From Info to Action

[This is DMM Trek Log entry #1 in the adventure of initiating a disciple-making movement (DMM) through discovery Bible study (DBS).]

In 2019, I wrote Disciple Maker, but I didn’t just want to write about how Jesus still makes disciples today — I wanted to get involved in doing it.  So, I invited a couple friends who live here in the Twin Cities to join me.  Perhaps our experience will help you to start your own journey as part of Jesus’ disciple-making movement.

I knew my buddies had a heart for evangelism and missions, because they are Directors of Christian Outreach (DCO), people who serve in parishes and missional ministries.  I trained DCOs at Concordia University, in St. Paul from 1990-1994, and again from 2003-2011 as an adjunct prof. 

• Dean grew up on a farm in Iowa.  He has overseen Christian outreach at two churches in the US and two in Canada.
• Kurtis grew up as a missionary kid in Nigeria.  His career includes stints in post-Hurricane Katrina Louisiana, in Peru, and inner-city Minneapolis. 

All DCOs share a common mission vision: to be used by the Lord to share Christ near and far, and to train other believers to do the same.  Sadly, however, far too many DCOs have had their employment terminated due to their church lacking funds or a passion for outreach.  That’s why Dean is now a shift manager at a big box store, and Kurtis works as a college fund raiser.

On April 9, we three met together for the first time.  I thought our agenda was to contact as many DCOs as possible, invite them to a Zoom meeting about DMM, and then actually start doing DBS with those who were interested.  

But Kurtis had a different idea, “Guys, if you want to do DBS, let’s just do it!” 

“What do you mean?” I asked.  

“Let’s just open our Bibles to Luke 10:1-11 and do a discovery Bible study.”  

Both Dean and I wondered how that was going to help us contact DCOs and recruit them.  I kept trying to follow my agenda, and Kurtis kept returning to, “Let’s just do it.”  Needless to say it was a stressful meeting.

For the next three days, Kurtis’s “Just do it!” kept bugging me.  I realized that if it was bugging me, then it probably held some truth.  After a couple mornings of prayerful searching, on Monday morning the Lord downloaded a page of ideas about how to streamline informing the DCOs and swing into action ASAP.  

So on Friday, April 16, for 90 minutes we opened our Bibles to Luke 10, and Kurtis led us in a discovery Bible study.  Then we spent 30 minutes designing a plan to inform the DCOs quickly and invite them to join us for our next DBS.

We were thrilled when two DCOs attended our Zoom DBS on Friday, April 23, another came on April 30, and two more on May 7.  They are all godly people doing significant work in the Kingdom.  Other DCOS have said they hope to join us.  Others have a conflict with our meeting time.  So we will work out another time for them.

In the process I volunteered to be an assistant coach for my grandsons’s Little League team.  What does that have to do with starting a disciple-making movement?  Participants in a discovery Bible study serve in their community, and keep their eyes open for a person of peace (Luke 10:6), someone whom the Holy Spirit is preparing to explore the Bible and to invite their family and friends to join in the adventure.

Kurtis did us a great favor by encouraging us to just jump in.  I’m thrilled to finally be doing the most effective discipleship method ever and not merely trying to convince others to use it.  I am praying more concertedly then ever before for God’s people to adopt the Lord’s brilliant disciple-making plan.  

And I have a Little League game coming up in a few hours.  Whoo-hoo!

That’s my adventure so far.  God’s richest blessings on yours!  To begin your adventure, download and read my free e book, Disciple Maker: Fulfill Your Destiny in the Disciple-Making Movement Launched by Jesus Christ.  While the title is long, the book is brief.  If you prefer to look before you leap, eyeball this synopsis with links to each chapter.

Discovery Bible study does not happen alone. Do you have friends who share your dream of guiding others into a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ? Invite them to join you on the trek to initiate a disciple-making movement. Even one such friend is enough to begin the journey.

Here at www.faithtrekker.org I will continue to update you about my disciple-making adventure.  Feel free to inform me about yours.

Next DMM Log entry: Path of Questions.