I have become convinced that leaders need a laser like focus on disciple making. Think about it, if you don’t have that focus on disciple-making who does? We live in a culture that is consistently and forcefully shaping men & women but not into the image of Christ, our people need us to be consistently encouraging them on in their discipleship.

I have also become convinced that we need to discover ways of being church that are readily replicable, can be led by bi-vocational leaders, can foster community and can encourage people to share the Gospel with people. I also believe we need ways of being church that will survive in a culture increasingly hostile or indifferent to public expressions of Christianity.

These convictions led me to build around the planting of missional groups and to read as much as could about leading missional communities.

In order to build a disciple-making culture you have to know what you mean by a disciple, know how you’re going to encourage that and know what you’re actually asking people to do.

You have to know why a missional community is not simply a Bible study and teach (even mature believers) that maturity comes from obedience to Christ and not through information about Christ.

You have to figure out how these groups relate to Sunday gatherings, how to engage children, and that discipleship is a messy process. These trends need thinking about.

Then as you keep that focus on discipleship and mission that, God willing, leads to multiplication and you begin to train and teach others to do what they have seen you do.

Now, missional communities are not the only way to either make disciples or do mission but I am sure in the rapidly changing culture of Europe that communities that intentionally focus on discipleship (obedience to Christ) and mission have a significant role to play.