15 observations in disciple making movements in urban locations - 2
From research by Two Four Eight
Part 1 of this article is here.
Birthed out of experience in 8 countries in Southern Africa, Two Four Eight now exist to multiply Disciple Making Movements (DMMs) in the cities of the world. For five years (2010-2015), they entered a time of urban research. They organized learning groups with leaders in the USA, UK, Europe, Africa and Asia and from then have gained experience of birthing DMMs in cities globally. From research in 2021, they have published lessons learned and various questions for leaders to consider. Here is a summary of these insights (Part 2):
8. Mobilize the Existing Church to (Re)Focus on Engaging the Lost through Disciple-Making
We have observed that fruitful urban disciple-making churches appear to adapt existing or traditional church models away from central, Sunday-gravitational, single meeting-place, attendance-based membership structures and toward decentralized, full-week, adaptable gathering-place, disciple-making, outward- focused structures.
Many of those we interviewed have spoken about the challenges of existing church structures, e.g., expensive, non-reproducible, confusing, hierarchical, as clear obstacles or hindrances to the call on the church to 'preach the Gospel to all creation' and to 'make disciples of all nations…'
9. Focus on a Few to Reach the Many
Urban disciple-makers should give a large portion of their available time toward a few key disciples and leaders, between 3 and 12. Some of our interviewees are working with their disciples, all together, in a group format. Sometimes, but not in all cases, these disciples know each other. Some of those we interviewed however, are working with each of their disciples individually. Those we interviewed can name their 1st generation disciples, who in turn can name theirs, and so on. As a fictional example, "I, Joe disciple Charles, James and Peter. Charles disciples Timothy, Tyrell and Gunther. James disciples Joshua and Billy and Peter has not started discipling others yet."
10. Build Simple and Agile Structures and Tools
Urban disciple-makers should seek to build light, flexible organizational structures and teams that reflect together often, innovate, and apply emergent practices. Urban disciple-making ministries seem to acknowledge and navigate city complexity. They adapt their organizational structures and disciple-making models often to permit innovation, and to respond to new, potentially fruitful practices.
Interviewees mention that team structure develops semi-organically, as it goes, but with clear leadership and clear purpose. Most mention that a team's function requires some clarity of form, though most say that agile, light, flexible forms are best. They go on to imply that agility (the ability of a team to change direction quickly) encourages generational growth by facilitating dependence on the Holy Spirit and allowing for quick adaptation to emergent practices.
11. Coach Disciple-Makers to Set and Pursue their God-Given Goals
Urban disciple-makers should practically apply disciple-making coaching as an important function of reproducible disciple-making. Coaching has many forms. When we talk about the role of coaching in Disciple Making Movements in urban environments, our interviewees define this as a consistent, high frequency, scheduled time together, in small group and one-on-one, as coach and disciples, that is focused on:
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Honing practical disciple-making and movement skills and practices, as opposed to having a wider holistic focus
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Asking open-ended questions to bring clarity, rather than focusing on guiding, or giving clear directive advice
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Encouraging and guiding the coached disciple/s toward God-given goals Helping to keep the disciple on track through accountability to those God-given goals
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Some back-filling and advice, as necessary
Some have stated that this style of coaching mirrors sports coaching, e.g., motivating, challenging, goal-centred, and highly practical.
12. Lead by Example into the Harvest
Urban disciple-making leaders should continue to engage actively and go to the lost and broken themselves. They should not outsource the task of engaging the harvest to others, but rather lead and influence the movement to engage as a regular disciplined life rhythm.
We have observed that fruitful urban disciple-making leaders seem to prioritize engaging directly with the lost. Though most movement leaders have already identified fruitful disciple-makers and could easily fill up their time with leadership development,
organizational-level management and leading communities, most of our interviewees still actively engage with new people for the sake of sharing the Gospel.
13. Begin with Underlying Biblical Principles to Build Adaptive Practices
Urban disciple-makers should focus on applying and teaching biblical principle-driven disciple-making rather than continuing to adopt new, ever-changing models and methods.
We have observed that fruitful urban disciple-makers focus their energy on identifying and applying clear biblical disciple-making principles rather than on trying to implement the newest disciple-making model. Interviewees, and their teams, appear strategically flexible and are quick to change direction and adapt their practices according to their needs. However, they do all of this within the context of unchanging biblical principles and values.
14. Create Ongoing Team Learning Environments with Application and Reflection
Urban disciple-making ministries and networks should seek to create and integrate consistent rhythms of learning together into their yearly schedule.
We have observed that fruitful urban disciple-making disciples, groups and teams tend to get trained together often. Many interviewees speak about the great value of peer learning, cohort learning and group equipping processes. Interviewees mention the following ideals for team or network-based training:
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Highly practical and application based (we learn–we try–we reflect–we backfill)
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Simple and reproducible (the training can be facilitated by most)
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Interactive (question and discussion-based rather than a single expert speaker)
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Feedback-oriented (content changes over time, based upon the feedback and fruitfulness)
15. Create Intentional and Consistent Rhythms of Connection
Urban disciple-makers should meet, pray, and interact very regularly and consistently with their teams, groups and disciples. The majority of those we interviewed spoke about the importance of consistency in meeting with their teams, groups, disciples, and gatherings for ongoing growth, training, and building trust. This is despite a common challenge raised by most of those we interviewed: urban dwellers are extremely busy and progressively less able and/or willing to commit to regular gatherings.
Most meet using some combination of scheduled face-to-face meetings, online interactions, messaging, and spontaneous unscheduled interactions.
Each observation section ends with three unique reflections. The first is a personal reflection, the second a discussion question/topic for teams and the third a practical application question. All three reflections can be shared and discussed together or individually. Why not take time to reflect and respond as the Spirit leads.
Download the research report here.
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From research by Two Four Eight, 02/04/2024