Spreading God’s Glory: Disciple-Making Movements

The Bible makes it clear that God’s glory will spread throughout the world. Habakkuk 2:14 says,

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

The most powerful means of filling the earth with God’s glory is through disciple-making movements. Through Equip, our Father gives us clear insight into his plan for spreading his fame across the globe — starting in New York City.

What is a Disciple-Making Movement?

Mission Frontiers defines it as, “A rapid and exponential increase of indigenous churches planting churches within a given people group.” A disciple-making movement saturates a specific geographic region or people group with churches designed to quickly reproduce into more and more churches. These powerful, Spirit-led movements typically begin with a few disciples who ignite other hearts with the Good News. As hearts catch fire, they also catch the vision to spread God’s glory among their specific people group. In Luke 10:1-11, Jesus inspires us with his three-fold plan for a small group of people to reach a nation. Jesus begins his instructions with, “Pray first.” This is the foundation of everything else he commands in these verses. As in the case of the 72 disciples, Jesus encourages us that the harvest is ready and overflowing. An added encouragement is that laborers will come from within the harvest as disciples come to faith and then go out to make more disciples.

Ministry in Community

In New York City, we trust our Father for a great harvest. We believe many laborers will rise up within disciple-making movements. As we press into the place of prayer, we are gaining divine insight into strategies God has for engaging the harvest fields. Excitement naturally rises when you know God’s glory is on the move! The second command Jesus gives is to “Go!” but not on your own: go as a team. Throughout the New Testament, it is clear that partnership is God’s desire for seeing the Good News spread to others. Jesus sends His disciples out two-by-two for many reasons: there is a greater return (Deuteronomy 32:30), he is in their midst (Matthew 18:20), and they will not be overpowered by the enemy (Ecclesiastes 4:12). As our Equip teams learn to minister in partnership, we are already seeing greater return for our labor and greater strength in our hearts.

Finding a Person of Peace

Lastly, Jesus commanded the disciples to look for a person of peace or someone spiritually interested. Jesus tells His disciples to stay in that person’s home. This is because he cares about more than a place for the disciples to eat and sleep. He desires the entire household to come to faith. A person of peace is a good signpost that God is pursuing the household or even the larger community. Jesus chooses to show God’s glory in the community of believers. So it makes sense that he wants to draw to himself more than one individual at a time. On the streets of New York City, our Equip teams seek persons of peace who will lead us to households of peace, initiating a disciple-making movement. Our desire is for entire households to join the family of God. Then they can take their newfound hope to their neighbors so disciple-making movements spring to life.

Seeing God’s glory in NYC

Following the course Jesus laid for us in Luke 10, disciple-making movements in New York City are just over the horizon. As we apply Jesus’ words to life and ministry, filling the earth with God’s glory becomes our vision.  And as hearts ignite with the Good News, this vision becomes a reality in New York City and across the world.