Contagious Disciple Making

1. Failure is a Disciple-Maker's Greatest Teacher

When we failed, we just tried something else.

Embrace experimentation. Disciple-making is not a linear path to success; it's a journey of trial and error. Don't be afraid to try new approaches, and view failures as opportunities to learn and refine your methods. The authors themselves experienced years of seemingly fruitless labor before seeing explosive growth, highlighting the importance of perseverance and adaptability.

• Initial goals were to establish "beachhead" churches, not movements.
• Success was defined as one church started, not hundreds or thousands.
• Early failures led to a focus on making disciples, not followers of a denomination.

Focus on discipleship, not just church planting. The term "Church-Planting Movement" evolved to "Disciple-Making Movement" because the emphasis shifted from simply starting churches to creating reproducing disciples. True movements are built on a foundation of obedience-based discipleship, where disciples make disciples, leaders make leaders, and churches make churches. This process is not quick, but it is exponential.

Invest in leaders. The key to a Disciple-Making Movement is investing heavily in teaching, training, and mentoring leaders to obey all of Christ's commands. This is a time-intensive process, but it is the only way to achieve lasting, exponential growth. The authors spent four years equipping five leaders, who then equipped many more, leading to a movement of thousands of churches.

2. Deculturalize, Don't Contextualize the Gospel

The role of the cross-cultural worker is to deculturalize the Gospel—presenting the Gospel without commentary, but with the question, “How will we obey what God has said?”

Jesus transcends culture. Presenting Jesus as a cultural icon, whether Western or otherwise, limits His universal appeal. Instead, focus on presenting the core message of the Gospel in a way that is free from cultural baggage, allowing each culture to express its faith authentically. The authors learned this lesson through their own experiences of trying to "dress up" Jesus to fit different cultures.

• Children naturally depict Jesus as looking like themselves.
• Contextualization can lead to a distorted view of Jesus.
• The goal is to present Jesus in a near-acultural way.

Focus on obedience, not doctrine. Instead of imposing specific denominational doctrines, emphasize obedience to the commands of Christ as found in Scripture. This approach allows new believers to discover biblically acceptable ways of expressing their love, devotion, and worship of Jesus within their own cultural context. The authors shifted from a doctrine-centered to an obedience-centered discipleship program.

• Doctrine can carry cultural baggage.
• Obedience is the true measure of faith.
• The question is always, "What must you do to be obedient to Christ?"

Empower local leaders. The role of the cross-cultural worker is to minimize their own cultural influence and empower local leaders to present Jesus in a way that resonates with their own culture. This involves asking questions, not giving answers, and allowing local people to interpret Scripture for themselves. The authors learned to ask questions like, "How would you pray?" and "How would you teach God's Word?"

3. Plant the Gospel, Not Your Religion

The less religious I am and more spiritual I am, the more effective I become as a disciple-maker.

Avoid transferring Christian culture. Many well-intentioned efforts to spread the Gospel end up transferring Christian culture, denominational terms, and doctrines, which can be a barrier to people falling in love with Jesus. Instead, focus on planting the Gospel and allowing it to transform individuals, families, and communities so that a culturally relevant and redeemed church will emerge. The authors avoid "churchy" words and phrases.

• Christian culture can be a barrier to the Gospel.
• Religion is about how we do church; spirituality is about our relationship with God.
• Lost people are drawn to spiritual people, not religious ones.

Let the church emerge organically. The church belongs to Christ, and He determines how it grows and what it looks like. Different cultures will express their faith differently as they obey the Word and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The authors do not have preconceived ideas of what form the local church takes.

• There is no single way to obey the mandates of the Word.
• Worship and church should be a daily lifestyle.
• The church grows from the soil of culture where the Gospel is planted.

Focus on spirituality, not religion. Religion is about how we do church, while spirituality is about how we live out our relationship with God and people. Lost people are often repulsed by religion but drawn to spiritual men and women. The authors strive to be less religious and more spiritual in their disciple-making efforts.

• Religion is about form; spirituality is about transformation.
• Love people, and they will come to Christ.
• What we do speaks louder than our words.

4. Branded Christianity Hinders the Great Commission

When institutions that promote a particular brand of Christianity forget their differences and get back to planting the Gospel instead of their doctrines, we may have a chance to complete the Great Commission.

Branded Christianity limits reach. Organizations that promote a particular brand of Christianity often insist that all related churches adhere to a specific perspective and associated practices. This approach limits their appeal to a small percentage of the population, and it excludes or minimizes certain passages in the Bible. The authors note that most brands of Christianity only draw 2-5% of the population.

• Branded Christianity is Bible-based and history-based.
• They often raise extrabiblical beliefs to the level of Scripture.
• They exclude or minimize certain passages in the Bible.

Denominational education is a bottleneck. The extensive educational and indoctrination processes required by branded Christian institutions make it impossible to produce enough leaders to complete the Great Commission. The authors point out that all the seminaries and Bible schools combined cannot produce enough leaders to finish the task.

• First-century disciples were often illiterate.
• Over-training and over-managing new believers stops replication.
• The focus should be on obedience, not adherence to a doctrine.

Plant the Gospel, not your brand. When institutions that promote a particular brand of Christianity focus on planting the Gospel and making obedient disciples of Christ, they will see the Great Commission fulfilled in a generation. They will also see their own brand of Christianity grow as never before because they will become relevant to the people they serve.

• Focus on making disciples of Christ, not converts to your brand.
• Forget your own pet doctrines and practices.
• Become relevant to the people by serving them in obedience to God's Word.

5. Community Structure Dictates Disciple-Making Strategy

It is the structure of the objective that determines the strategy and tactics, not the structure of the tactic used to implement the strategy.

Structure determines strategy. The structure of the community you are trying to reach should determine your strategy and tactics, not the structure of your sending church or organization. One size does not fit all, and a flexible approach is essential for reaching diverse communities. The authors use the analogy of an army needing different tools for different terrains.

• Urban societies require different tactics than rural societies.
• Tribal cultures require different tactics than nomadic ones.
• The focus should be on the structure of the objective, not the tool.

Understand the community's worldview. Before developing any tactics, it is crucial to understand the social and community structures of the people you are trying to reach. This involves conducting a worldview study to identify the unique characteristics of each community. The authors learned this lesson when a wise worker told them, "You can't change Indian culture; you have to fit into it."

• A worldview study helps understand social and community structures.
• Local workers should be involved in strategy development.
• Varied communities require varied tactics.

Embrace diversity in church structures. Disciple-making in complex megacities will require thousands of tactics and diverse church structures to meet the varied preferences of urban dwellers. We must allow new structures (communities) the privilege of coming up with new styles of church and worship. The authors note that DMM-like disciple-making in cities is often a by-product of rural methodologies.

• Megacities are extremely complex.
• No single tactic is up to the task of reaching a major city.
• New structures and styles of church are needed.

6. Culture and Religion Can Hinder Disciple-Making

The less religious I am and more spiritual I am, the more effective I become as a disciple-maker.

Culture is a barrier. Our own Christian culture, including our religious and nationalistic traditions, can have a negative impact on disciple-making. It is difficult to pass on culture to others outside your culture because it requires people to leave behind their own culture to adopt a new one. The authors have learned that Christian culture is often a barrier to people falling in love with Jesus.

• Christian culture can be a barrier to the Gospel.
• People don't want to be seen as different.
• The foundation of a new church should be the Gospel, not a church culture.

Focus on the Gospel, not your culture. We must strive to plant the Gospel of Jesus Christ and let it transform individuals, families, and communities so that a culturally relevant and redeemed church will emerge. As we introduce the Gospel, we ask the question, "If this is from God, what are you going to do about it?" The authors insist that the role of any believer is to be obedient to the Gospel.

• Churches grow from the soil of culture where the Gospel is planted.
• Churches should be obedient and reproduce naturally.
• Faith is defined as obedience to God's Word.

Religion vs. Spirituality. Religion is about how we do church, while spirituality is about how we live out our relationship with God. Lost people are often repulsed by religion but drawn to spiritual men and women. The authors strive to be less religious and more spiritual in their disciple-making efforts.

• Religion is about form; spirituality is about transformation.
• Love people, and they will come to Christ.
• What we do speaks louder than our words.

7. Obedience is the True Measure of Love

It is clear from the words of Jesus and the writings of John that there can be no love for Christ without obedience to Christ.

Obedience is love. Jesus equated "obedience" to "love" in the Gospel of John. There can be no love for Christ without obedience to Christ. Our feelings and words do not define our love; it is our actions and obedience to Christ that define our love for Him. The authors emphasize that obedience is a foundational teaching of the Bible.

• "If you love me, you will obey what I command."
• Our actions, not our feelings, define our love.
• Obedience is the love language to God.

Obedience brings blessings. The Bible teaches that obedience to the commands and teachings of God has direct benefits to those who believe, both corporately and individually. These benefits include long life, increase, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. The authors point to Deuteronomy 6:1-3 as an example of the corporate blessings of obedience.

• Obedience results in fear of the Lord, long life, and increase.
• The object of teaching is obedience, not just knowledge.
• Obedience requires us to do what is right regardless of personal consequence.

Discipleship is about obedience. The Great Commission includes the admonition that we are to teach others to obey everything Christ has commanded. The authors have learned that teaching doctrine and teaching obedience are two very different things. Faith is defined as the continuous act of choosing to be obedient to God's Word regardless of the consequences.

• We have been teaching knowledge, not obedience.
• Obedience requires faith.
• Discipleship is about change demonstrated by a growth in character.

8. Make Disciples, Not Just Converts

A disciple is one who embraces and obeys all the teachings of Christ and endeavors by word and deed to make more disciples.

Discipleship vs. Conversion. A disciple is one who embraces and obeys all the teachings of Christ and endeavors to make more disciples. A convert is one who practices a religion into which he or she was not born, and may or may not encourage others to convert. Jesus commanded us to make disciples, not converts. The authors point out that Jesus condemned the making of converts.

• Discipleship is about a relationship with Christ that results in obedience.
• Conversion is about adhering to the doctrine of a particular religion.
• One can convert without becoming a disciple of Christ.

Focus on relationship and obedience. Contagious Disciple-Makers focus on helping people come into a dynamic and growing relationship with Christ through prayer, Bible study, worship, evangelism, fellowship, and ministry. They teach the Word of God so people will know what to obey, train them in the skills necessary to obey, and equip them to serve God and others. The authors emphasize that equipping requires a deep relationship.

• Disciple-makers teach, train, and equip.
• Equipping requires a consistent life in public and private.
• Discipleship requires faith; learning does not.

Discipleship is about change. The primary characteristic of a disciple is change demonstrated by a growth in character that requires increasing knowledge, appropriate attitudes, right thoughts, improving relationships, and obedient action. A disciple constantly struggles for perfection, repenting when he falls short and aiming for the mark again. The authors emphasize that perfection is the goal.

• Change happens as a disciple strives to be like his Master.
• Perfection is an impossible goal, but it must be our goal.
• Disciples must be committed and ready to die for Christ.

9. Embrace the Priesthood of All Believers

The doctrine of the Priesthood of Believers is incredibly important to disciple-making.

Empower all believers. The doctrine of the priesthood of all believers affirms the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of all believers, their ministry potential and responsibility, and their ability to function as needed for the church to minister to the world. This doctrine empowers the ordinary to do the extraordinary and makes the church relevant and essential to a healthy community. The authors note that much of the modern church is throwing this doctrine out the door.

• It affirms the work of the Holy Spirit in all believers.
• It affirms the ministry potential of all believers.
• It empowers all believers to function as needed.

Move beyond the priesthood of the pastor. In place of the priesthood of all believers, we now see a strengthening of the priesthood of the pastor only. This focus on the pastor has weakened the responsibility of all believers to function as priests and has limited the church's ability to reach the world for Christ. The authors emphasize that the role of leadership is to equip the saints for the works of ministry.

• Professional clergy has reduced those who feel qualified to minister.
• The church has limited its ability to reach the world.
• Leaders are to be servants, not rulers.

Equip the saints for ministry. The role of the pastor should be to equip the saints to obey all the commands of Christ, to be a champion of evangelism and disciple-making, and to encourage people to start and facilitate new groups. The authors believe that the pastor should be equipping his people for every ministry in life and pushing them out into the lost world to make a difference.

• Pastors should equip their people to serve.
• Churches are becoming jails that isolate Christians from society.
• Leaders should be servant-leaders.

10. Strategic Thinking is Key to Disciple-Making

If something is truly strategic, then without it in place the plan will fail.

Strategy vs. Tactics. Strategy addresses the question, "What will it take to...?" while tactics answer the question, "What must I, or my team, do to...?" Understanding the difference between these two concepts is crucial for effective disciple-making. The authors emphasize that strategy is about the big picture, while tactics are about implementation.

• Strategy is about the "what"; tactics are about the "how."
• Strategy is inflexible; tactics are flexible.
• Tactics serve the strategy.

Strategic elements are essential. Strategic elements are those that, if removed, will cause the plan to fail. In the case of catalyzing Disciple-Making Movements, strategic elements include being a disciple who makes disciples, prayer, engagement, Persons of Peace, Discovery Groups, establishing churches, and leadership development. The authors emphasize that each of these elements is essential.

• Without strategic elements, you won't have a movement.
• Strategic elements are not optional.
• They are part of the answer to the question, "What will it take?"

Tactics are flexible. Tactics are the specific actions you take to implement a strategic element. Unlike strategic elements, you can remove a tactic from your plan and still fulfill the vision. Tactics change with the personalities and skills of your team and the limitations of the environment. The authors emphasize that tactics are flexible and should be evaluated regularly.

• Tactics are flexible and change with the environment.
• Tactics are implemented by you and your team.
• Keep tactics that work; reevaluate tactics that don't.

11. Prayer is the Engine of Disciple-Making Movements

a prayer movement precedes every Disciple-Making Movement.

Prayer is essential. A high commitment to prayer is a common element among high-producing disciple-makers. These leaders spend an average of three hours per day in personal prayer and another three hours in prayer with their teams. The authors emphasize that a prayer movement precedes every Disciple-Making Movement.

• Top disciple-makers spend hours in prayer daily.
• A prayer movement precedes every DMM.
• Prayer is the engine of DMMs.

Become a person of prayer. Cultivating intimacy with God requires setting aside time to be together and being deliberate in how we use that time. This involves talking with God, asking for His opinion, and listening to His response. The authors emphasize that God wants to hear us talk with Him.

• God likes to hear us say things anyway.
• Ask God for His opinion.
• Become a person who prays for others.

Mobilize people to pray. You need to recruit, train, and mobilize an extensive prayer network to support your disciple-making efforts. This involves teaching people how to pray for you, your team, and your community. The authors emphasize that you cannot have a DMM without a prayer movement.

• Teach people how to pray for you.
• Use the Kingdom parables to guide your prayers.
• Listen to lost people to understand their needs.

12. Engage Lost People Through Service and Love

Love the people, and they will come to Christ as you minister to them and lead them to discover God for themselves.

Service is key. Serving the community is the key to effective engagement and disciple-making. Jesus instructed His disciples to heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead, feed the hungry, and preach that the Kingdom of God is near. The authors emphasize that service and disciple-making should not be separated.

• Service opens the door for disciple-making.
• Ministry precedes evangelism.
• We earn the right to share the Gospel based on how we serve.

Focus on silos. Most communities are a collection of smaller groups of people living and working in silos. Instead of focusing on individual conversions, focus on planting the Gospel in each silo within a given space. The authors emphasize that the minimum unit for disciple-making should be the household, affinity group, or community.

• Silos are groups of people with shared characteristics.
• Individuals are doorways to families, families to silos, and silos to nations.
• Plant the Gospel in existing communities, not new silos.

Be a conspicuous spiritual person. Finding the Person of Peace is more about us and the way we live than it is about finding the Person of Peace. We must live out our faith as conspicuously as possible, demonstrating the love of God and sharing His Word in such a way that the lost become saved. The authors emphasize that we must be the people God has called us to be.

• Live out your faith without apology.
• Be spiritual, not religious.
• The Person of Peace will find you.

Last updated: January 28, 2025