Disciple Making Movements

I Told Him I Was Quitting

Nov 7, 2019 | Stories

Before joining BEYOND, *Charlie worked in the IT industry. He specialized in indirect sales and marketing; he educated and supported hundreds of salesmen. He also led efforts to simplify products so lower-skilled resellers could effectively market them.

“I wasn’t good at direct sales myself,” Charlie states. “But, as an indirect salesman, I trusted my team to be good salesmen. I could then focus on achieving three things: helping my resellers catch the vision of our product while building trust with them, equipping them with training and tools to be successful, and supporting them as they engaged with real customers.” Charlie was passionate about his role, and very good at it. The sales’ numbers rocketed as his hard work paid off.

Then Charlie quit.

“I still remember telling my VP I was about to resign,” Charlie recalls. “I told him I was quitting to become a full-time missionary in a hostile nation in Asia. He clearly thought I was crazy. And to be honest, I couldn’t disagree.”

As Charlie had wrestled with God about this radical new calling, he had argued that his skills were in the IT world, not in ministry. He couldn’t preach. He struggled with words when sharing his faith. He had no seminary training and wasn’t even great at leading small groups at church. Charlie asked, “How could I be a church planter? My gifts aren’t classic ‘missionary gifts.’”

One day, as Charlie read the story of Jesus calling Andrew and Simon, it hit him. “Come, follow me,” Jesus had said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Jesus took their “secular” skills as fishermen and applied them to the new Kingdom work to which He was calling them. Their skills in throwing nets and cleaning fish weren’t directly applicable in Jesus’ work. But they understood what it meant to leave the safety of land and go to where the fish were. They knew what clues indicated that fish were near and what methods would catch the most fish. These more subtle skills were relevant to the ministry Jesus had in store for them. In that moment, Charlie sensed God saying, “You will be doing the same thing as before. I’m just going to give you a better product!”

As BEYOND missions catalysts utilize Disciple Making Movement (DMM) principles, they spend most of their time in vision casting, and training and equipping local believers to start movements. BEYONDers then mentor and coach these equipped local partners as they step out in this mission. This model almost exactly parallels what Charlie did as an indirect salesman.

In addition, the DMM model capitalizes on the fact that only simple, easily reproducible models have a chance at growing church planting movements. A complicated approach cannot multiply. Charlie’s experience in streamlining products helped him implement these simple, reproducible models of discipleship. He summarizes: “Understanding how God can use my unique giftings has given me the confidence to make disciple-making disciples and church-planting churches.”

God’s wisdom always surpasses ours. We need innovative business people who love others and know how to cast vision, equip, and support the people God is calling to start movements among unreached people groups. God did not give us all the same gifts. And none of His good gifts are wasted.

*pseudonyms used

What Stands in Your Way?

Oct 31, 2019 | Stories

Once or twice a month in East Asia, Amy has lunch with her friend May, primarily to provide May with an opportunity to discuss what she’s learning from God’s Word and how she is applying it in her life. For some time, Amy, a BEYOND mission catalyst, has had a strong sense that God has called May to be equipped for a more missional life than she ever imagined. She has resisted, however, with various objections.

Despite that, Amy has gently continued to sow the seeds of what it would be like for May to live a shema* lifestyle. That means dropping bits of truth about God and his kingdom into everyday conversations and sharing her testimony with others. But May did not seem able to make the transition into sharing her faith with those around her.

Then something changed. Amy could sense it as soon as May arrived at the restaurant and blurted out: “Something incredible has been happening these past two weeks! You’re going to be amazed!”

“Super! Amaze me,” Amy said.

“It’s like God has flipped a switch inside me,” May said. She went on to explain that she had been having troubles with her apartment and cried out to God in desperate prayer. “Ever since then, he has released me from so many fears and anxieties. I have eagerly shared about God’s goodness and what I’m learning in His Word. And people are listening! Some have even asked questions!”

“I’m not making a special effort to share with so many people. I just really can’t help it,” she continued. “I have so much joy inside me, and God is so good. I share and share because this is such a precious life, and there is so much for people to experience. I just naturally want everyone to hear and know and encounter God, too!”

“Wow! That is amazing,” Amy replied. “Would you like to learn more about how you can follow through with people who show interest?”

“Yes, I think I’m ready for that now. No more objections!” May answered with a big smile.

In movements, everyone is involved in training others, and anyone interested can be trained. We train toward the goal of disciples of Jesus who obey him by making disciples who make disciples until His glory fills the Earth.

*Shema is the Hebrew word often translated “hear” but better translated “hear and obey” in Deuteronomy 6:4. Among movement catalysts, “shema statement” or “shema lifestyle” is often used as a shorthand description for a spiritually fragrant word or deed which invites but does not force a spiritual response to God.

*pseudonyms used

Friend, Peon or Manager?

Oct 24, 2019 | Stories

In the West, it is the general practice for a business owner to hire a manager if he or she doesn’t have the time or desire to manage it themselves. In India, however, this is not the custom. The owner is the manager. He or she trusts no one else with the business. The owner manages, and everyone else is a peon. Yes, peon is a commonly used word in India.

Imagine the wonder, then, that people living in this rigid society of hierarchy feel when they hear Jesus say that He freely shares His authority with us (Matthew 10:1; 16:19; Luke 9:1; John 1:12; Acts 26:16). But He goes further than that! Jesus says, “You are my friends if you keep on doing what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer… but I have called you friends . . ..” (John 15:14-15). What?! The God for Whom there is no idol doesn’t consider me a peon? He calls me friend, and entrusts to ME the task to make other disciples? What a message!

Beyond’s South Asian field leaders, Ethan and Nicole, learned that the disciples in India were sharing Matthew 28:18-20 as part of the Gospel Message. “I love that they had eyes to see something about the Gospel that we with our western eyes and deeply rooted Christian traditions could not see,” Nicole says. “Have you ever included Matthew 28 in your Gospel presentation? I’m guessing not. But, for those coming out of slavery, for those who live in a culture where peon is still in common use, sharing in the Master’s authority and carrying responsibility IS Good News. They’re so excited about having a purpose for their lives that they can’t hold themselves back. They embrace the honor to be given the chance, and they quickly share the opportunity with their friends.”

Praise God for obedient friends of Jesus who diligently share His message!

Our field leaders ask for prayer as top Indian movement leaders travel to meet with local leaders to check on the wellness of the churches, gather reports of persecution, pray over needs, and pass on new trainings from God’s Word. The traveling is difficult; they can be harassed by the local police; they are away from their families. Your prayers for these trips are greatly appreciated.

Secondly, we can be praying for the disciple makers’ financial provision. God is giving them creativity to make money/work with their hands. Many are farmers. Some own small shops. Please pray that God would bless their labors so they can continue in the work of making followers of Jesus. Pray, too, that they would continue to be generous with one another like we see in the book of Acts.

*pseudonyms used

Alone, We are Just a Drop in the Vast Sea of Need …

Oct 20, 2019 | Stories

We know the need: there are two billion unevangelized people in the world. Forty-seven thousand of them die every day, never once having heard the good news of the Gospel. We’ve heard how effective Disciple Making Movements (DMM) are, and we’re on board. But alone, we are just a drop in the vast sea of need. To address the situation, many goers are necessary – approximately 21,000 teams of two to three that can each reach 100,000 people! When you factor in the prayer and financial supporters for those who go, the need for many to catch the vision of Matthew 28 increases dramatically.

How will we ever mobilize that many? Many more people need to embrace Jesus’ calling as their own. We can help them do this through vision casting.

Chris Galanos is the lead and founding pastor of E-Life church in Lubbock, TX. Chris and his leadership team transitioned their megachurch from that of a “traditional” church into one laser-focused on disciple making through DMM practices. In his book From Megachurch to Multiplication, Chris says, “we cast vision to get more believers involved in disciple making and church planting.” He goes on to say, “The more vision we cast to others, the more people we’ll be able to train. The more people we train, the more teams that form. The more teams that form, the more people we have the potential to reach.”

Vision casting in a Disciple-Making Movement (DMM) context is simply passing on the passion and principles of DMM to believers who God might be calling to join in the work. There are many ways to do this. One might share stories of what God is doing, present facts and statistics, have a discovery Bible study or model DMM practices for others to emulate. Here are a couple of examples of some Beyond movement catalysts casting vision with potential local partners.

We have a local Christian lady attending the house church we have with others. She finally realized that we see our “house church” as a “real” and “full” church! We had a great discussion about what does God really want in a church. We challenged her to consider having a Chinese speaking church in her home. She was too afraid. She thought she was too shy . . . only special people do that. I asked her, “Do you remember the last words of Jesus on the earth?” She said yes . . ., ‘Go into all the world baptizing and teaching’. I asked, “Who was he talking to?” She paused and said, ‘His believers, followers”. “Then, was he talking to you?” I asked. Long, long pause … then she said, “Yes.” -Neill

While vision-casting with a local friend about Disciple Making Movements, I got stuck in the middle of differing expectations as to whether or not to pay local believers to partner in disciple-making. With help from my coaching circle, I selected a passage from a list of scriptures dealing with God’s perspective on money and ministry and set a time to do a discovery study with my friend and her husband. As we read the passage, my friend, who usually has a lot to say when we read the Bible together, was barely talking. Was she upset? Did she believe what the passage said? I couldn’t tell. When I saw her a few days later, she explained, “I couldn’t say much that night because I was so distracted by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was present and tangible, like a thick cloud.” Clearly, God spoke deeper than I had realized. -M.B.

“Does God Have a Hearing Problem?”

Oct 10, 2019 | Stories

“Can I eat here?” Karly asked the cook of a small food stand near her new home. The young Muslim woman, Farah, eagerly responded, “You speak my language?! Please, sit, sit! What do you want to eat?”

As Farah placed a plate of delicious food on the table and sat down next to her, Karly noticed the beautiful henna designs on Farah’s hands and was reminded of something she’d recently heard. A friend had said that Muslim people believe God cannot hear the prayers of a woman who wears nail polish. (Muslims are to wash before their ritual, five-times-daily prayers. This includes washing every part of their hands. A layer of nail polish is said to prevent “wudu,” or purification, from being complete as water cannot reach the actual nail.)

When Karly asked about the nail polish, Farah replied, “Yeah, some people think like that. But I feel God can hear fine. He is God, right? Does He have a hearing problem? Also, people don’t care about henna. It’s clean. It doesn’t block the water. Would you like me to put henna on your hands?” Karly accepted her offer in the spirit of Luke 10:7 (Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality.).

As the henna dried, a few customers came to the food stand, and Farah introduced Karly to them, pointing out that she could speak their language. In a moment of quiet, Karly asked how she could pray for Farah. “Anything you think of about my business or life!” Farah replied. “I will pray for you too.”

Because of Farah’s introductions, Karly has been welcomed into the homes of two other families on the block!

Please pray for Karly as she extends the light of God to these new friends.
Pray that God will open Farah’s heart to seeing and accepting Isa al Masih (Jesus the Messiah) as her Lord and Savior.

Read another story about Karly here.

*pseudonyms

« Older Entries

Next Entries »