Pioneering Movements: 1. Four generations

You know you're in the middle of a church planting movement when four generations of new disciples and churches are everywhere.

Recently a group of experienced practitioners brainstormed how they got beyond second and third generation to Movement. Thanks to William for passing it on.

• Disciples making disciples. Every individual in the group is expected to start their own group as soon as possible with ongoing support from the one who brought them to faith.
• Accountability. When meeting together, they don't just hear a new truth, but members ask each other if they are doing what they purposed. For example, share their faith or seeking forgiveness.
• Reproducible, simplified and transferable practices. Only methods which every disciple can immediately replicate are used. All else is discarded.
• Trainers model rather than just speak. The disciple-maker is practicing, not just teaching others, how to do the task.
• Sharing what God is saying to you. At every meeting, every person present shares what God said to them from the text, as opposed to just, "What does this text mean?"
• Third generation thinking. If the disciple of the disciple of the disciple can't read, then we don't begin the process with written material.
• Boldness. Boldness is contagious. If the leaders are not sharing their faith, their disciples won't either.
• Checking fourth generation DNA. Checking validity and encouraging those who are two generations removed from your influence provides accountability for those you are influencing.
• Rampant Gospel sharing. Everyone is expected to share their faith, not just those with a gift.
• Goal setting. Using prayer time and meeting time to ask God to do great things — How many people will hear? How many groups will we start? How many generations of disciples and churches this year?
• Third generation leaders developed. Keeping movements going involves intensive modelling and training of group of leaders who will see the movement beyond the fifth generation.
• Ongoing training/discipleship at all levels. Truth infused with a visible model of what they should be doing must be seen and not heard.
• Training a lot of people. We don't know who will catch the vision and begin doing. Train many, spend time with those who are obedient.
• Memorable and very clear vision that everyone knows. Everyone in the movement should be able to articulate the vision. Example: Present the gospel to everyone person in this province. Or: A new church in every neighbourhood.
• Diagram progress and the way forward. Let people see progress by maps and diagrams. Diagram what needs to happen next.
• Focus on those who were the most productive. Those who are not obedient are loved and accepted, but are not given the majority of time.
• Signs and wonders/ Spirit led ministry. Believers often ask God to give dreams to friends and relatives to verify their witness.
• Don’t give people titles (elder, evangelist, apostle). Instead recognize gifts. If you label someone an evangelists or an apostle, it gives others the idea they aren't supposed to be doing kingdom work.

QUESTION: What three things on this list will help you move from addition to multiplication?

Up next: Pioneering Movements: 2. The role of outsiders