Although most pastors and church leaders could identity Jesus’ Great Commission as the reason the church exists, this is an astonishing reality: When asked what their plan is for making disciples, the vast majority have no response.
Our main focus is to answer the critical question HOW to make disciples. Knowing the need for a simple, reproducible approach to make disciples, our mission is to transform and multiply disciples through microgroups (3s and 4s). Of course, there are other ways. We do not have a monopoly on God's various ways to make disciples.
Our reproducible and transferable process with thousands of people of over 40 years in numerous countries, teaches us that the MicroGroup expeirence, focued on relationships, is an ideal environment to transform and multiply disciples.
Although this method or strategy is definitely not the only way to make disciples, the proven success rate of MicroGroups brings together four environmental conditions when we are in the Holy Spirit’s hothouse of transformation.
- Open hearts in transparent trust to each other
- Around the truth of God’s Word
- In the spirit of life-changing accountability
- While engaged in our God-designed mission
In other words, making disciples is not just for pastors to do. Making disciples is for all followers of Christ. YOU do not have to be in ministry, on staff, certified, or have a degree to do this! When Jesus announced Matthew 28:18-20, it was to ALL, not just some, as others may distort these verses. No seminary degree required. No ceremonial hierarchy is needed. YOU, as a Christ-follower are commissed to accept The Great Commission from Jesus Himself!
Multiplication of Disciplemakers
Every culture varies. Within the US context, these MicroGroups will covenant to meet weekly for 90 minutes to explore a core curriculum such as Discipleship Essentials. The goals are twofold:
- A foundational curriculum creates the big picture of what being a follower of Jesus entails.
- After examining Christ’s all-encompassing claim on our life, disciples engage four areas of growth:
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- Practicing basic spiritual disciplines in order to stay connected to the Vine.
- Grasping the central truths of the nature of triune God and His rescue plan through Jesus Christ.
- Understanding the internal transformational work of the Holy Spirit to develop a Christlike character.
- Engaging the world as witnesses to the life-changing love of Christ.
Committed to Multiplication
From the very first engagement with the covenant, the expectation is created that the participants are committed to reproduce this same process with others following the initial completion of Discipleship Essentials, thus becoming a disciplemaker. A facilitator models for participants the coaching through the first third. Then participants take turns "leading" as in an internship with a safe environment to gain confidence that they, too, could be a disciplemaker.
At the conclusion of the group covenant, each member initiates the process of inviting two or three others to join them and simply reproduces the process they have experienced.
Corporate Transformation
As the groups multiply from 4 to 16 to 35 to 80 to 130 over a five-year period, an entire congregation is transformed from within. During this multiplication process, a number of things can be done to inculcate this practice into the culture of a church so that momentum increases.
Group members gather quarterly to celebrate the life they are experiencing; as group leaders multiply they are recognized publicly, passing a literal baton. Testimonies of transformation can be videotaped to be played publicly in the congregation.
GDI Vision
Compelled by Jesus’ Great Commission, we are multiplying transformed disciples through MicroGroups in every country in the world.
GDI Mission
In partnership with the local church, GDI motivates, equips, and coaches pastors and Christian leaders to establish indigenous, MicroGroup-based disciplemaking churches, both nationally and internationally.
