which staves have had little to no impact?


4.0 Spiritual ConversationsThe Vehicle for Launching a Rapidly Multiplying Discipleship Movement



EMBRACE

THE COMMISSION

OF JESUS

CHANGE WHAT

YOU CARE ABOUT

IDENTIFY THE

DISCIPLEABLE

INTENSIFY

MULTIPLICATION

UNLEASH

COMMUNITIES

START A

CHURCH






ACTION STEP 4.1

Stop Answering Peoples Questions We have been trained to give sound theological answers to questions

How did you develop your Biblical knowledge?

•

•

•

Principle: Stop robbing people of the growth process that produced growth in you.

Why do people ask you Biblical/Theological questions?

•

•

•

What happens with the person you give an answers that you have worked through and arrived at?

•

•

Do they get the benefit of understanding the life change process that the Holy Spirit used to help you arrive at your answer?


Spiritual Conversations Defining Spiritual Conversations The virus will continually seek to disrupt your culture, but spiritual conversations are the key to inoculating the virus, and keeping your values and culture focused on disciple making.

Principle: Follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, ask questions and sharing testimonies.

Spiritual Conversations…

• Begin regardless of a person’s spiritual condition. This is where disciple-making begins!

• Don’t always end with someone surrendering to Christ.

• Are a tool the Holy Spirit uses to bring further clarity and tension to someone who is spiritually curious.

Certain seasons of life make people more open to spiritual conversation. Look for people who are…

• Going through life transitions.

• Dealing with pain or unexpected circumstances.

• Experiencing spiritual movement in their lives.

• Brought into your life by the Holy Spirit.

Spiritual Conversations are not…

• Discussions about churches, programming, or worship styles.

• Simple invitations to a church service.

• Apologetic or theological debates gimmicks or scripts.

• Your opportunity to talk a lot (You should listen and ask questions).


Starting Spiritual Conversations

Jesus was the master of engaging in spiritual conversations.

Review John 4:1-26, which is Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well. Note below the specific conversation steps that Jesus takes.

•

•

•

•

In almost every case, Jesus began these conversations with a question related to the interest and issues of the person to whom he was speaking.

Principle: We must engage people in conversation around what’s natural to them.

In the midst of conversations, we should look for natural transitions that lead to spiritual conversations.

Two Tools Of Spiritual Conversations 1) Ask Clarifying Questions Questions are often used to begin a conversation and/or turn a spiritual conversation toward spiritual matters, but questions should also be used to further inquire about their tension and struggles.

2) Testimonies Your story of how God has moved in your is the most powerful word you can share with someone.


ACTION STEP 4.2 Developing Your Story

For Spiritual Conversations

Use the sections below to review and summarize your story by adding short phrases in each section. As you do this activity, remember it’s important to make your spiritual journey relatable to someone who may not yet be a follower of Christ. Therefore, only share spiritual truth through your testimony. Don’t share disconnected spiritual information or “weird” spiritual encounters.

My life before I surrendered to Christ…

When I surrendered to Christ…

Since I surrendered to Christ…


c

c

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Limit One-On-One Discipleship

Principle: Jesus didn’t invest much time discipling one on one. Jesus did most his discipleship in a group based model.

One on one discipleship is:

Harder to lead-the group will help disciple each other-takes pressure off the leader. Not as time efficient. Overly focused on the individual disciple-create community not isolation. Typically not reproduction centered. Going to revert to become curriculum based. Pressure producing-the disciple needs a group experience. Commonly performance/ behavior driven.

Principle: The average one on one discipleship relationship seldom goes more that 3 sessions.

It places too much responsibility on leaders who are often ill-equipped to lead. Most leaders are not adequately supported. The focus often becomes about studying a curriculum.

Principle: Fight the tendency to disinfect.

One on one discipleship can create:

The temptation to make discipleship about behavior change. An excessively needy focus. An unhealthy dependency on the disciple-making leader.


The Win of the Spiritual Conversation

Principal:The end result of every spiritual conversation isn’t leading someone to surrender to Christ.

While there are many scenarios that all vary depending on how will you may or may not know the other person, here are some ways conversations may wrap up…

Exchange phone numbers and plan to continue the conversation another day.

Leave them with a question or thought that will give them an opportunity to continue wrestling with their tension point.

Direct them to a resource that may be helpful.

Pray with them, don’t just simply say, “I’ll pray for you.”

Principal: Don’t “Go Church” on them

This is the true measure of changing what we care about.

Remember their attendance at the gathering is not the end goal. Discipleship is the reason for spiritual conversations. If you could disciple them, and disciple them to become a disciple who makes disciples!

Avoid the temptation to invite them to church.

Remember our goal is to seek out discipling opportunities and relationships.

You won’t make disciples if your focus is to merely get them into church.

Principal:Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to discern conversation next steps after the conversation.


Mistaken Maturity

Principle: learn to Share What the Disciple Needs

We have mistakenly assumed that if we would teach the Bible to our Church attenders that they would naturally become mature followers of Christ.

We have created a church culture that makes attendance at teaching events the focus. The result is we keep having to increase the production value to keep their interest and participation.

Just in Case vs Just in Time

University model of lecture Discussion based model Information transfer Based on the needs of the disciple Low interest in topic Hi motivation to learn Based on teachers interest Allows tension to create interest Based on teachers experience Based on disciples current experience Prepare for the future Respond to what is relevant

It is nearly impossible to motivate most church attenders to read their Bibles, or engage in following Christ. Why is this?


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How does a Disciple Become Mature? The reproduction of other disciples:

Creates the hunger for Scripture.

Motivates the disciple to seek the Holy Spirit.

Stimulates the disciple to become others focused.

Engages the disciple in missional behavior.

Produces generosity.

Encourages servant like actions.




EMBRACE

THE COMMISSION

OF JESUS

CHANGE WHAT

YOU CARE ABOUT

IDENTIFY THE

DISCIPLEABLE

INTENSIFY

MULTIPLICATION

UNLEASH

COMMUNITIES

START A

CHURCH






ACTION STEP 4.3 The Genesis Of ReproductionReproduction happens when the person you are discipling identifies a discipleable person.Principle: Be strategic with one on one relationships.

Remain in a one-on-one relationship only until the person that you have determined to be discipleable cultivates a relationship with a person who:

Encourage your disciple not to be overly anxious to formalize the discipling relationship. It is best to have them be patient in order to have clarity determining how discipleable the person actually is.

Principle: When looking for a discipleable person be kind but don't engage until you know they are discipleable.

“Jesus healed him, and went on his way. Then he said, ‘Is there anyone here who, if a child or animal fell down a well, wouldn't rush to show compassion?’” Luke 14:4 (Msg)

Followers who become overly involved in providing care to a needy non-discipleable person will lose motivation.

Who are the needy non-discipleable people who take your time?


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ACTION STEP 4.4

Can You Identify Your Oikos Relationships? Identify your oikos. List your natural circles of influence in each box below that already

exist. (i.e. Work, School, Church, Neighborhood, Gym, etc.)


ACTION STEP 4.5

Who Is Discipleable In Your Oikos?

1. Name your natural circles of influence in each box below. (i.e. Work, School, Church, Neighborhood, Gym, etc.)

2. Write the first names of unbelievers in each circle who know you by name from that oikos.


More Time With Fewer People Produces Greater Results

Principle of the Apple Tree

Jesus could have spent his time with thousands of people, and on occasion he did. But most of his time was spent with just a few. And it changed the world!

Principle: If you want apples you can’t just plant apple trees.

The critical step, apple trees must be pruned and cared for to produce apples.Jesus told the story of the fig tree. More time with fewer trees produce.

Principle: The goal is to produce apples not apple trees.

“Then Jesus told this parable, ’A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” Luke 13:17

To gain discipleship traction, a disciple maker must begin to focus on the few discipleable people in their oikos.

Principle: Most leaders are tempted to connect with too many people!


ACTION STEP 4.6

Discipleship and a Busy LifeIs there enough time?One of the greatest hurdles for many hoping to make disciples is that there isn’t enough time!

If discipleship is just another program, it may be true that there isn’t enough time. Jesus, however, gave us a different model. In giving the Great Commission He said, “As you go…make disciples!” We could interpret that to say:

• As you go to work, make disciples!• As you go to little league practice, make disciples!• As you go to the grocery store, make disciples!• As you go to your cul-de-sac, make disciples!

Principle: Discipleship should happen AS you live, work, and play

Invisible Time

PRINCIPLE: Invisible time doesn’t add to your calendar or the calendar of one you disciple.

For example, you have to eat lunch every day. Using this time for a discipleship relationship doesn’t add to your schedule. Similarly, you may spend two hours a week at the soccer filed watching your children. Spending that time with another mom or dad from the team doesn’t add more items to a checklist.

This is the “AS YOU GO” principle.



Looking at your schedule in the previous exercise, where do you have invisible time to spend on discipleship without adding to your already busy schedule? Write down invisible time opportunities for each day of the week below.

Monday

Tuesday

WednesdayThursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Write the large blocks of time in your schedule to determine where there is invisible time, for discipleship.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 5am 6am 7am 8am 9am10am11am12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm 9pm10pm11pm-5am

ACTION STEP 4.7

What Does God Want For Me As A Disciple?When I use church and ministry to find my identity it produces___________.

Research shows most pastors don't find ministry to be a joyful experience. When church and ministry become my identity there is little joy and little glory goes to God!

PRINCIPLE: We must be a disciple before we can make disciples!

The virus can cause me to reverse the direction God intended for me.

One of the devil's greatest deceptions is to lead us to believe that God's primary desire was for us to find our identity through church centered activity.

PRINCIPLE: We've been called to first BE A DISCIPLE, and this calling must precede our responsibilities as leaders.


Others’

IDENTITYOBEDIENCE/ CHURCH

My PerformanceGOD

Holy IDENTITYOBEDIENCE

AbidingSeeking Pruning

Jesus Glory

GOD

We must reverse this pattern and allow our identity in Christ to guide us joyfully into the ministry work of making disciples. Draw arrows that reflect the direction you’re currently going around the triangle. God

Obedience/ Identity Church

Why is this your pattern?

]

What action steps could you take to go the proper way around the triangle?


Action Step 4.8

My Leadership Style CAT- Catalyst - Apostle/Prophet Catalyst exists to advance the gospel.

They do this by launching new initiatives and movements. They desire to ignite passion for Christ and develop the leadership potential of the next generation of Christ followers.

Who were some of the key CATs in the Christian movement?

ORG- Organizer - Evangelist/Shepherd/Teacher ORGs exists to advance the kingdom through others.

They often come alongside of a catalyst who has challenged them to do something that they could to do alone. ORGs think in systems and process. They often find themselves cleaning up the details that the Catalyst has left behind. Their primary gift is the ability to empower others to engage in the mission.

Who were some of the key ORGs in the Christian movement?

OPP-Operator - Shepherd/Teacher OPPs exists to assist the larger movement and work with the OPPs who have won their loyalty. They think first of the shepherding and teaching functions that are needed to ensure people are cared for rather than simply used. Often they begin with an unobjective, positive view of the catalytic leader, until they get close enough to see the inner working of the system, and then that admiration can move to distrust of the Catalyst. They often see themselves as the protectors of others, the system and God’s truth.

Who were some of the key OPPs in the Christian movement?


Recommended BooksAn Unstoppable Force, Erwin Raphael McManusBe Fruitful and Multiply, Bob LoganBig Dreams in Small Places, Tom NebelBreaking the Missional Code, Ed Stetzer and David PutmanChurch Planting Landmines, Tom Nebel and Gary RohrmayerChurch Planting Movements, David GarrisonChurch 3.0, Neil ColeGod’s Missionary People, Charles Van EngenHouses That Change the World, Wolfgang SimsonIn The Name Of Jesus, Henri NouwenInvading Secular Space, Dwight Smith and Martin Robinson Just Walk Across The Room, Bill Hybels Let The Nations Be Glad!, John PiperLost in America, Tom Clegg and Warren BirdMaking Room For Life, Randy FrazeeMovements That Change The World, Steve AddisonOrganic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens, Neil Cole...Shaped By God’s Heart, Milfred MinatreaSpiritual Leadership, J. Oswald SandersStarting a New Church, Ralph MooreThe God Questions, Dan Grider & Hal SeedThe Forgotten Ways, Alan HirschThe Irresistible Revolution, Shane Claiborne The Present Future, Reggie McNealThe Search to Belong, Joseph MyersThe Shaping Of Things To Come, Michael Frost and Alan HirschThe Tangible Kingdom, Hugh Halter and Matt SmayThey Like Jesus But Not The Church, Dan KimballTransforming Mission, David Bosch


Personal ReflectionAm I Producing and Intensifying Multiplication Low High

What is it that you need to change, in order to better align with the commission of Jesus?

I am focused on Jesus’ redemptive mission of reproducing disciples. 1 2 3 4 5

I am aligned with Jesus’ mission to seek and to save what was lost. 1 2 3 4 5

I am not interested in someone making a decision but rather in making disciples. 1 2 3 4 5

I function as a disciple maker where I live, where I work, and where I play. 1 2 3 4 5

I am a committed follower of Jesus – loving, obeying, serving, honoring, sacrificing, giving and living like Jesus.

1 2 3 4 5

I incarnate, personify, & demonstrate the gospel to those in the culture around me through spiritual conversations.

1 2 3 4 5


c

Next Steps to Prepare for Generate Two1.Complete Generate One Video Teaching With your team Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Session 4at www.GenerateDisciples.com/training

2. Pastor Select One of the Zoom Simulcast for follow up and to have questions answered

Dates for Simulcast Dates for Simulcast

3.Read The Book or E-Book “The Starfish Movement” Register for Gen Two at www.GenerateDisciples.com


EMBRACE

THE COMMISSION

OF JESUS

CHANGE WHAT

YOU CARE ABOUT

IDENTIFY THE

DISCIPLEABLE

INTENSIFY

MULTIPLICATION

UNLEASH

COMMUNITIES

START A

CHURCH



http://www.GenerateDisciples.com/training

Understanding My Unique Giftedness

“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints,to the build up the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-12

APOSTLES: Extend the gospel Think about the future, bridging barriers, and establishing the church in new contexts. Develop leaders, networking trans-locally. Ensure that the faith is transmitted from one generation to the next. Can leave people and organizations wounded by focusing on new ideas. Shepherds and teachers are needed to care for rather than use people.

PROPHETS: Know God's will. Bring correction and challenge the dominant assumptions we inherit from the culture. They can become disengaged from culture and insist we obey what God commanded. Question the status quo. Without the other leaders, prophets can become belligerent and distracted.

EVANGELISTS: Connect and recruit Infectious communicators of the gospel recruit others to the cause. Call for a personal response to God's redemption in Christ. Draw believers to engage the wider mission, growing the church. Can neglect disciplining because they are so focused on reaching outsiders.

SHEPHERDS: Care, stabilize, and protect Make and develop disciples. Create order and stability, sometimes to the detriment of the mission. Caregivers of the community, provide protection and spiritual maturity to the flock. cultivate a loving and spiritually mature network of relationships. May foster an unhealthy dependence between the church and themselves.

TEACHERS: Seek to understand and explain Stabilize and care for the body of Christ. Help others remain biblically grounded to better discern God's will. Guide others toward wisdom, faithful focus on Christ's word, and doctrine. Teachers can fall into dogmatism or dry intellectualism without the the other functions


Training Manual for the Generate One

Intensive

Notice to Participant

This material and these concepts are the intellectual property of the Church Multiplication Training Center. Your participation and payment of fees entitles you to participate in this training and to use and retain these materials. You may use and make copies of any of these materials for use with your church plant as long as you make no changes or deletions of any kind, and include the copyright statement below.

You may not repackage this program without express written authorization and royalty payment. If you lead a workshop or develop or deliver a program to a group or company based on or including this material or these concepts, authorization and fees are required.

All rights reserved.

Contributors: Dr. David DeVries & Dr. Dan Grider


The Church Multiplication Training Center exists to multiply reproducing churches through equipping and empowering

planters, pastors, spouses and leaders of sponsoring agencies.

c

Introduction Welcome to the Church Multiplication Training Center – CMTC. You are about to participate in the building of God’s kingdom as a member of a church planting launch team. CMTC is here to help you. This training manual, Getting Ready! is the first of a trilogy of manuals that has been developed to prepare church planters and their launch teams. They surround a training event called the CMTCGenerate Intensive for Church Planters. The trilogy of manuals includes:

This post-Generate manual helps to implement all that’s been developed through the Generate Intensive training process. Additional copies for team members are available to purchase at everyGenerate Intensive or through the CMTC office – 260-747-1271.

The goal is multiplication – the multiplication of disciples, the multiplication of mature leaders, the multiplication of church planters and churches, and the multiplication of church planting movements. Multiplication is accomplished through the establishment of a solid spiritual foundation and the development of a strong strategic initiative. CMTC will prepare you for both.

Multiplication is accomplished through the establishment of a solid spiritual foundation and the development of a strong strategic initiative.

You now have the opportunity to prepare for theGenerate Intensive experience. Work through the manual with your planter and the rest of your launch team as you prepare to plant an effective church to the glory of God.


EMBRACE THE COMMISSION OF JESUS!

▪ What is God’s mission? ▪ What is my part in God’s mission?

“God’s church falters from exhaustion because Christians erroneously think that

God has given them a mission to perform in the world.

Rather, the God of mission has given his church to the world.

—Tim Dearborn, Beyond Duty: A Passion for Christ, a Heart for Mission �69 GENERATE ONE TRAINING INTENSIVE � 69

EMBRACE

THE COMMISSION

OF JESUS

CHANGE WHAT

YOU CARE ABOUT

IDENTIFY THE

DISCIPLEABLE

INTENSIFY

MULTIPLICATION

UNLEASH

COMMUNITIES

START A

CHURCH



Embracing Christ’s Worldview In The Barbarian Way, Erwin McManus tells a story that is a mixture of history and legend. Those who have seen the movie Braveheart will be familiar with the characters. Robert the Bruce was the Scottish noble whose character is most remembered for betraying William Wallace, but he later rose up to lead Scotland to freedom after Wallace’s execution.

He died in 1329 at the age of 54. Shortly before his death, Robert the Bruce requested that his heart be removed from his body and taken on a crusade by a worthy knight. James Douglas, one of his closest friends, was at his bedside and took on the responsibility. The heart of Robert the Bruce was embalmed and placed in a small container that Douglas carried around his neck. In every battle that Douglas fought, he literally carried the heart of his king pressed up against his chest.

In the early spring of 1330, Douglas sailed from Scotland to Granada, Spain, and engaged in a campaign against the Moors. In an ill-fated battle, Douglas found himself surrounded, and in this situation death was both certain and imminent. In that moment Douglas reached for the heart strapped around his neck, flung the heart into the enemy’s midst, and cried out, “Fight for the heart of your king!”

One historian quoted Douglas as shouting, “FORWARD, brave heart, as ever thou were wont to do, and Douglas will follow his king’s heart or die.” The motto of the Douglas clan to which the present duke belongs is even to this day simply, “FORWARD!” 1

To belong to God is to belong to His heart! If you have responded to the call of Jesus to leave everything and follow Him, then there is a voice within your heart crying out: “FORWARD! FIGHT FOR THE HEART OF YOUR KING!”

Christians must not become consumed with their own ambition. They must seize Christ’s mission as their own. They must advance the revolution that Jesus started two thousand years ago. In Matthew 26:39 Jesus submits to the Father’s will, knowing that the cross and suffering lie ahead. He prays, “I want Your will, not Mine.” Every believer

Erwin McManus, The Barbarian Way, 2–4. 1


needs to come to terms with whose mission it is all about.

“The enormous mission that Jesus gave was thrown out to ordinary people. The idea of it would be laughable, if not for this final observation. Anyone looking at the eleven disciples and hearing Jesus’s commission would have thought this work was dead in the water before it had ever begun. How on earth could an intelligent person such as Jesus think that a motley crew of misfits such as these fishermen and tax collectors could carry out such a huge plan?

Indeed, the idea would be foolish if not for the opening and closing words of the passage. Jesus begins with the words “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” It is not “a lot of authority”; it isn’t even “most authority”; it is “all authority” found both in heaven and on earth. That is a lot of power. When you ask who has the most authority in heaven, the answer is simple: God. And Jesus has that authority. 2

Embrace the Commission of Jesus! The Great Commission is not primarily an activity of the Church, but an extension of God Himself. God is a missionary God.

Jesus said, “As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). Every believer is sent by Jesus with the gospel together in community to those in the surrounding culture. “The essence of any church is its mission. The essence of God's mission is extravagant love, which Jesus Christ communicated and displayed for us on the cross.” 3

Jesus knew His mission. He knew why God sent Him into the world. He aligned Himself with this mission. Everything that He did, everything that He taught, everything that is recorded of His life in the Gospels was focused on accomplishing the mission for which He was sent. At the end of His life and ministry, He prayed to the Father, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4). Mission accomplished.

Neil Cole. “Search & Rescue, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI P151.” 2

Tom Clegg and Warren Bird, Lost in America: How You and Your Church Can Impact the World Next 3Door, Loveland: Group Publishing, 2001, 20.


Jesus initiated a movement! Jesus pointed us to a new way to live, He made disciples, and He established His Church. Then, He sent His followers out with his commission, the gospel. He commanded them to make disciples, to baptize, and to teach all that He commanded (Matt 28:19–20).

The Great Commission was not the first announcement regarding His mission that Jesus made. He made several statements during His earthly ministry that are recorded in the Gospels. “Each statement carries a nuance of its own yet supports, rather than displaces, the redemptive nature of the Great Commission.” 4

In evaluating Jesus’ mission, one must observe the pattern of Jesus. As He traveled among the villages, He trained His disciples to do what He was doing. Yet when He left, He summed up the mission He was giving to His disciples in the Great Commission in Matthew 28; that commission to make more and better disciples remains the mission of the Church today. “The object is not to find them, gather them, or improve them. The object is to make them.” 5

A Changed Perspective Jesus has sent every believer as a missionary with the gospel together in community with other Christians to visibly and incarnationally display and proclaim who Jesus is to those in the culture around them. Every Christian is a missionary. Every neighborhood and workplace is a mission field.

John Edmund Kaiser, Winning on Purpose, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006, 55. 4

Ibid, 59. 5


Sent by JESUS(John 17:18; 20:21, Matt 28:19–20; Acts 1:8) Jesus sent His disciples on a mission! The Church

does not exist to bring other Christians in; the Church is sent out into the culture with the gospel! The Missional Church defines itself in terms of its mission—being sent ones who take the gospel to and incarnate the gospel within a specific cultural context. The essence of missionality begins by looking outward.

Sent with the CROSS(1 Cor 1:18, Eph 2:16, Col 2:14, 1 Pet2:24, 2 Cor 5:17–24) Jesus came to earth to seek and to save that which was lost. He accomplished

salvation through the cross. By dying on the cross, He paid the penalty for sin and satisfied God’s wrath. Without the cross, there is no salvation, no forgiveness, and no hope. Because of the cross, there is eternal life! The mission and message of Jesus surround the cross. “For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18).

Sent in COMMUNITY(Acts 2:42–47; 5:42; John 13:34–35; 1 John 3:16–17) Jesus loves the Church! He gave His life to redeem the Church! Fellowship and

community together in Christ is important. “Life is Better in Community.” Yet the Church is not here on earth just to enjoy nurturing relationships with other Christians and to throw arms around each other and sing Kumbaya. Community exists for Mission! Christians are to bring the gospel together to the culture. The Church exists for the sake of the world.

Sent to every CULTURE(John 1:14; Matt 20:28; Acts 17:22–34; Luke 5:29) George Peters notes, “If man is to be reached, he must be reached within his

own culture.” This principle is certainly applied when God became a man in the form of Jesus to come to earth and incarnate the gospel. As missionaries sent by Jesus, every Christian must learn to exegete their surrounding culture, uncovering the language, values, and ideas of the culture. Using this information, they take steps to reach people with the gospel message in the context of the surrounding culture.


Sent for the KING AND HIS KINGDOM(Matt 10:7; 25:34; Luke 4:43; Rev 11:15–17; Jer 10:7; John 18:36)

The kingdom was central to Jesus’ message and mission. The Book of Acts ends with Paul, under house arrest in Rome, “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:31). Christians are sent to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom everywhere so that others may enter the kingdom.


CHANGE WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

▪ What shifts do we need to make? ▪ What habits will we practice?

“As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you”

—John 20:21


EMBRACE

THE COMMISSION

OF JESUS

CHANGE WHAT

YOU CARE ABOUT

IDENTIFY THE

DISCIPLEABLE

INTENSIFY

MULTIPLICATION

UNLEASH

COMMUNITIES

START A

CHURCH



What Do You Care About “I HAVE GIVEN MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE TO trying to discover the secret to starting spontaneous church multiplication movements. It was an obsessive curiosity that has become a life calling. I found that I was dissatisfied with anything less. I have jettisoned much of cultural Christianity in the pursuit of the picture that the God gave me as I read the book of the Acts in the early day of my journey.

One of the things I figured out through many failures along the way is that the genesis of a movement is not found in books, in seminars,or conferences. No, the critical ingredient to release a real, spontaneous multiplication movement of God’s kingdom is found in the most obvious but least expected place of all. All along, the secret has been under our nose—literally! The ingredient most necessary to start a spontaneous movement of God’s expanding kingdom is found in the Spirit of every genuinely converted follower of Christ. It is inside of you. It is inside of me. It has been in us all along, every one of us who follows Christ and is in-dwelt by His Spirit. The hidden secret to this “mystery” that I read in the book of Acts that had completely shaken me to my core is Christ in you and me, which is the true “hope of glory” (Col. 1:27.

As Alan Hirsch likes to make his point by saying. If all the Christians in the world were suddenly killed off or abducted by aliens, and only one little Christian girl was left behind, she would have all that is necessary for God to start the entire Christian movement from her alone. The power of the kingdom of God is in Christ present within 6

us. It is that simple and yet that profound. When we make the Christian journey complex we ruin the amazing simple beauty inherent in the Gospel. God has certainly gifted some who are charged with starting movements. In every case, though, it is Christ who builds His church, and if He is in each of us then the seed of a massive and spontaneous expansion of His kingdom is within us all. It is Christ who gives those very gifts to His church (Eph. 4:9-11). We must never lose sight of this.

The impulse of a movement is inherent in the kingdom of God itself. It does not need to be manipulated or added to for a movement to happen, but simply released to be what i was “made to be. We must restore our confidence in the one who gave us this kingdom movement rather than in our strategies and mechanisms. How many times did Jesus

Hirsch, a. The Forgotten Ways, Grand Rapids, Mich. Braxos Press, 2006, p 19.6


berate his disciples because they were lacking in tactical expertise? It is not more strategy, that we need, but to get to know the one who first called us on this journey.

It seems that when we strip away all the clutter that has smothered the viral movement capacities of the Kingdom of God we will discover that there is a simple idea we need to grasp if we want to turn things around. If the key component of a movement of Christ’s kingdom already exists in each of us, it is not so much that we need to figure out how to make it happen. Instead we need to allow the Spirit to stir us with the amazing picture we find in Acts. Next we need step back from our cluttered church culture and look at what we have created that has prevented the movement from happening in the setting we are in. It isn’t that we lack strategy, resources, leadership, or universities full of information. We have placed too much attention on the wrong things. Without knowing it these things have crushed the movement at it’s fragile genesis. We have the gospel but have missed the reproductive component that comes by simply releasing what the Spirit of Christ has already put in us. It seems that we are resisting a real movement while all the time praying for and looking for one? “It seems we are so close yet we appear to be so far away. This is robbing us of the vitality that we so desperately need. We seem to have an inability to absorb the very nutrients that we need from the Scriptures and the Spirit of God that will produce a vibrant explosive movement. On occasion our human bodies develop an inability to absorb the very life giving nutrients that are present in the food we consume. The body often will discharge the very thing that it needs. The Human body will build a resistance to the very thing that it needs and craves. We likewise somehow have built a resistance to the things God has given us that we crave. The very things that will create a life giving movement we often resist and discharge out of our life and churches.

I am convinced that undoing our complex chaotic distractions that we have become so fond of is actually more difficult of a leadership task than actually launching God’s kingdom multiplication movement. We spend our time and money on our ministry distractions and we could save money and effort and see much more effective results if we would embrace what Jesus asked us to do in the first place.

In Greek mythology there is a character names Sisyphus he spends all of his existence pushing a rock up a hill, only to slip and have it roll back to the starting point.That is a picture of most of our ministries. We labor and push the load up hill, near the top. We want to see it take off, so with all our might we push the load up the hill. We fight against


the weight and gravity, we struggles under the load, we are determined. Infact most of us are willing to dedicate all we have to get it rolling with the hope that it will start a movement. In fact, that is not at all what God has called us to do. We have taken on this burden ourselves. We need to step back and get a new perspective. We often will discover that we are the one preventing what He (God) wants from happening. We don’t need to do more work to make it happen; on the contrary, we need less—much less. Ironically, the harder we work the further from the goal we actually end up. The church seems to be preventing the kingdom from being the movement it is intended to be. We are often like Sisyphus pushing with everything in us. Most of us have not realized that when our life was changed by the transformation that the Holy Spirit brought that he placed us on top of the hill. He has given us his Spirit. He has shown us how to launch a movement from the example given us in Scripture. He has already placed us at the top of the hill, ready to find the right partners who can join us to un-leash a movement, but we are investing all our might trying to make it happen as if we were at the bottom, when all we really have to do is step back, get an new perspective and allow Jesus to do what he said when he promised, “I will build my Church” Matt 16:18.

We Have to Change What We Care About What is the missing part to the equation? Often we care desperately about the very things that distract us from the Commission of Jesus. The reason movements occur more easily in places and times of severe persecution is because the church is not able to do the things that hinder a movement, such as hiring professionals, buying and maintaining facilities, creating programs, and offering religious services. Without these distractions, rapid and spontaneous movements can emerge. A persecuted church is stripped of the resources to participate in these distractions or peripheral acts of devotion and faith. The result is that Christ becomes more real. In this situation the Gospel is all people have left, and a movement results. All the movement inhibitors and impediments are removed; the church is free to move unchecked and with great power. Can we see this happen in the non-persecuted Western world as well? Of course we can.”

“We can learn much by comparing the results of the Communist revolution in Russia with those in China. Both were bloody revolutions that attempted militarily to snuff out all opposition, close down all churches, remove all missionaries, and incarcerate all of the church leaders. Prior to the revolution, the church in Russia was centered on cathedrals


led by priests and was distant from the everyday lives of the people. When Soviet Communism seized the church and all her assets, the people had nothing to turn to spiritually, and there was no movement.” In China, a movement led by local indigenous 7

lay leaders had already begun to empower new converts to share their story with others who had not yet heard the good news of Christ. This movement spread rapidly using homes and work environments as meeting points. When communism took hold the true church had been planted and was moving forward even after the property was seized resources were taken away, and leaders were imprisoned.

It is interesting that the undoing of communism occurred in both countries at about the same time as well. In both countries the crushing weight of communism was removed around 1990. The difference is in Russia the distracted cultural church was all that remained when we returned to investigate the spiritual landscape. In China however we discovered that with the absence of the physical church buildings and Christian trappings that Christ followers had become empowered. The common Christian in China set the stage for what happened there. The Gospel had been planted and a movement flourished. When the heat of persecution hit the church it exploded with discipleship multiplication. There was no such preparation prior to the Communist’ rise to power in Russia.

Ying Kai a pastor in China asks a penetrating question, “Why did the church thrive in China and not in Russia? Both countries had a similar history of communist rule. Both countries had the constraint of an oppressive government smothering it at the start of the Industrial revolution. Both missed the rapid economic and cultural advances that many of the free market countries experienced. Both countries had declared that God was dead, and Christianity was no longer spreading in their realm.

Like in China we in America have been given the key ingredients necessary for a movement that are already inherently given to us by the Spirit of God when He comes to dwell in us. We have a choice before us. We can be a movement or a monument. In this training course I will share these factors so that we can see how important it is to

Neil Cole, Church 3.0 Jossey Bass, San Francisco, CA P 697


step out of the way and let the momentum of Christ’s incarnational kingdom start to roll. To launch a movement we must change what we care about. When we change what we care about we will be empowered to know what a movement is, to lean to recognize how it looks, and we will learn what it is not. We must first realize that what we have done in America has not produced a movement of disciples who make reproducing disciples. In this training we will first focus on the foundation of making disciples who reproduce disciples. We will explore how to have spiritual conversations that will assist us to identify individuals who are discipleble.

Start Spiritual Conversations Every person has a story – a unique story of their life history, including their spiritual journey. To understand their journey, you need to know where they have been, where they are and where they are going. By understanding their story, you can be prepared to share your story in a way that they can relate to – and ultimately tell God’s story of grace and forgiveness.Asking good questions – and really listening to their answers can build a bridge to sharing about your faith. You can take almost any element of a conversation and utilize it to turn the conversation toward spiritual matters. (Note: That's what Jesus did with the woman at the well in John 4). There’s almost no limit to the ways this can be done. With a little planning and practice, almost anyone can master this.Here are a few illustrations:

➢ Business – Those in the marketplace commonly ask each other, “How’s your year going?” Rather than give a standard reply, why not answer with something like this: “Well, financially, okay; family-wise, pretty well; and spiritually, things are great. Which one do you want to talk about?”

➢ Relocations – When someone moves into a new home, it’s natural to discuss whether they’ve found good places to shop, dine out, or get their car repaired. Why not add a query concerning whether they’ve found some good friends yet?


➢ Music – If you listen to the lyrics of songs, you’ll discover many songs raise spiritual issues, even if it might have been written or performed by a non-believer. Talking about the lyrics can lead into talking about the answers you’ve found to the important questions they raise.

➢ Sports – There are incredible opportunities to talk about many well-known athletes that are Christians. If you follow sports, it’s pretty easy to refer to a recent game or event and tell friends about a particular athlete on the team who’s inspired or challenged you. (example Kevin Durant) This will often expand into a wider discussion about what that means.

➢ Shared Struggles – When you find you have areas of difficulty in common with someone, it’s the most natural thing in the world to tell that person how you’ve been helped by wisdom from the Bible, caring Christian friends, or prayer. This can be effective whether it’s a major crisis or relatively minor problem. It could be a lack of communication in your marriage, questions about disciplining your children, or a need to manage food, time or finances.

➢ Causes – Many people are committed to a particular cause (homelessness, breast cancer, political movements, human rights, school reform, etc.) which often are consistent with the Kingdom of God, even though they may be supporting that cause for an entirely different motivation. Showing interest in or knowledge of causes may lead to an opportunity to discuss your spiritual motivation for your cause.

This list could go on and on. Just take the topics that you frequently talk with people about and, like the examples above, figure out creative ways to ease into conversations about your faith and your grace story.


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