Imagine — for the past 3 months, you’ve been enrolled in DMI’s Getting Started in Disciple Making Movements course. You can’t believe the tools you are gaining that will help you carry out the Great Commission. And to think – you found this amazing online program while scrolling through social media!

During the course, you have loved Cynthia Anderson’s teaching that ordinary people are called and equipped by God to go and make disciples. You’ve learned to not only make disciples yourself, but to teach others to also make disciples! You have understood the importance of forming a prayer team and how to find Persons of Peace. You have practiced using your testimony and other helpful tools for sharing Jesus with lost and broken people.

And now, you have formed a first-generation disciple-making group. Five people meet together weekly in your home to study the Bible and pray! You know that Jesus commands us to obey and follow Him, and to teach others to do the same. But you struggle to teach new believers to make disciples as the course taught you. You are a simple person, not a trained pastor or missionary!  You are beginning to feel a bit discouraged in your ministry efforts.

One day, you receive a WhatsApp message from two Disciple Makers Increase (DMI) coaches named Joseph and Pedro. It says: 

“Brother James, we greet you and your family in the name of Jesus. How is it going over there?”  

You message back that it is going well, but you feel stuck in moving forward with disciple-making.  

“Brother James, it is common to feel stuck sometimes. However, we know God has called you to make disciples. Where God has called, He will equip and provide! We are gathering the Malawian trainees from the online course for follow-up training. Would you like to come?” 

You reply that this is the very encouragement you were praying for. It would be so helpful to talk through these ideas face to face rather than only online!

The following week, James finds himself on a bus to Lilongwe. Upon arrival, he greets 25 growing ministry leaders like himself. These have gathered in person for the first time at Pastor John’s church. Most of these leaders have, like himself, completed the first online disciple-making course. Yet, others have only recently learned about DMMs-Disciple Making Movements from Joseph and Pedro. They are excited to know more!

The group fellowships together for a full day, sharing food and discussing challenges and opportunities. Most importantly, the group hears from seasoned disciple-makers, Joseph and Pedro. These coaches (who are movement leaders themselves) share testimonies of disciple-making groups that have multiplied to second, third, and fourth generations! Thousands have rapidly come to the Lord and been discipled.

During a recent coaching session, Pedro shared with Next Steps in Missions course creator, Christine Chow:  

“To see those participants – they did the first step online, and then we [Pedro and Joseph] started sharing about how we are practically doing DMM in the field. They were able to see an African from the same region as them doing it — and that it is working! This is very important.” 

Joseph also affirmed the importance of onsite training, saying:  

“Many people did the training online but they had not started doing it [DMM- Multiplying Disciples] yet. Some of them thought maybe this is only online, it can’t work otherwise. But then they saw that we were there, me and Pedro, that we were doing it.  I think now I have seen that some people from the [onsite training] group, they have [since] started [DMM], which is very good.” 

Pedro and Joseph have now experienced the fruit that comes from meeting together face-to-face. They are now dreaming of their next regional onsite training with much excitement! These indigenous coaches hope to create a circuit around Malawi, traveling two by two from one city to the next. They will gather new disciple-makers together for 1-to-2-day events in each site, training and coaching new DMI trainees in person.

“I think it is very, very important to have these kind of meetings; to do a lot of follow up, because you are encouraging them. Some of them didn’t know how to start [until then], so we have learned it is very important to do follow-ups. My prayer is that God will help us with provision, especially for transport, to go right there where they are, where they live. We want to have even a short time with them to see and visit their ministry in person.” – Joseph 

Between visits, Pedro and Joseph keep in touch with the trainee groups via WhatsApp. They regularly check in with and mentor potential movement leaders. They answer practical questions and hold individuals accountable for taking the first steps. The first steps may be forming prayer teams, seeking persons of peace, or forming a new group that will multiply. Names of fruitful ministry leaders are passed on to DMI’s leadership team so they can be bathed in prayer. 

For Pedro and Joseph, the vision doesn’t stop with Malawi. These passionate brothers-in-Christ are already planning a series of onsite visits to Mozambique and Kenya, God willing.

DMI On-site Training Coordinator, Christine, takes time to affirm the two regional trainers, saying: 

“I like the idea of going from place to place, hosting smaller events, so that when you coach them in the future we understand their situation. Then, after you’ve done that, let them have some time to put into practice what they have learned to do. Next year you can see who has been fruitful.” 

Christine goes on to encourage the African coaches to put a simple plan into writing. This way DMI leadership can prayerfully and practically support them as they raise future movement leaders.  The two respond excitedly, saying:  

“Yes, that is what we are thinking, we will go to these places and find the key people. We will check on these guys, mentoring them, and coaching them. After we do visitations, we will organize training, and put more effort into helping them. We will see if we can assist them in launching a movement!” 

The time ended in prayer for God’s kingdom work throughout the region. All shared their gratitude for the coaching and support DMI has been able to supply to advance the Kingdom in Africa. The two country coaches conclude the time with thanksgiving:  

“Thank you for planning and making it possible for us to go and meet with these brothers in the region who are really trying to move forward in making disciples. Let’s continue moving forward. I myself, I want to go, I want to help others, I want to coach. – Pedro 

“We are so thankful to DMI for partnering with us. We appreciate you trusting us so that we can do the work on the ground. May the Lord Almighty continue blessing you. We are taking [the job] as ours. We are on the ground. This is part of what the Lord is doing in the area and you are standing with us.”  – Joseph 

DMI echoes this sincere gratitude to our prayer partners and financial partners. God is using you to help our training efforts take root and bear much fruit for His Kingdom! If you are not yet a regular supporter of our ministry, we would like to invite you to join us as a monthly donor. Consistent gifts, coupled with other designated funds, enable onsite training like this one to take place. If you’d like to help other passionate leaders like Pedro and Joseph be able to “go, help, and coach” consider supporting DMI financially – every amount makes a difference!

Join Us in Making a Difference

• Become a monthly supporter, sign up here.
• Contribute a one-time gift, you can give here.
• To become a DMI intercessor, sign up here.

Many thanks for joining us in this important work! Pray with us that in the coming months and years, we will be able to run many more On-site trainings like this one provided for by one of our generous donors.